The Pittsburgh Penguins are back home for two games this week after losing in Montreal to the Canadiens 5-4 on Saturday.
They'll play a Vegas Golden Knights team that lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Boston Bruins on Monday. This will be the second half of a back-to-back with travel for the Golden Knights, so the Penguins will have the schedule advantage.
Still, this is one heck of a Golden Knights team coming into this game with a 9-5-2 record, good for second in the Pacific Division. They punked the Penguins 6-2 earlier in the season when the Penguins lost all four games on their western road trip.
Jack Eichel has been fantastic to start the season, compiling seven goals and 20 points in 16 games. He can do it all and is outstanding at shutting down the league's best players.
Mark Stone leads the team in goals with 10 and also has 18 points in 16 games. Don't forget about Mitch Marner, too. He's one of the league's best distributors, as shown by 15 of his 17 points being assists.
They also have Tomas Hertl, Trevor Connelly, Ivan Barbashev, William Karlsson, and Brett Howden, all of whom can fill the net at any time.
Defensively, Shea Theodore carries much of the load, but Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson also help when they can. Adin Hill is slated to start in goal after Carter Hart played on Monday.
The Penguins will be without star forward Evgeni Malkin on Tuesday, but his injury doesn't sound serious. He was a participant during the morning skate and could return against Boston on Thursday.
Defenseman Kaedan Korczak should be good to go after also participating in the morning skate. Like Malkin, he missed Monday's practice with an injury.
Here's a look at the expected lines and pairings:
Forwards
Novak-Crosby-Rakell
Kuzmenko-Kindel-Chinakhov
Koivunen-Lapierre-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Robertson
Defense
Stastney-Karlsson
Girard-Korczak
Carlile-Letang
Arturs Silovs will start in goal after having the night off on Saturday.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
Colton Parayko is not ready yet, Ross Johnston is back, and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki, fresh off scoring his first NHL goal, will be a healthy scratch when the St. Louis Blues (7-6-1) play the second of a four-game road trip against the New York Rangers (7-7-1) Tuesday at 6 p.m. (Blue Note+, ESPN 101.1-FM) at Madison Square Garden.
Johnston, who has not played since Oct. 15 against the Minnesota Wild due to a lower-body injury, was to return to the lineup at some point on this road trip, Blues coach Jim Montgomery said prior to the team departing, and looks like today is the day, and he will replace Kaskimaki, who scored his first NHL goal -- the game-winner -- on Saturday.
Some of you may be scoffing at the notion of Kaskimaki coming out, and it's a valid thought since the rookie has played really well since his recall from Springfield of the American Hockey League, but the Rangers are a physical team and possess one of the toughest fighters in the league in Matt Rempe, and Johnston's presence for that alone will be imperative in case there are fisticuffs.
The Blues will make a third attempt at that elusive third straight win.
In attempts earlier this season, they lost 4-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes Oct. 24 and 5-4 to the Wild.
- - -
Blues Projected Lineup:
Dylan Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud
Connor McMichael-Mason McTavish-Jonatan Berggren
Jake Neighbours-Dalibor Dvorsky-Pavel Buchnevich
Alexey Toropchenko-Pius Suter-Ross Johnston
Philip Broberg-Brandon Carlo
Cam Fowler-Adam Jiricek
Theo Lindstein-Justin Barron
Joel Hofer will start in goal; Jordan Binnington will be the backup.
The healthy scratch includes Aleksanteri Kaskimaki. Colton Parayko (upper body), Tyler Tucker (knee) and Dillon Dube (neck) are out.
- - -
Rangers Projected Lineup:
Pavel Dorofeyev-Mika Zibanejad-Alexis Lafreniere
Tye Kartye-J.T. Miller-Gabe Perreault
Eeli Tolvanen-Will Cuylle-Oliver Bjorkstrand
Jaroslav Chlemar-Noah Laba-Matt Rempe
Vladislav Gavrikov-Adam Fox
Marcus Pettersson-Braden Schneider
Alberts Smits-Scott Morrow
Dylan Garand will start in goal; James Reimer will be the backup.
