The Montreal Canadiens hosted the poor Winnipeg Jets at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night. The visitors came to town having lost their last nine games, making them, at least on paper, easy prey for the Sainte-Flanelle, but the match is played on the ice as Montreal found out. The game also gave us a chance to see the new Hometown Remix jerseys in action, as the hosts wore them for the first of 10 times this year.

As has been the case lately, a lot of scouting staff were in the press gallery. Most notably, the Anaheim Ducks sent director of pro scouting and former Quebec Nordiques player Tony Hrkac; the Calgary Flames sent head of pro scouting Steven Pleau; the Dallas Stars sent head pro scout Craig Bonner; and the Philadelphia Flyers sent assistant GM Alyn McCauley. Given how close to a crash landing the Jets were, though, it’s a real possibility that they were the team being scouted.

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Skinner In A Spot Of Bother

The Jets may have three netminders on their roster, but they keep going back to Stuart Skinner for reasons unknown. He has been in net for six of the Jets' last nine losses and surrendered five goals in each of his last two starts, being yanked out of the game both times.

In the first frame, the Habs tested him only seven times, but that was enough to score twice. Owen Beck beat him from the defensive-zone left faceoff circle, and Josh Anderson beat him on a backhand from the high slot. That made the Bell Centre crowd start chanting his name with the same energy as Superintendent Chalmers, A.K.A. Hank Azaria, whenever Seymour Skinner messed up on The Simpsons.

In the next two periods, the Habs had seven more shots, but they could add only one goal in each. That was a 4-0 lead that should have been enough for the Canadiens to skate away with the two points, but it wasn’t. Skinner had the last laugh and won a game for the first time since October 13.

A Proud Moment For the Xhekaj Family

By now, the Xhekajs are used to playing together, but on Tuesday night, for the first time, they both had a hand in the same goal. Each brother got an assist on Beck’s tally. They became the ninth set of brothers in Canadiens’ history to get a point on the same goal. The last pair to do it was the Kostistyn brothers in 2009, but Odie and Sprague Cleghorn first accomplished the feat more than 100 years ago, on March 5, 1925. Unfortunately for the Xhekajs, though, that won’t be what their night will be remembered for.

Fowler Power

While the Canadiens were heavily favoured to win, they led for 58 minutes, but as Martin St-Louis said, they were winning, but they weren’t beating the Jets. If the youngster looked human in his last start against the Pittsburgh Penguins, he was in top form on Tuesday, multiplying the saves and throwing in some spectacular ones as well. After 40 minutes, he had already made 30 saves, and it looked like he was getting to the Jets, but they didn’t give up.

WHAT A SAVE FROM JACOB FOWLER!! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/cYJTI3gbo8

— NHL (@NHL) November 4, 2026

Although Fowler gave up five goals on the night, the loss wasn't on him at all. After the game, Jets coach Scott Arniel said:

“...that young Fowler kid? Wow... that’s twice now I’ve seen him, and I don’t want to see him again..."

- Arniel on Fowler

That illustrates how well Fowler played, and the Jets coach will be happy to know that was the last game between the two teams this season.

An Historical Collapse

With a 4-0 lead in the third frame, Arber Xhekaj dropped the gloves against Winnipeg’s tough guy Tyrel Bauer, a tilt most people had predicted before the puck dropped. Although he hadn’t fought in nearly 10 months, Xhekaj won his bout and received an ovation from the crowd on his way to the box. In the very next shift, the Canadiens dominated puck possession in the Jets’ zone, and it looked like the fight had given them momentum. However, a little over two minutes later, Florian joined him in the box for roughing while Neil Pionk suffered the same fate for the Jets.

As soon as their penalty ended, the younger Xhekaj jumped on Pionk and tried to get him to fight, but the defenseman had none of it. Captain Adam Lowry took over, threw his mitts against number 63, and made short work of the bout. With 4:58 left in the game, it was a big momentum swing.

