Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov has been placed on long-term injured reserve as the team continues to determine the severity of his most recent injury, the Associated Press reported on Saturday, Oct. 3.
Barkov's status means he will miss at least 10 games and 24 days.
Barkov went down awkwardly on his left leg during a board battle in the second period against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Oct. 1. He got up and immediately went to the dressing room, limping and throwing off his glove in anger. He didn't return to the game.
Barkov had missed the entire 2025-26 season after suffering injuries to his ACL and MCL in his right knee during training camp that required surgery
Aleksander Barkov heads STRAIGHT off the ice after falling awkwardly on his leg 🤕
Barkov missed all of last season after receiving right knee surgery for a torn ACL and MCL... pic.twitter.com/t4Vh9OGKTe
Barkov's injury last season was one of many that derailed the Panthers as they missed the playoffs after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2024 and 2025.
Aleksander Barkov injury update
Barkov has been placed on LTIR, meaning he'll miss at least 10 games and 24 days.
Barkov is key to the Panthers as their captain and a three-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the league's top defensive forward. He missed all of last season, but was able to play in the world championships and help Finland win a gold medal.
Rangers rookie goaltender Dylan Garand has had "the craziest week of [his] life."
The 24-year-old Canadian - who was drafted by the Rangers in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft - was sent down to the team's AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, on Sunday, Sep. 27.
This came on the heels of Garand's promising NHL debut last year, albeit in a very small sample size. Garand started three games towards the tail end of a rough Rangers season and posted a .954 save percentage, saving 3.9 goals above expected as the Rangers went 2-0-1.Â
"I had a number of conversations with [Garand] when the decision was made to send him to Hartford," explained head coach Mike Sullivan. "He knows that we believe in him. He's a good, solid goalie."
Sullivan and his staff chose veteran journeyman Joonas Korpisalo - acquired during the offseason from the Boston Bruins - to be Igor Shesterkin's backup this season, and Garand returned to Hartford for the sixth consecutive season (dating back to the first season after he was drafted) once he cleared waivers.
Garand could've been discouraged. Discouraged that he didn't win the backup job. Discouraged that not a single one of the 31 other NHL teams took a chance on him.
Instead, Garand stayed ready, determined to make the most of his chance once it came.
"I'm proud of the way I handled it," Garand reflected. "It was out of my control, so I focused on what I could control... It doesn't really matter how you feel, it matters what you do."
It didn't take long for him to get that chance.
With the Rangers opening their season with three games in four days (in Boston on Tuesday, at home against Tampa Bay on Thursday, and in Detroit on Friday), the organization knew that they'd have a backup goaltender start one of those games.
As such, Garand was promptly pulled off the ice during practice in Hartford, mere days after finding an apartment, and told by Assistant GM Ryan Martin to travel to Detroit so he could start Friday's game against the Red Wings.
Garand didn't miss a beat, saving 22 shots and recording his first career shutout in front of a boisterous Little Caesars Arena crowd. He lifted the Rangers to a second straight win, a gritty 2-0 affair in a hostile environment.
"The team played really well, I just tried to battle and give them a chance to win," reflected Garand postgame.Â
"Proud of the group, the whole [defensive] core was unbelievable tonight," Garand chuckled as he rattled off the names of each Rangers defenseman, player by player. "We only gave up three shots in the third period, which made my job easy."
His coach sang the praises of the young man between the pipes, both regarding his stellar performance and his attitude through the adversity he's faced.
"He's a good person, first and foremost," said Sullivan. "Every time I see him walk through the door, the way he works on his game, he wants to play in the NHL."
"He's a fierce competitor. He's battling. He's controlling what he can, and it's hard... things don't always go your way. You've got to be able to work your way through the ebbs and flows of a career," he continued.
The Rangers having a capable backup for Shesterkin is crucial. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, the Russian star has played in 323 total games (including playoffs), the fifth most among all NHL goaltenders during that span.
Being a workhorse wears down the body, of course. Shesterkin has missed time due to injury on multiple occasions during those past five seasons.
Last season, he missed 13 games due to injury, starting 51 games, his lowest amount during this time frame. In the 31 games without their franchise netminder between the pipes, the Rangers went 9-20-2.
Garand will hope that his persistence, combined with his dazzling display on Friday night in Detroit, earns him the chance to seize the invaluable role of reliable backup goaltender.
"He's got a great attitude. His effort is always where it needs to be," Sullivan concluded. "I really have a lot of admiration for him, for how he handles his circumstances."
"He's a great kid. I was thrilled for him that he got a shutout tonight.”
The Rangers don't have another back-to-back until the end of November, so it's difficult to predict when Garand will next hit the ice for the Rangers.
What we can predict, however, is that he'll be ready when his number is called again.
Both teams have started the season 1-0-0 after the Penguins demolished the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 on Wednesday and the Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Tuesday.Â
This will be a great test for the Penguins since the Canadiens are expected to be one of the best teams in the NHL this year. They got to the Eastern Conference Final last year and are primed for more.Â
Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki lead the way up front and are spectacular players. Caufield can score from anywhere in the offensive zone and finished last season with 51 goals and 88 points.