Healthy scratches include Luke Glendening and Matthew Robertson. Igor Shesterkin (lower body), Joonas Korpisalo (lower body), Sean Durzi (undisclosed) and Joseph Veleno (lower body) are out.
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There was nothing more Carter Mazur wanted than to play for the Detroit Red Wings one day, his favorite team while growing up in Michigan.
Not only is he living that dream, but on Monday evening, he hit a major career milestone.
Mazur scored his first NHL goal as part of Detroit's 5-3 win over the divisional rival Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena, whipping a shot past the glove of goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
The Michigan-born forward, who has experienced numerous injury setbacks in the early goings of his young career, said that the milestone goal came as a relief.
“It was a relief, for sure, especially going through all those injuries throughout my career," Mazur said in the dressing room afterward. "To finally get that one it felt really special for me.”
"I just put my head down and tried to shoot it into the back of the net, and luckily, it went in."
The victory for the Red Wings was something they needed in the wake of their 5-4 setback on Saturday afternoon against the St. Louis Blues in which they held a two-goal third period lead.
"I think it was a good response from the last game against St. Louis," Mazur said. "I think we came out hard, especially against a tough team like Florida, and we just have to keep building off that."
"You just have to move on and take a lesson from it, and come out even stronger. I think we did a good job of that."
Also scoring for the Red Wings were Alex DeBrincat, Justin Faulk, Michael Brandsegg-Nygård, and Emmitt Finnie (empty net). Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, and Sam Bennett all tallied for the Panthers.
Scoring his first goal will feel good for Mazur, who suffered a fluke injury just seconds into his NHL debut in the spring of 2025; he's missed weeks of playing time with the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins with various ailments.
So far this season with the Red Wings, he's appeared in nine gams and has three points.
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At Monday’s Montreal Canadiens practice, just shy of two weeks after suffering an injury against the San Jose Sharks, Nick Suzuki was back skating between Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky. Still, the Montreal Canadiens confirmed that he won't play on Tuesday night when the Habs take on the Winnipeg Jets.
Tuesday’s tilt will be the second of the season between the two sides since they played one another just over a week ago at the Heritage Classic. With the NHL's eyes on the outdoor game, the Jets took 34 shots on net, but Jacob Fowler was nearly unbeatable, allowing only one goal while the Habs scored two and took the win. Montreal will wear yet another jersey as they debut their Hometown Remix threads, unveiled yesterday to mixed reactions.
While Jacob Fowler won his last start, it wasn’t his best night, so the coach could have sent Jakub Dobes back in net, but he elected not to do it. Thanks to his stellar play since being called up from the Laval Rocket, Fowler was named NHL rookie of the month in October and won the Molson Cup, so he earned himself some leeway.
Both netminders have faced the Jets once and have come out on top with enviable stats. Fower has a 1.00 goals-against average and a .971 save percentage after his Heritage Classic antics, while Dobes has a 1.38 GAA and a .938 SV after a 3-2 shootout win last March.
At the other end of the ice, Stuart Skinner would probably like a chance to get his revenge after losing the outdoor game, but he was lit up for five goals on Sunday when the Jets lost 7-0 to the Caroline Hurricanes. The netminder has a 4-3-0 record against Montreal with a 2.72 GAA and an .893 SV. The visitors currently have three netminders on the roster: Nico Daws, who’s 2-1-0 against the Habs with a 2.68 GAA and a .901 SV against Montreal, and Clay Stevenson, who has never faced the Sainte-Flanelle; complete the trio and are the two alternatives.
Up front, Phillip Danault leads all Habs skaters in points against the visitors with 24 in 32 games, followed by captain Nick Suzuki with 17 in 21 games and power forward Josh Anderson with 17 in 26 games. Chris Kreider is next in line with 16 points in 27 duels. The two big wingers are coming off a multi-point performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. As for Cole Caufield, he has nine points in 12 games against the Jets, including two assists last week, but Winnipeg remains the only NHL team he has never scored against.