With 2:40 left in the game, the Jets got on the board and added another 42 seconds later. A minute later, with six skaters on the ice, they scored a third and then, on a power play, a fourth at 19:27. They finished the job in overtime on a Lane Hutson turnover, point, set, and match Winnipeg. No matter how you look at it, the better team on the night won.

Speaking after the game, St-Louis refused to blame either Xhekaj for the loss:

We got what we deserved if you look at the whole game. Forget about the score or anything else; Winnipeg was the better team tonight. But it was 4-0, and they scored with 2:40 to go; it’s how you let that game slip away…it’s a shame, and it’s hard to explain how it happened. I’ve never been part of a game like that. […] The first fight was ok; in the second, we led 4-0 with five minutes left. I don’t think that, at that point, you think it will affect the game.

- St-Louis refused to throw Florian Xhekaj under the bus. 

The Canadiens will need to bounce back from that tough loss, but as Kaiden Guhle said, it’s similar to the loss against the San Jose Sharks and, just like then, the sun will come up in the morning. Still, the NHL confirmed that this four-goal comeback was the latest in league history. No team had ever been down by four with 2:40 left and managed to win the game. That’s hardly a record the Canadiens wanted to be a part of.

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Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

Jack Hughes stayed hot with two goals, and Connor Hellebuyck sealed a 4-3 shootout win for the Devils over the Oilers on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]

Seems good!

Keefe hard-matched Nico Hischier against McDavid. The results:

– 73.7 xG% vs. McDavid in nearly 10 minutes of ice time
– 0 goals allowed
– McDavid did not have a 5v5 point#NJDevils

— Alex Chauvancy (@AlexC_NJD) November 4, 2026

New New Jersey jersey is here:

Recognizable. Unapologetic. Ours.

🎟️: https://t.co/Ni6ENnmgODpic.twitter.com/yDGA16Wdez

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 2, 2026

“Welcome to the Arseny Gritsyuk breakout season. It’s early, but the New Jersey Devils seem to have found the top-six winger they’ve been needing since the 2023-24 season.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]

Hockey Links

Not surprising, but there is interest in trading for Nikita Kucherov: “Nearly every team in the NHL this past weekend talked about it internally. Seriously. Like, at least 25 teams. ‘Some teams may lie to you, but 31 teams will want 86,’ one NHL GM said.” [The Athletic ($)]

“Nikita Kucherov explained Monday why he told the Tampa Bay Lightning he would not re-sign and asked them for a trade. ‘It was never about the money for me,’ he said. ‘It was more about poor communication and respect. Over the last four months, we only have had two conversations, and (general manager Julien BriseBois) in the end made it clear that I’m free to walk on July 1.’” [NHL.com]

“Kucherov, 33, has a 10-team list of teams to which he’d accept a trade. I’m hearing there’s no rush on his part to make a decision on where he’d like to play next, so we shouldn’t anticipate a trade particularly soon barring a drastic change in his desire to play for Tampa in the present. But if a trade does happen – keeping in mind we don’t know all 10 teams on Kucherov’s list – who would be the most intriguing and/or logical fits? Let’s spitball.” [Daily Faceoff]

“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Tuesday that Russia will not be allowed to play at the upcoming world junior hockey tournament, adding to a growing boycott led by European federations ahead of the men’s tournament next year in Germany.” [Associated Press]

The latest on the Dylan Larkin situation: “The Red Wings would have you believe that there is no offer that has been made from that group of 10 teams that they’re willing to work with because the offers haven’t been good enough.” [TSN]

An insane comeback for the Jets:

Per @NHLPR

The Winnipeg Jets complete the latest 4-goal comeback win in NHL history

They trailed 4-0 with 2:39 left in the 3rd period pic.twitter.com/yXd68c7bPz

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 4, 2026

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…

The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night after special-teams struggles cost them another game, as they failed to capitalize on key power-play opportunities, including a lengthy two-man advantage in the third period. [Recap]