Suzuki is a two-way force and can do it all. He has excellent vision, a great shot, and can take away an opposing team's best player.Â
Don't forget about forward Ivan Demidov and defenseman Lane Hutson, either. Demidov is a ton of fun to watch, and Hutson's skating is breathtaking.Â
Jakub Dobes will start in goal for the Canadiens. He was great in their season opener on Tuesday after a fantastic year in 2025-26, stopping 26 of 28 shots.Â
As for the Penguins, multiple forwards look poised to return to the lineup. Andrei Kuzmenko will make his season debut, while Ben Kindel was activated off injured reserve on Saturday afternoon. Blake Lizotte also told reporters after the morning skate that he's good to go.Â
Goaltender Arturs Silovs will make his second straight start after earning a shutout on Wednesday.Â
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
The Chicago Blackhawks are 0-2-0 coming into their third game of the season. This is the third and final game of the road trip that opens their 2026-27 season, and it is against the Buffalo Sabres.Â
The first two games were not just losses. The Blackhawks were blown out in both, with a combined score of 11-2. Both the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth are good and will be playoff contenders, but they shouldn’t be able to toy with the Blackhawks the way that they did. Now, the Hawks have another opportunity to bounce back.Â
Scouting Buffalo
The Buffalo Sabres are coming off their most exciting year in decades. They ended a 14-year-long playoff drought, which is the longest in the history of the NHL. They didn’t just squeak into the playoffs, either. Buffalo went 50-23-9 for 109 points and won the loaded Atlantic Division.Â
Buffalo did lose some pieces, including Alex Tuch, who was one of the top free-agent forwards this past off-season. They also lost Bowen Byram, whom they traded to the Chicago Blackhawks in a deal that included the 4th overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft and Louis Crevier.Â
Still, after ending the drought, Buffalo has more hype coming into the season than they’ve had in years. They had a tough road loss to a motivated Columbus Blue Jackets team to open their season, but now they will host the Blackhawks, hoping for their first win.Â
Norris-Thompson-Doan
Benson-Ostlund-Quinn
Krebs-McLeod-HeleniusÂ
Kulich-Carrick-MalenstynÂ
Samuelsson-Dahlin
Power-CrevierÂ
Metsa-Gilbert/Grzelcyk
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is going to be Buffalo's starting goaltender. The third pair will be two of the three who rotated in and out during practice.Â
Buffalo has three outstanding defensemen in Rasmus Dahlin, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power. Louis Crevier adds another layer of strength in place of Bowen Byram, who was expendable because of the talent they have at the top.Â
At forward, Tage Thompson drives the bus. He gets plenty of help from Josh Doan, Jack Quinn, Josh Norris, and Zach Benson, among others, throughout the lineup. For the Blackhawks, they have to use their speed to overcome a group like this and get to a much better forecheck with traffic in front of Luukkonen.Â
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks are off to a rough start. It is a situation where they had higher expectations than in previous years and somehow managed to look worse over two games. Even without Connor Bedard, it has been disappointing. It’s one thing to lose; it’s another to be blown out.Â
Bowen Byram is going to miss the game against his former team as he addresses a family matter. Sam Rinzel is going to be a scratch as well. This means that both Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro will be called up.Â
With that, it is unclear how the pairs will line up. However, the forward group is projected to look like this:Â
Kantserov-Nazar-Kane
Bertuzzi-Frondell-Teravainen
Donato-Moore-Lardis
Smith-Greene-Greenway
These are the lines that the Blackhawks had going during training camp, but then went away from them a day before the season started. Spencer Knight will start in goal.Â
Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Oliver Moore, and Ryan Greene have been projected to play center ever since Connor Bedard went down. One of them will move to the wing when he returns, but this is a bright young group in the meantime.Â
Greene’s 4th line with Cole Smith and Jordan Greenway has been the team’s best through 2 tough games. The top 9 are hoping to match that energy in Buffalo.Â
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. For the first time this season, the Blackhawks can be seen locally on CHSN. Nationally, it can be streamed on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT.Â
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BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill ruled out top defenseman Bowen Byram from playing at Buffalo on Saturday night because of a family matter.
Byram’s absence comes as he was preparing to face his former team for the first time since the Sabres traded him to Chicago in a multiplayer deal in June. The 25-year-old Byram subsequently signed a six-year, $75 million contract with the Blackhawks in becoming the team’s top-paid defenseman.
The offensive-minded player had 21 goals and 89 points in 182 games with Buffalo.
He’s yet to register a point this season, with Chicago opening with two straight losses. After playing Buffalo, the Blackhawks open their home schedule hosting St. Louis on Tuesday.
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild will play its home opener Friday night against the Boston Bruins, and if history is any indication, Kirill Kaprizov is a player to keep a close eye on.
Kaprizov has had remarkable success against Boston throughout his NHL career. In seven games against the Bruins, the Wild superstar has recorded nine goals and 10 points.
Even more impressive is how efficiently Kaprizov has produced those goals. He has scored nine times on just 23 shots against Boston, good for a 39.1 percent shooting percentage.