For the Jets, Kyle Connor produces more than a point per game against Montreal with 29 in 25 games, followed by Mark Scheifele, who has 26 in 33 games, while Nino Niederreiter completes the top three with 18 points in 32 games. Scheifele will no doubt be looking for revenge after Fowler stopped him seven times at the Heritage Classic, including a couple of times when he looked to the heavens, likely wondering what on earth he had to do to beat the youngster.
Montreal has won six of the last 10 duels between the two sides, including the last three games, and is off to a much better start to the season than the visitors. The Habs have 20 points and are fifth in the league, but have games in hand on the first four teams, while the Jets are currently 28th overall, have lost their last five games, and are 1-7-2 in their last 10. The game is set for 7:00 PM; you can catch it in French on RDS and in English on TSN 2. Alex Lepkowski and Chris Rooney are the referees, while Shandor Alphonso and Jonathan Deschamps are the linesmen.
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 13: Jake Livanavage #4 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates up ice with the puck against the Detroit Red Wings during the first period of the 2026 NHL Prospect Camp at Belfor iced rink inside Little Caesars Arena on September 13, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Dave Reginek/Getty Images) Jake Livanavage | Getty Images
An injury has left Kaeden Korczak in the day-to-day range and as a result has led to the first call-up of the season for defenseman Jake Livanavage.
Livanavage has arguably been the best defender in Wilkes-Barre this year, leading the blueline in scoring with eight points (2G+6A) in nine AHL games. As a left shot defender, it remains to be seen if this call-up will be more to have an extra body on hand while Korczak is injured or if Livanavage will get the opportunity to play at some point. Bringing Livanavage up to the NHL roster means the team will have seven healthy players (excluding Korczak) and presumably put Livanavage or Ilya Solovyov into the playing lineup for the duration of Korczak’s absence.
One player who will be getting into the lineup is Justin Brazeau, who worked yesterday with Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre. Brazeau has been given the green light to play tonight in the NHL by coach Dan Muse after a two-game conditioning stint in the AHL where he recorded an assist.
"I think it's just getting the game back, making sure I feel good, my body feels good & mentally getting ready so when I go back up I'm ready to go."
Brazeau’s return comes at a good time for the team with Elmer Soderblom’s injury having been changed into a week-to-week status following further evaluation. Brazeau’s return gives the Penguins 13 forwards on the current roster, though Evgeni Malkin missed practice yesterday with what was called a day-to-day injury and has an unknown status for tonight’s game against Vegas.
The Pens start a stretch tonight where they will play four games in the next six days. The team hasn’t used the same lineup for their 18-skaters and starting goalie in consecutive games, and figure to continue that streak for at least tonight with Brazeau looking to make his season debut and a few banged up players in Korczak and Malkin that might miss time.
The New York Islanders will have something of a salary war chest this summer, based on the upcoming salary cap increase to a projected $113.5 million.
New York's current cap hit is a shade above $102 million.
The team has just over $27 million in expiring deals, with Ondrej Palat and Kyle Palmieri representing over $10 million of that alone.
If you do the math, it gives the Islanders a near-$40 million war chest for this summer to add major pieces throughout the lineup.
The question has and still remains what Islanders' General Manager Mathieu Darche will look to do with that money.
That's also only the minimum they'll have in space. Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield's contracts shift from full no-trade protection to each having a 16-team list.
The entire conversation changed at the end of last week.
Tampa Bay Lightning superstar forward, two-time Hart Trophy winner, two-time Stanley Cup Champion, and the Lightning's all-time leading scorer Nikita Kucherov requested a trade and announced he won't be extending with the Lightning.
It's a total earthquake for the entirety of the NHL, one that changes how the majority of teams may brace for the summer.
The Lightning released a statement publicly declaring they have zero intent to trade Kucherov, but the rumors are now there.
Immediately, it's easy to see the connection to the Islanders. Darche worked for the Lightning for six years and both of their Stanley Cups with Kucherov.
Kucherov, per reports, wants to play with another superstar. The Islanders have that in Matthew Schaefer.
Then, on Monday, Pierre LeBrun released his latest NHL Rumblings article for The Athletic.
LeBrun became the first major insider to link the Islanders directly to Kucherov.
"GM Mathieu Darche has a relationship with Kucherov from his Tampa days. I fully expect they will try to be a player from a July 1 perspective."
The Islanders were mentioned on a list with nine other teams, but as LeBrun noted, if Kucherov's available, there's 31 teams that want to be involved.
It's very important to note that LeBrun specifically states the Islanders will try, and a player be a player from a free agency perspective.
That's pretty specific wording, and it makes one think the Islanders won't be involved in any trade dialogue for the Russian star.
With how Darche has operated, keeping top prospects off limits in deals, along with the roster pieces and future draft capital, that would make sense.
If it gets to free agency, the Islanders can and likely will offer something of a blank check, while trying to convince Kucherov to join a team with Schaefer, superstar Russian goaltender Ilya Sorokin, and stars Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal.
Exactly one week after the Vancouver Canucks (3–12–1) ended their 10-game losing streak with a 6–5 overtime win, they’ll be facing the very team they smashed the streak against — the Anaheim Ducks (6–7–1). Vancouver’s last matchup saw them take a 4–2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, while the Ducks put together a 6–3 win against the Ottawa Senators.
One of the things the Canucks will want to watch out for in their rematch against the Ducks is Anaheim’s special teams. The Ducks’ power play currently sits at second in the NHL with a success rate of 34%, also having scored once in two opportunities against Vancouver. Their penalty kill, which is notably in the bottom-half of the league at 76.4%, was effective against a stagnant Canucks power play last week.
Faceoffs have been a slight issue for the Canucks as of late. Against the Maple Leafs on Saturday, Vancouver won only 39% of their draws, resulting in their current season winning rate of 46.5% — ranking 28th in the NHL. Against Anaheim last week, Vancouver also recorded a sub-40% faceoff win rate, winning only 36.8% of their faceoffs. They’ve posted a faceoff winning percentage of 40% or lower six different times this season, also doingso against the Tampa Bay Lightning (37.7%), New York Islanders (40%), New York Rangers (38%), and Edmonton Oilers (40%).
Players To Watch:
Forward Elias Pettersson
Elias Pettersson was one of a few Canucks that found fair offensive success against the Ducks in their matchup one week ago, logging two assists and nearly 25 minutes worth of ice time. While his six-game point-streak did come to an end on Saturday, Pettersson is still averaging a point per game to start the 2026–27 season. He has also performed well statistically against the Ducks throughout his career, putting up seven goals and 18 assists in 25 games.
Jackson LaCombe
In Vancouver’s last matchup against the Ducks, defenceman Jackson LaCombe put together a three-assist effort, helping out on both of A.J. Greer’s goals as well as one scored by Jeff Malott. The defenceman currently sits at second in scoring on Anaheim with a total of 15 points in 14 games and is their outright leader in TOI with an average of 26:45 minutes played per game — nearly six minutes more than the next player, Tristan Luneau.
Vancouver Canucks (3–12–1):
Points:
Elias Pettersson: 4–12–16
Jonathan Lekkerimäki: 6–7–13
Brock Boeser: 5–8–13
Filip Hronek: 1–11–12
Linus Karlsson: 3–6–9
Goaltenders:
Leevi Meriläinen: 2–5–1
Kevin Lankinen: 1–7–0
Anaheim Ducks (6–7–1):
Points:
Leo Carlsson: 4–17–21
Jackson LaCombe: 1–14–15
Beckett Sennecke: 8–4–12
Cutter Gauthier: 7–5–12
Mikael Granlund: 3–7–10
Goaltenders:
Lukáš Dostál: 4–4–1
Laurent Broissoit: 1–0–0
Ville Husso: 1–3–0
Game Information:
Start time: 7:00 pm PCT
Venue: Rogers Arena
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: KiSS West Coast
Mar 24, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) shoots against the Anaheim Ducks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to face the Colorado Avalanche tonight at 7:00 PM.
Colorado Avalanche- 9-5-1 - 19 Points - Won 3 - 2nd in the Central
Columbus Blue Jackets - 5-7-0 - 10 Points - Lost 2 - 7th in the Metro
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Zach Werenski has 3-5-8 in 18 career GP, including 1-3-4 in nine career home games against the club.