Kaprizov has also scored two power-play goals against the Bruins and has one game-winning goal and one overtime winner.
The 29-year-old opened the season with a goal in Minnesota’s season opener against Nashville, continuing his streak of recording at least one point in every season-opening game of his NHL career.
Now, Kaprizov gets a matchup that has treated him exceptionally well.
Boston has plenty of offensive weapons of its own, but Kaprizov’s history against the Bruins makes him Minnesota’s player to watch as the Wild return to Grand Casino Arena for their home opener.
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The 2026-27 Vancouver Canucks had a home opener for the ages. After going down 8-2 midway through the second period, Vancouver caught fire as they scored five goals over the final 20:01 of the game. Unfortunately, the Canucks fell just short as the Edmonton Oilers skated away from Rogers Arena with a 9-7 victory.Â
Games in which one team scores at least nine goals and the other team at least seven rarely happen in the NHL anymore. In fact, in the 59 regular-season games where it has happened, it has occurred only five times since the start of the 1997-96 season. Funny enough, Vancouver has been involved in two of those games, with the other being a 10-7 loss to the Minnesota Wild back in 2024.Â
A chaotic game like Thursday can be very hard to evaluate. The first two periods of the game featured virtually all negatives, while the third was almost completely positive. There is also a challenge as it is the type of game that these players may never experience again.Â
"It's obviously not something you want to do regularly," Jamie Oleksiak told The Hockey News after practice on Friday. "But I think, like anything, you can take positives away, and you can even use the negatives towards growing. I think in that game, you know, the start, obviously, something we got to clean up, but again, I think the resiliency was a positive there. So yeah."
One of the biggest positives was the Canucks fight in the final frame. Whether or not the Oilers stopped playing, it is not easy for any team to score four goals in a period. When asked about his team's play in the third, Oleksiak said this group wants to keep fighting regardless of the score.Â
"I think it speaks to the group as a whole in terms of not getting dejected and not getting overwhelmed by a situation. I think, obviously, the first two periods were tough, but in the third period, we went out there with a purpose. We went out there to try and have some pushback and build some momentum. I think we did a pretty good job of that. But obviously, we got to make sure that we carry that through 60 minutes."
As for Manny Malhotra, he and his staff need to find ways to learn from Thursday's game. Even the most out of the ordinary results can have lesson that will better the team moving forward. As Malhotra explained, there were plenty of moments, both good and bad, that he can show the group to help build for the future.Â
"That game is just like any other game," said Malhotra. "We will analyze the things that we like, the things that we don't like. We'll work and work on the things we like to make them better. We'll clean up the things that we feel need to clean up, and then we move on. But (Thursday's) game is not by any means a special game in that regard. It's going to be the same mentality throughout the course of the year."
Luckily for Vancouver, they won't have to wait long to put Thursday's result in the rearview mirror as they play a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday. With 15 games total in October, the Canucks will need to have short memories. While Thursday's home opener will soon be a distant memory for the players, Vancouver's performance still offers plenty of lessons Malhotra and his staff can use to strengthen this group.Â
Oct 1, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tom Willander (5) watches as defenseman Jamieson Oleksiak (4) trips up Edmonton Oilers forward Colton Dach (34) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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DENVER, COLORADO - SEPTEMBER 30: Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates after scoring a goal during the second against the Los Angeles Kings period at Ball Arena on September 30, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Colorado Avalanche put on a clinic in their season opener against Los Angeles on Wednesday night!
Tonight marks the first head-to-head match within the Central Division, with the St. Louis Blues making their first trip to Denver of the season.
Colorado Avalanche (1-0-0)
The Opponent: St. Louis Blues (1-0-0)
Time: 7:00 P.M. MDT/9:00 P.M. EDT
Watch: ALT, ALT+ (Avalanche Local Broadcast Area), STLNHL, BN+ (St. Louis Local Broadcast Area), ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (Outside Regional Broadcast Areas – US), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canadian Broadcast Areas)
Listen: Altitude Sports Radio KKSE-FM 92.5 FM
Colorado Avalanche
The Avs, having had four months to stew over being eliminated from the playoffs at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in May, took out their frustrations on former netminder Darcy Kuemper on their way to a lopsided 8-4 victory. The power play, which had been the Avs undoing against Vegas, got off to an impressive start. Brock Nelson led all skaters with three (3) power play points, including the game’s first goal (as I boldly predicted). Artturi Lehkonen scored two power play goals, and Nathan MacKinnon added another. In total, seven skaters collected points on the power play.
The first Saturday of the 2026-27 season is here 🏒
26 teams hit the ice, including a star-studded first Saturday Night Hockey broadcast on @Sportsnet with six different Hart Trophy winners featured across a four-game slate. #NHLStatspic.twitter.com/iTOjE9zxvF
T.J. Hughes spent some time on the top power play unit, but the Avs rookie also had a turnover that Los Angeles capitalized on to keep the game close in the second period (spoilers). He had a respectable 13:35 of ice time and earned a roughing penalty after giving Los Angeles defenseman Brandt Clarke an extra shove after Clarke sent Cale Makar to the ice.