Dmitri Voronkov has 0-2-2 in five career GP, tallying assists in both contests of 2024-25.
Ryan Lomberg has 1-2-3 in 8 career GP, with a goal and an assist in his most recent game played against Colorado (1-1-2).
Charlie Coyle has 12-15-27 with six multi-point efforts in 42 career GP and has points in eight of his past 10 contests against the club (3-7-10).
Emil Andrae has 0-2-2 in three career GP, notching an assist in each of his past two games played against the Avalanche.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 12.9% - 29th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 73.0 - 22nd in the NHL
Goals For - 28 - 32nd in the NHL
Goals Against - 39 - 7th in the NHL
AvalancheStats
Power Play - 20.0% - 18th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 93.5% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 63 - 4th in the NHL
Goals Against - 45 - 14th in the NHL
Series History vs.Avalanche
The Blue Jackets are 24-41-1-5 overall, and 12-19-1-3 at home vs. Colorado.
Columbus went 0-2-0 in 2025-26.
Columbus has earned points in 11 of the last 20 games of the series overall (10-9-1).
The Blue Jackets have posted wins in five of the last 10 games played against Colorado at Nationwide Arena (5-4-1).
Columbus has gone 13-of-14 on the penalty kill in its last six games in the series at Nationwide Arena (92.8 pct.).
The winning team has recorded four-plus goals in 10-straight meetings and in 14 of the past 15 overall.
Each of the past nine outings have been determined by multiple goals with seven decided by three or more.
Both teams have earned five wins when playing past regulation in the all- time series.
Who To Watch For TheAvalanche
Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avs with 25 points.
Artturi Lehkonen leads the team with 12 goals.
Scott Wedgewood is 1-2-1 and his last start was on 10-25.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 12 Games Missed
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 36
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN - Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo. DirecTV Ch. 660 (streaming), 660-1 (satellite). U-Verse (1735/735)
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Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen is reportedly still big-game hunting, in hopes of adding some scoring depth, and according to many of the NHL insiders, have approached the Detroit Red Wings about Dylan Larkin, but according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, it is not likely that the disgruntled center will include the Sabres on his list of preferred destinations.
Larkin, who was a teammate of the Sabres leading scorer, Tage Thompson, on Team USA’s gold medal-winning Olympic squad, requested a trade from the Wings after the season and provided them a very narrow three-team trade list, which has recently been broadened to 10 teams. The Sabres, according to both Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, have expressed interest in Larkin, along with another Atlantic Division rival, the Montreal Canadiens.
Friedman indicated on Saturday that Larkin and agent Pat Brisson may alter the 10-team list (Carolina, Colorado, Dallas, Florida, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tampa Bay, Utah, Vegas, and Washington), to take teams like the Panthers, Golden Knights, and Avalanche off, who cannot offer the Wings an acceptable deal, and possibly add others to the list.
Dylan Larkin is awaiting a trade from the Detroit Red Wings
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that Larkin, in spite of reports of some flexibility, is not willing to add some teams that he does not want to play for, who might be willing to offer an acceptable package to Detroit.
“All indications are that Buffalo is a no-go,” Dreger said.
The Sabres appear to have the right ingredients for a Larkin trade, as the Wings reportedly are looking for young centers, and Buffalo has them in abundance in Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, and Jiri Kulich, but there are still some roadblocks from players with no-trade protection, in spite of the Sabres snapping their 15-year playoff drought and making it to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 19: Jack Eichel #9 of the Vegas Golden Knights skates with the puck against Erik Karlsson #65 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on November 19, 2023 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who:Vegas Golden Knights (9-5-2, 20 points, 2nd place Pacific Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (5-7-2, 12 points, 6th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Broadcast locally on Scripps and Sportsnet Pittsburgh, in Canada on TVAS and streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are back at PPG Paints for a Thursday home game against the Boston Bruins before flying out to the West Coast for a Saturday/Sunday back-to-back against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.
Opponent Track: The Golden Knights are coming into the matchup on the latter end of a back-to-back after losing in Monday night shootout to the Boston Bruins. Vegas is still sitting second in the division, but the Knights have now lost five of their last six games (1-3-2 over that stretch).
Season Series: The Penguins are looking to split the season series after conceding a 6-2 loss in Las Vegas earlier this month.
Hidden Stat: Sidney Crosby only needs one more point to move past Marcel Dionne for sole possession of sixth place on the NHL’s all-time points leaderboard.
Getting to know the Golden Knights
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Ivan Barbashev – Jack Eichel – Mark Stone
Trevor Connelly – William Karlsson – Mitch Marner
Brett Howden – Tomas Hertl – Braeden Bowman
Jonas Rondbjerg – Nic Dowd – Marc Gatcomb
DEFENSEMEN
Brayden McNabb / Shea Theodore
Jeremy Lauzon / Noah Hanifin
Dylan Coghlan / Rasmus Andersson
Goaltenders: Carter Hart, Adin Hill
Potential scratches: Raphael Lavoie, Viliam Kmec
Injured Reserve: Parker Wotherspoon (upper body), Victor Olofsson (lower body)
Braeden Bowman was ejected from Monday’s game for an elbow to the face of the Bruins’ Matthew Poitras.
Victor Olofsson was still on IR as of Monday night but has joined the Knights for this week’s road trip. Should Olofsson return Tuesday, he would likely slot in alongside Tomas Hertl on the third line and bump Jonas Rondbjerg from the lineup, per Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Former Penguins defenseman Parker Wotherspoon is week-to-week with an upper-body injury that has allowed Dylan Coghlan to slot into the lineup.
Carter Hart returned from a lower-body injury to start Monday night against the Bruins, so the Penguins might be facing Adin Hill in net tonight. Hill has a .891 save percentage and 5-2 record in seven starts this season, and a career .912 save percentage and 3-2-2 record in seven starts against the Penguins.
Season stats (does not include Monday night’s game) via hockeydb
Mitch Marner is heading into tonight’s matchup having scored points in 10 straight games (1-14—15).
The Golden Knights have seen mixed results in their first 16 games under first-time NHL head coach Ryan Craig. After starting the season on an 8-2 run capped by their Oct. 17 win over the Penguins, the Knights have gone 1-3-2 in their last six games.
Since that six-game stretch started Oct. 20 Golden Knights have ranked 30th in the NHL with 2.17 goals per game (2.17).
The Golden Knights could be looking to take some hope from their pushback in Monday night’s loss. Facing a two-goal deficit midway through the second period, the Knights scored two unanswered goals to tie the Bruins before eventually losing in a shootout.
The Penguins, on the other hand, will hope the Knights’ slump and their busy schedule can help the home team get back on track. Pittsburgh’s last regulation win, a 4-0 shutout of the Florida Panthers back on Oct. 22, also took place with a rested Penguins roster facing a team on the wrong end of a back-to-back.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Andrei Kuzmenko – Ben Kindel – Egor Chinakhov
Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Justin Brazeau
Evgeni Malkin and Kaeden Korczak missed Monday’s practice with lower-body injuries. The Penguins described both players as day-to-day.
Justin Brazeau could be making his season debut after he was recalled Monday from his conditioning stint with Wilkes/Barre Scranton. He recorded one secondary assist in two games with the AHL team.
These defensive pairings could be in flux as players were rotating during Monday’s practice.
Rutger McGroarty has been re-assigned to the AHL. Elmer Soderblom is now considered week-to-week rather than his original day-to-day designation.
Sergei Murashov allowed five goals on 19 shots from the Golden Knights in the Penguins’ last game in Vegas, and he started Saturday’s matchup at the Montreal Canadiens, so Arturs Silovs would be a good bet to start in net tonight.