MacKinnon would also score another goal in this contest and, in the third period, put his goal-scoring hands to work in a brief but decisive fight against Clarke.
Newcomer Jaden Schwartz also tallied a pair of assists in his Avalanche debut.
Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 27 of 31 shots in his first win of the season. He did, however, have some struggles at various points in the game. While the Avs dined out on their power play, Los Angeles also capitalized on two shorthanded goals during the second period (one off a turnover by Hughes), with both shots beating Blackwood from long range. While one game is the definitive definition of a small sample size, giving up a shorthanded goal—let alone two—is far from ideal in any respect.
When asked on Friday about having patience in working through cleaning up mistakes early in the season, head coach Jared Bednar said, “We want to get to a high level of play on both sides of the puck as fast as we can. I think the teams that do that the quickest are going to set themselves up for success here early in the season.”
Bednar also said there was a possibility that Zachary L’Heureux might be available for today’s game, but it would depend on how he looks during morning skate. Bednar didn’t seem optimistic that Logan O’Connor would be ready to go for today’s game, though.
The Avs won the season series against St. Louis last season two games to one. Their most recent victory came on April 07, a 3-1 decision at Enterprise Center.
Projected Lineup
Forwards: Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nazem Kadri Jaden Schwartz – Fedor Svechkov – T.J. Hughes Parker Kelly – Nicolas Roy
Defense: Devon Toews – Cale Makar Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski Josh Manson – Brent Burns Noah Juulsen
Between the Pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood Scott Wedgewood
St. Louis Blues
Former Blues general manager Doug Armstrong gave his successor Alex Steen a few parting gifts before riding off into the sunset this summer. He acquired left wing Connor McMichael on June 23 from the Washington Capitals along with their 2026 first-round draft pick and center Milton Gastrin; Steen signed the young forward to a six-year, $40.5 million contract on July 16. Armstrong also acquired young center Mason McTavish from the Anaheim Ducks on June 26. McTavish had just signed a six-year contract with Anaheim the season before and will be a fixture as the Blues’ second-line center for years to come.
On defense, Armstrong acquired defenseman Brandon Carlo from Toronto for a pair of third-round picks in this year’s draft. Carlo will provide a veteran presence on the blue line to shore up the loss of Torey Krug, who remains on injured reserve. On the opposite end of the age spectrum, twenty-one-year-old Adam JiĹ™ĂÄŤek and twenty-year-old Theo Lindstein have been penciled into the St. Louis defensive lineup.
St. Louis began their season on Friday evening against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center. McTavish scored his first goal as a Blue—which ultimately stood as the game-winner—just barely over a minute and a half into the game. Dalibor Dvorský added a goal in the second period, while Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter scored two empty-net goals in the third period to secure a 4-0 victory. Goaltender Joel Hofer stopped all twenty-four shots he faced for his first shutout win of the season.
The game was not without controversy. Early in the third period, Carlo made a dangerous knee-on-knee hit against Stars center Roope Hintz. Hintz did return to the game shortly after the hit, while Carlo earned a five-minute major and was ejected.
In postgame comments, St. Louis head coach Jim Montgomery said Hofer “was [their] best penalty killer” and that he thinks he is “a goalie that’s blossoming into a potential top-ten goalie in the League”.
Montgomery was also very complimentary towards JiĹ™ĂÄŤek. “He looked like he’s been in the League for three years,” he said. “He was calm; he made plays in the second [period] where we were not at our best, and […] it was impressive how calm he looked.”
With Hofer getting the start in Dallas, expect Jordan Binnington to start in goal for St. Louis tonight. Loved by some and reviled by many, Binnington is entering the last year of his six-year contract with St. Louis. With Hofer being positioned to succeed him as the starter in goal, this season may be the final one in a Blues sweater for the thirty-three-year-old Binnington.
Montgomery also said that right-wing Alexsey Toropchenko, who was injured early in the Dallas game, is “more than day-to-day” but is waiting for more information on his status as of this writing.
St. Louis’ last victory over Colorado came on April 5th, a 3-2 victory at Ball Arena.
The Sabres are riding a six-game winning streak against the Blackhawks, the longest such streak in franchise history. • In that span, Buffalo has outscored Chicago 30-10. • Buffalo’s .657 all-time home points percentage against Chicago is its fourth-highest against any current NHL opponent, trailing only San Jose (.833), Vegas (.813) and Toronto (.676).Â
In his last 10 games against Chicago, Rasmus Dahlin has registered 12 points (2+10), including two assists in each of his last three matchups with the Blackhawks. Dahlin is one of 11 defensemen in NHL history to record multiple assists in at least three consecutive games against Chicago. A multi-assist performance tonight would make him just the second defenseman to extend such a streak to four or more games against the Blackhawks, joining Zach Werenski (six games). Dahlin’s active three-game multi-assist streak against Chicago is tied with Pat LaFontaine (Oct. 21, 1992 to Oct. 29, 1995) for the longest by a Sabres skater against the Blackhawks all-time. A multi-assist performance tonight would give Dahlin sole possession of the franchise record.Â
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 6-0-0 in six career games against Chicago and he has recorded a .928 save percentage and a 1.67 goals-against average in that span. • A win tonight would make Luukkonen the second goaltender in NHL history to earn a win in each of their first seven games against the Blackhawks (Andrei Vasilevskiy; Jan. 24, 2017 to March 4, 2021).Â
Ryan McLeod has tallied at least one point in every game he has played against the Blackhawks as a member of the Sabres and he is riding a four-game point streak against Chicago (3+2). A point tonight would make McLeod the first skater in Sabres history to record at least one point in each of his first five games against the Blackhawks as a member of the Sabres. With a point tonight, McLeod would also become the first Sabres skater since Victor Olofsson (5+1) from Nov. 17, 2019 to Jan. 17, 2023 to record at least six points in his first five games against Chicago with Buffalo.Â
Tage Thompson is riding a four-game point streak against Chicago and he has posted seven points (4+3) in that span. Thompson recorded two goals, including the game-winning tally, in the last matchup between the Sabres and the Blackhawks on April 13, 2026. In his last 11 games against Chicago, Thompson has posted 15 points (9+6).Â
Konsta Helenius scored his first goal of the season on Oct. 1 at Columbus and a goal tonight would make him the first Sabres rookie to record a goal in their first two games of a season since Maxim Afinogenov from Nov. 10 to 12, 1999. • Dave Andreychuk (Oct. 6 to 9, 1982) is the only other Sabres rookie to do so.Â
Jack Quinn has registered at least one point in three consecutive home games against Chicago (2+3), including two points in each of his last two.Â
Josh Doan has posted three points (2+1) in his last two games against the Blackhawks and a point tonight would give him a three-game point streak against Chicago. In his last two meetings with the Blackhawks, Josh Norris has posted three points (2+1).
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home tonight at Nationwide Arena against the Utah Mammoth. Â
Utah Mammoth - 1-0-0 - 2 Points
Columbus Blue Jackets - 1-0-0 - 2 Points
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
Columbus secured their first season opening win in five years on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. The score of 6-3 marks the second-most goals tallied all-time in a season-opening game in franchise history (8-2 W vs. ARIÂ Oct. 14, 2021).
On Mar. 7, 2026, Columbus and Utah broke their three-game streak with a 3-2 final score. The teams entered the third tied 2-2 before the Mammoth scored twice to make it 4-2. The Jackets scored within 30 seconds of each other in the third to force overtime before falling 5-4 in the extra frame.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Matthew Knies made franchise history with two goals and an assist (2-1-3) in his debut on Thursday. He is the first Blue Jacket to score multiple goals in a team debut and tied Artemi Panarin’s franchise record for most points in a CBJ debut (0-3-3 on Oct. 6, 2017).
Emil Andrae (0-1-1) and Valeri Nichushkin (0-1-1) both had assists on opening night in their CBJ debut.
Blue Jackets StatsÂ
Power Play - 66.7% - 2nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 100% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 6 - 5th in the NHL
Goals Against - 3 - 11thh in the NHLÂ Â Â
Mammoth StatsÂ
Power Play - 66.7% - 2nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 100% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 6 - 5th in the NHL
Goals Against - 0 - 1st in the NHL
Series History vs. TheMammoth
The Blue Jackets are 0-0-2 at home against Utah, and 2-0-2 all-time.Â
Columbus went 1-0-1 in 2025-26.
All four all-time games have been won by the road team in OT.
Across four career matchups, there is zero goal differential with both teams having scored a total of twelve goals.
Who To Watch For TheMammoth
Dylan Guenther has scored in four of his five career games against Columbus with 4-0-4 in 5 GP. He also leads Utah with 2 goals this season.
Clayton Keller leads the Mammoth with 2 assists.Â
CBJ Player Notes vsMammoth
Charlie Coyle has 1-2-3 in four career matchups against the Mammoth. He tallied three assists in the home opener on Oct. 1 vs. Buffalo (0-3-3).
Zach Werenski has tallied an assist in three of four career games vs. Utah (1-3-4). He also recorded two assists in the Blue Jackets’ 2026-27 home opener (0-2-2).
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - 1 Game Missed
Damon Severson - Shoulder Surgery - 1 Game Missed
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIRÂ - 1 Game Missed
Mikael Pyyhtia - Lower Body Injury - 1 Game Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IRÂ - 1 Game Missed
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 5
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 93.3 The Bus, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN (Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo)Â Â
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Utah Mammoth tonight at 7 PM.
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Who: Montreal Canadiens (1-0-0) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1-0-0)Â
When: 7:00 p.m. Eastern
How to Watch: Local on SNE, TVAS and SportsNet Pittsburgh, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins are headed into a busy first full week of the season after Saturday’s home opener, with a home game Monday against the Winnipeg Jets, a road game Friday against the Washington Capitals and then a back-to-back this weekend at Columbus and against visiting Dallas.
Opponent Track: The Canadiens spoiled Gavin McKenna’s NHL debut with a 3-2 season-opening win over the Toronto Maple Leafs back on Tuesday.