After much teasing, the Pittsburgh Penguins finally revealed their much anticipated ‘Hometown Remix’ jerseys on Monday and they will make their debut this evening when the Penguins play host the Vegas Golden Knights. The Penguins will be hoping the fresh threads and a fresh month will give them a clean slate to right some wrong from October and get back in the win column starting now.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
Pens Points…
Hope you like late night hockey because it’s returning for the Penguins at the end of this week when they head back west for their annual California swing starting in Los Angeles on Saturday. Before that, a pair of perennial contenders with Vegas and Boston coming to Pittsburgh. [Pensburgh]
It will be a new look for the Penguins when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights this evening with the team’s new ‘Hometown Remix’ uniforms set to debut after being revealed on Monday. [Pensburgh]
Injuries keep piling up for the Penguins with Kaeden Korczak and Evgeni Malkin the latest victims. Both players are listed as day-to-day but neither practiced on Monday in preparation for the Golden Knights. [Trib Live]
Defense has been a glaring issue for the Penguins through the first month of the season, with lapses occurring on a nightly basis leading to chances against. This is a problem the Penguins must fix and seem intent on doing so if practice is any indication. [Trib Live]
Justin Brazeau completed a conditioning assignment with the Wilkes-Barre Scranton Penguins over the weekend and was recalled to the NHL on Monday to rejoin the Penguins. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
All 32 teams unveiled their new ‘Hometown Remix’ jerseys on Monday, and all will be making their on-ice debut in the coming days. I’m sure everyone will be in agreement that the jerseys are good across the board and there will be no complaints about how they look on the ice. [NHL]
Old friend Tristan Jarry put together a solid week in goal for the Edmonton Oilers and took home Second Star of the Week honors. Flanking Jarry on the podium is First Star Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres and Third Star Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks. [NHL]
Vegas Golden Knights (9-5-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-7-2, in the Metropolitan Division)
Pittsburgh; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EST
LINE: Penguins -110, Golden Knights -112; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights travel to the Pittsburgh Penguins looking to stop a three-game road slide.
Pittsburgh has a 4-1-1 record at home and a 5-7-2 record overall. The Penguins are 1-1-1 in games their opponents serve fewer penalty minutes.
Vegas has a 9-5-2 record overall and a 3-2-1 record in road games. The Golden Knights are 5-3-0 in games they have fewer penalties than their opponent.
Tuesday's game is the second time these teams meet this season. The Golden Knights won 6-2 in the previous matchup.
TOP PERFORMERS: Evgeni Malkin has six goals and five assists for the Penguins. Sidney Crosby has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
Mark Stone has 10 goals and eight assists for the Golden Knights. Jack Eichel has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 3-5-2, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.8 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
Golden Knights: 4-4-2, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.3 assists, 3.1 penalties and 8.7 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.
INJURIES: Penguins: Bryan Rust: out (lower-body), Kaedan Korczak: day to day (lower-body), Trevor van Riemsdyk: out (lower body), Ryan Graves: out (lower-body), Elmer Soderblom: out (upper-body), Evgeni Malkin: day to day (lower-body).
Golden Knights: Parker Wotherspoon: out (upper body), Victor Olofsson: out (undisclosed), Kai Uchacz: out (undisclosed).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Chicago Blackhawks (4-10-1, in the Central Division) vs. Florida Panthers (8-5-2, in the Atlantic Division)
Sunrise, Florida; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago Blackhawks head into the matchup against the Florida Panthers after losing three straight games.
Florida has an 8-5-2 record overall and a 3-1-0 record in home games. The Panthers are 5-2-1 in games they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponents.
Chicago has a 4-10-1 record overall and a 0-5-1 record on the road. The Blackhawks have given up 58 goals while scoring 33 for a -25 scoring differential.
Wednesday's game is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Panthers won 3-2 in the last matchup.
TOP PERFORMERS: Matthew Tkachuk has scored four goals with 17 assists for the Panthers. Seth Jones has one goal and 16 assists over the last 10 games.
Roman Kantserov has six goals and two assists for the Blackhawks. Connor Bedard has scored four goals and added six assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Panthers: 6-4-0, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.7 assists, 5.2 penalties and 12.3 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.
Blackhawks: 3-6-1, averaging 2.3 goals, 3.8 assists, 4.2 penalties and 8.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Panthers: Jonah Gadjovich: out (upper-body), Brad Marchand: out (leg), Aleksander Barkov: out (lower body).