Season Series: The Penguins went 1-2 against the Canadiens last year, scoring just two goals across two regulation losses before claiming a rare shootout win through a span of three games in December 2025.
Hidden Stat: The Penguins have a 31-17-10 all-time record in home openers.
Hidden StatII: The Penguins could be facing a goaltender with one of the highest win ratios in Canadiens history. Only three goaltenders have recorded more wins through 60 career games than Jakub Dobes, who earned his 37th in the Habs’ season opener.
The Canadiens are mostly looking to run things back with the core that took them to the Eastern Conference Finals last season, centered by top-line forwards Cole Caulfield and Nick Suzuki.
The most notable addition to the Habs lineup this offseason was Chris Kreider, who has scored 20 career goals against the Penguins in 47 games as a member of the New York Rangers. Krieder is starting the season skating in what used to be Juraj Slafkovsky’s spot on the top line.
Rookies Adam Engstrom and Florian Xhekaj made the Canadiens’ Opening Night roster but were scratched from the team’s road opener in Toronto.
Dobes is returning for a second season as full-time starter after capping off his rookie season with a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. He looked strong in his season debut for the Canadiens after giving up an initial goal to the Maple Leafs. The Canadiens will need to decide whether to start him or turn to Jacob Fowler, who was solid as Dobes’ backup during his rookie season, for his 2026-27 debut.
Jakub Dobeš flashes the leather on Kirill Marchenko ⚡️
The Canadiens overall got off to a slow start to Tuesday’s first game of the season. They’ll be looking for more jump out of the gate against the Pens.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines (from Friday’s practice)
FORWARDS
Nick Robertson – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Egor Chinakhov – Tommy Novak – Evgeni Malkin
Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Filip Hallander
Connor Dewar – Ben Kindel (?) – Andrei Kuzmenko (?)
Blake Lizotte was missing from practice this week with a lower-body injury despite playing 13 minutes against the Flyers in the season opener. Bryan Rust, who sat out Game 1, also hasn’t been practicing due to an upper-body injury.
Kuzmenko is back with the Penguins following the death of his father. His return resulted in Elmer Soderblom being bumped from the even-strength lineup at practice. Kuzmenko was also featured on the second power-play unit Friday, per Michelle Crechiolo.
PP1) Karlsson, Novak, Rakell, Crosby, Kindel PP2) Letang, Chinakhov, Kuzmenko, Lapierre, Malkin (Kuzmenko just had an unreal setup to Malkin for a goal).
Also on track for a potential return to the lineup is Ben Kindel, who was previously listed as week-to-week with a lower body injury. His availability hasn’t been confirmed, but he has joined in on two straight practices and was involved with bone line rushes and the top power play unit Friday.
During the off-season, former Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka was traded by the Utah Mammoth to the Boston Bruins.
This happened just one year after the Sabres traded Peterka to Utah. This was after the 24-year-old winger had a down year during his one season with the Mammoth, posting 25 goals and 47 points in 82 games.
So far, the trade to Boston is benefiting Peterka, as he is off to a great start with the Original Six club this season.
Peterka has scored a goal in each of his first two games with the Bruins. This included him scoring Boston's overtime winning goal against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday. With this, the former Sabres forward is making an immediate impact for the Bruins.
Seeing Peterka having a great start with the Bruins is not too surprising. He showed during his time with the Sabres that he is capable of providing strong offense when playing at his best. This was especially the case in 2024-25, as he posted 27 goals and 68 points in 77 games.
In 238 games over four seasons with the Sabres from 2021-22 to 2024-25, Peterka posted 67 goals, 83 assists, and 150 points.
Former Buffalo Sabres star Alex Tuch made his debut for the Washington Capitals on Friday night, and it is certainly fair to say that it was a good one.
Tuch left a great first impression with the Capitals, as he scored two goals in their 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. This included him scoring the game-opening goal for Washington at the 6:33 mark of the first period.
Seeing Tuch put up such a strong performance in his first game with the Capitals is not too surprising. He was a very impactful forward during his time with the Sabres, so there is no reason to believe that he won't be with the Capitals.Â
The Sabres moved on from Tuch this off-season in a sign-and-trade deal with the Capitals. He landed himself a nice payday in the process, as he signed an eight-year, $84 million contract. With this, the former Sabres star is set to be a Capital for a long time.Â
Tuch spent five seasons with the Sabres from 2021-22 to 2025-26, where he posted 139 goals, 170 assists, and 309 points. Overall, he had a strong tenure in Buffalo, and it will be interesting to see what he can do as a Capital from here.