Blackhawks: Patrick Kane: day to day (undisclosed), Ryan Ellis: out for season (back), Bowen Byram: day to day (upper-body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Calgary Flames continued their road trip in San Jose on Monday night, picking up a 2-1 win over the Sharks.
It was a fast-paced, back-and-forth start, with Calgary applying pressure early and eventually opening the scoring off a Sharks turnover at the blueline. Adam Klapka picked up the loose puck, walked in and fired a wrist shot past Yaroslav Askarov's glove to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.
Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images<br />
The second period went without a goal, but Calgary added some insurance early in the third. Klapka drove the puck deep into the Sharks' zone before throwing it out front to William Stromgren, who buried his second attempt for his first career NHL goal and a 2-0 Flames lead.
San Jose answered moments later when Sam Dickinson found a loose puck in front and chipped it past Dustin Wolf to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Flames held on from there, shutting down the Sharks' attack the rest of the way to secure the win. Wolf finished with 26 saves, earning his second consecutive victory.
Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Three Takeaways
1. Dustin Wolf delivers another solid performance
Wolf was composed throughout the night, playing positionally sound and doing a good job limiting rebounds and second opportunities. He gave Calgary the saves they needed, particularly after the Sharks cut the lead to one.
It was also another opportunity to perform against his hometown team. Wolf entered the game with a 10-2-0 career record against San Jose and added another win to that mark.
2. Flames keep Celebrini in check
Calgary did a good job limiting Macklin Celebrini's time and space throughout the night. The Sharks' young star entered the game with eight points in eight career games against the Flames, but Calgary kept him from taking over offensively.
The Flames have also had San Jose's number for quite some time. With the win, Calgary improved to 15-2-0 in its last 17 games against the Sharks.
3. William Stromgren gets his first NHL goal
It was a memorable night for Stromgren, who scored his first career NHL goal (the game-winner) in his fourth career game and first appearance since being recalled from the Calgary Wranglers.
The 23-year-old has been productive at the AHL level this season, recording 11 points in 11 games with the Wranglers. He has carried that offensive production into his latest NHL opportunity, making an immediate impact with his first goal.
Ben Hutton is still looking for a place in the NHL, and the former Kings defenseman will have a chance to make that happen with the New York Islanders.
The Islanders announced Monday that they've signed the 33-year-old to a professional tryout (PTO). It's another opportunity for a player who's spent the better part of the last decade moving around the league and finding ways to stay in the lineup.
Hutton's time in Los Angeles came during the 2019-20 season. He played 65 games for the Kings, scoring four goals and adding 12 assists. Los Angeles finished that season out of the playoffs, and there wasn't much to celebrate for a team still trying to get back on track. Hutton was one of the regulars on the blue line, though, and chipped in 16 points along the way.
He didn't stay in Los Angeles for long. Hutton moved on to Anaheim and Toronto before finding a home in Vegas in 2021. His five seasons with the Golden Knights turned out to be the longest stop of his career, and he was there when the franchise finally got its hands on the Stanley Cup in 2023.
Hutton had a career year in the goal department last season, scoring six times in 55 games. He added nine assists for 15 points and also appeared in seven playoff games as Vegas reached the 2026 Stanley Cup Final. He picked up an assist during that run.
There's something to be said for a player who's managed to stick around this long without being a big-name defenseman. Hutton has never been known for putting up huge numbers, but teams have continued to find a use for him.
He made his NHL debut with Vancouver in 2015 and has since played 575 games between the Canucks, Kings, Ducks, Maple Leafs and Golden Knights. He's recorded 30 goals and 109 assists in that time. He also won gold with Canada at the 2016 IIHF World Championship.
Getting another NHL contract won't be automatic. A PTO gives Hutton a chance to show the Islanders he can still help them, but he'll have to earn that opportunity during training camp.
It's been quite a career for a defenseman who spent just one season in Los Angeles. Kings fans saw him during a forgettable year for the franchise, while Vegas fans got to watch him lift the Stanley Cup a few years later.
Now Hutton is hoping there's still another chapter left to write.