After a chaotic home opener on Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks (1-1-0) return to Rogers Arena on Saturday against the Calgary Flames (0-1-0). Vancouver comes into the game having scored 13 times in their first two games, while the Flames fell 6-1 in their season opener. Last year, Calgary took the season series as they picked up two of a possible three wins.Â
The big question surrounding the Canucks is: will the high-scoring games continue? Based on the Flames' roster, another 10+ goal battle is unlikely, but anything is possible. While 9-7 games are exciting, Vancouver needs to find a way to keep their foot on the gas offensively while also playing effectively defensively.Â
The Canucks' power play will also be a focus on Saturday. While they did find the back of the net Thursday, Vancouver also allowed multiple shorthanded goals. Ultimately, Vancouver needs to be focused with the man advantage, as shorthanded goals can kill momentum both on the ice and in the arena. Â
Players To Watch:Â
Marco Rossi:
Marco Rossi has had a hot start to the campaign. In two games, he has scored three times and leads the team with five shots. Based on practice lines, Rossi could move from center to the wing, which would be an interesting experiment if that is the plan for Saturday night.Â
Ryan Strome:
The only player on Calgary's roster to find the back of the net during their season opener was forward Ryan Strome. The 33-year-old was acquired last season by the Flames and has 13 points in his 20 games with Calgary. Strome was a volume shooter with four shots on Thursday and will be looking to add to his point total against the Canucks.Â
Mar 28, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (32) makes a save against Vancouver Canucks center Linus Karlsson (94) during the third period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks (1–1–0):Â
Points:Â
Paul Cotter: 3–1–4
Marco Rossi: 3-1-4
Elias Pettersson: 1–3–4
Filip Hronek: 0–4–4
Jamie Oleksiak: 1-2-3
Goaltenders:Â
Kevin Lankinen: 1–1–0
Leevi Meriläinen: 0–0–0
Calgary Flames (0-1-0):
Ryan Strome: 1-0-1
Yegor Sharangovich: 0-1-1
Connor Zary: 0-1-1
Jacob Middleton: 0-0-0
Zayne Parekh: 0-0-0
Goaltenders:Â
Dustin Wolf: 0-1-0
Game Information:Â
Start time: 7:00 pm PT
Venue: Rogers ArenaÂ
Television: Sportsnet
Radio: KiSS West CoastÂ
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 01: Nico Hischier #13, Jack Hughes #86, Jesper Bratt #63 and Brett Pesce #22 of the New Jersey Devils celebrate the win after Jack Hughes scored the game winning goal in overtime at Prudential Center on October 01, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. The New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (1-0-0) @ New York Islanders (0-1-0)
It was the season opener, and it was a good one! On Thursday, New Jersey opened their 2026-27 campaign with a home date against the Philadelphia Flyers. It took overtime, but the Devils skated away with a 3-2 victory in front of a raucous home crowd. Jake Allen got the win, while Dougie Hamilton and Luke Hughes scored in regulation and Jack Hughes scored the winner in the extra frame.
Last Islanders Game
New York is also coming off their season opener, but unlike New Jersey, they lost their first game. Back on Wednesday, the Isles traveled north to Toronto to battle the Maple Leafs, losing 2-1. Ilya Sorokin was solid in the loss, stopping 24 of 26 shots, while Emil Heineman scored the lone goal for the Islanders.
All Is Well In Devil Land For Now
The final score was not indicative of how much New Jersey dominated Thursday’s game. Pick a stat, any stat, and it will reflect near-total control for the home team. The Devils outshot the Flyers 44-25. According to Natural Stat Trick, New Jersey controlled 69.98% of the Expected Goals at 5-on-5. Another metric, Moneypuck’s fabled Deserve To Win O’Meter, tabbed the Devils at 83% deserving to win. It was a complete beatdown.
The only stats the Devils did not dominate were the power play and goaltending. The powerplay went a disappointing 0/4, though I would argue they looked reasonably good on the man advantage. It didn’t help that Jesper Bratt was absolutely robbed by Joseph Woll on a third period PP. And speaking of Woll, he was most of the reason why this wasn’t a blowout. The Flyers were playing the second half of a back-to-back after getting trounced 7-0 by the Pittsburgh Penguins in their season opener the night before, and it showed. Woll was the only one who could hold his head up high, stopping 41 of 44 shots, and saving 1.05 Goals Above Expected according to NST. It’s not like Jake Allen played poorly, as he saved 23 of 25 himself, but he was clearly outplayed by his counterpart on Thursday.
Thankfully in the end, it didn’t matter. New Jersey’s process was incredible against the Flyers, and it lifted the team to a win. It’s only one game out of 84, and a lot can and will change as the year progresses. But for now, the Devils are back and riding some good vibes into game number two.
Already Bucking The Trend
One of the biggest issues of last season was how dreadful New Jersey played against their own division. In 2025-26, the Devils went an embarrassing 7-17-2 against the Metropolitan Division. All those points they not only left on the table, but gifted to their division rivals, added up and cost them dearly. In fact, the Flyers were one of the biggest Metro thorns in the Devils’ side, sweeping the season series over three total games.
So it was refreshing to see them actually collect two points in a Metropolitan tilt right off the bat. It’s frustrating that they allowed Philadelphia to pick up a point of their own, and if the Devils really want to clean up their Metro issues, they need to start banking not just wins, but regulation wins. Nevertheless, Thursday was a good start.
And now they have a chance to flip the script on yet another Metro team that swept them last season. The Islanders won all four matchups against the Devils in 2025-26. I would argue that this season series also featured the absolute rock bottom of the entire campaign: the 9-0 loss in January on Long Island. If the Devils can exorcise two Metropolitan Division demons from last year right away, that would go a long way toward regaining some trust with a fanbase that has been burned by disappointment so many times since 2022-23.
By The Numbers
The Devils entered this season with some familiarity amongst the forward combinations, but also with a lot of new faces and new roles. How did each of their lines fare against the Flyers? Let’s take a look at some numbers courtesy of Natural Stat Trick. All numbers reflect 5-on-5 play:
Line
TOI
CF%
xG%
Meier-Hischier-Evangelista
8:40
64.71
59.61
Mantha-Hughes-Bratt
10:54
80.95
85.38
Gritsyuk-Rodrigues-Mercer
10:55
75.00
57.13
Lombardi-Glass-Noesen
4:28
42.86
35.35
It was a pretty excellent night all around. The fourth line struggled, but that’s understandable considering it’s the fourth line, and it was missing a key piece in Connor Brown. Noesen is a legit NHL player so it’s not like the Devils went from Brown to an ECHLer, but it was still tough to lose Brown before the opener.
But otherwise the top nine rolled. The Hischier and Rodrigues lines controlled play well, while the Hughes line absolutely blasted the Flyers. Again, we’re working with a microscopic sample size here, but through one game, the lines look good.
On An Island
In a Metropolitan Division that got a lot better over the summer, the Islanders were a bit of an outlier. They brought in a few pieces like Matias Maccelli and Logan Stanley, but by and large they stood pat from a roster standpoint. Perhaps the biggest change came in the dying days of the 2025-26 season, when they brought in old friend Pete DeBoer for the final four games of their season. He enters his first full slate as Isles head coach, and while he’s had some issues in the playoffs at some of his past stops, I think DeBoer is an excellent coach who will squeeze some extra points out of this Islanders squad.
New York finished sixth in the Metro in 2025-26 with 91 points. It wasn’t an awful year, but it wasn’t a good one, and it was largely kept respectable thanks to Ilya Sorokin’s heroics. This is a roster that has some talent, but is still a bit thin. Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal are nice players, but not franchise-altering players.
They do have one franchise-altering player though, who we’ll discuss in a moment.
I came into this season thinking the Islanders will be the worst team in the Metro, and I still think that’s going to be the case now. The Devils, Rangers, and Capitals all significantly improved in my opinion. Meanwhile the Hurricanes, Blue Jackets, Penguins, and Flyers probably didn’t improve. But the difference between those teams and the Isles is that the Hurricanes won the Cup and didn’t need to improve, the Blue Jackets finished ahead of the Islanders in 2025-26 (granted by one point), and the Penguins and Flyers were playoff teams last year. I don’t think any of those four teams got significantly worse either. The Islanders were mediocre a season ago, and now that their aging team is a year older, I expect a bit of a step back.
However, I also believe this is still a respectable team. They’re certainly capable of beating anyone on any given night and not having it be that much of a surprise. New Jersey is almost certainly more talented than New York, but they still need to take the Islanders seriously if they want to win a game against them for the first time since November of 2024.
Somebody Stop Him
And now we turn our attention to the Islanders’ franchise-altering player.
Matthew Schaefer was the first overall pick in the 2025 draft for a reason. As numero uno, he entered his rookie season with high expectations, and despite that, he still managed to blow those expectations away. As an 18-year-old, Schaefer recorded an absurd 23 goals. He added 36 assists for a total of 59 points, which is a strong number for a defenseman of any age, let alone a teenager. According to Natural Stat Trick, Schaefer put up solid play-driving numbers as well, hovering around the breakeven mark in all the major categories.
Again, we’re talking about an 18-year-old here. The fact that he did all that as a teenage rookie is breathtaking.
It didn’t take long for Schaefer to earn the trust of former Isles coach Patrick Roy either. Roy fed Schaefer some huge minutes last season, giving him 24:41 of ice time per game on average. Would that change with DeBoer now in charge? Well it did change…but not in the way you’d think. Obviously it’s only one game and the card is subject to change, but in the season opener against the Maple Leafs, Schaefer played a ludicrous 27:45.
27:45! And as a reminder, he’s still a teenager!
Schaefer didn’t register a point against Toronto, but he controlled play very well. NST had him at a 60.87 xG%, while out-attempting the Leafs by a whopping 27-8 margin at 5-on-5. Schaefer also registered three shots on goal himself, so despite the loss it was an overall sparkling season opener for the Isles’ phenom. In a post-Leo Carlsson offer sheet world, I shudder to think of how much money Schaefer is going to command as an RFA in a couple seasons.
So the moral of the story is this: get used to seeing a LOT of Schaefer this evening, and get ready to see him do some special things on the ice. The kid is a marvel, and Sheldon Keefe needs to make him the top priority in the game plan.
Your Take
What are you expecting this evening? Who on the Devils do you think will have a big game tonight? Who are you most concerned with? Which Islander will you be keeping an eye on the most? As always, thanks for reading!