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said he is satisfied with the Hoffmann family’s acquisition of the Penguins, citing the family’s business track record and passion for sports. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to compete at next month’s World Junior Hockey Championship in Alberta as long as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. [Sportsnet]

Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla revealed he is battling neurological health issues that may be related to metal toxins from a reaction to his cobalt hip implant following hip replacement surgery. The 49-year-old said complications and medications have affected his energy, weight and speech. [Sportsnet]

The Winnipeg Jets placed forward Brad Lambert on waivers Tuesday after the 2022 first-round pick recorded just one assist in 11 games this season. Lambert can be sent to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose if he goes unclaimed. [TSN]

A strong market is reportedly developing for Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov despite his reported asking price of a six-year contract worth at least $20 million annually. [TSN]

One more day till the Islanders are back in action, hosting the Cup champ Carolina Hurricanes and debuting their fisherman hometown remix unis.

Meanwhile, we wait and they practice:

• Gross on the Isles D: What it lacks in speed, it makes up for in Matthew Schaefer playing half the game. [Newsday]
• Ben Hutton skates on a PTO with the hope of earning a deal. If it doesn’t happen, the end could come suddenly. [Post | Isles]
• Other practice updates: Still no Ryan Pulock, Matias Maccelli or Cal Ritchie. [Isles]

Elsewhere

• Russia was supposedly going to be allowed back into at least juniors IIHF play, but several countries said they won’t play them, and Canada says they can’t be in their WJC. [Sportsnet]
• Teams are lining up for a crack at Nikita Kucherov. [Athletic]
• Winnipeg broke an NHL record with a four-goal comeback in the final 2:39. That broke their nine-game winless streak. The host Habs and their Montreal fans were the stunned victims. [NHL]
• The Blue Jackets, also wearing their “hometown remix” threads, blew out the Avalanche. [NHL]
• Cutter Gauthier notched his second straight hat trick. [NHL]
• Jarome Iginla is dealing with some health issues, suspects it could be related to his cobalt hip replacement. [Sportsnet]

Have a night, Ross Colton.

The former Colorado Avalanche forward finished with a goal and an assist as the Nashville Predators picked up a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. Colton capped off his two-point performance with an empty-net goal in the final minute to put the game away.

Colton's departure came after a frustrating end to his time in Colorado. He was left out of the lineup for the first two games of the Avalanche's opening-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings before returning to action later in the series. Now with Nashville, he's looking to make the most of a fresh start.

Roman Josi also had a goal and an assist, while Filip Forsberg chipped in with two helpers. Nashville has now won two straight.

The Predators opened the scoring late in the first period when Nick Perbix found the back of the net for the first time this season. Forsberg created the opportunity by stealing the puck from Sean Walker and sending a cross-ice pass to Perbix, who beat Pyotr Kochetkov with a wrist shot at the 11:32 mark.

Forsberg and Josi connected again early in the second period. Josi came down the left side and finished off another cross-ice feed with a tap-in at 3:29, giving Nashville a 2-0 lead.

Carolina got one back at 10:28 when Jackson Blake scored on a rebound. Josi blocked his initial attempt, but Blake stayed with the play and beat Juuse Saros with a backhand. The goal extended Blake's career-best point streak to seven games, with three goals and six assists during that stretch.

Adam Edstrom restored Nashville's two-goal advantage at 5:40 of the third period, scoring his sixth goal of the season and setting a new career high.

Colton's empty-netter in the final minute sealed the 4-1 victory. It's always nice to see a former Av find success with a new team, and Tuesday was certainly a good night for the Nashville forward.

Saros finished with 29 saves for the Predators, while Kochetkov stopped 16 shots. The loss was Kochetkov's first of the season, ending a remarkable run of 10 consecutive wins to start the year. He became just the third goaltender in NHL history to win each of his first 10 decisions in a season.

The defeat also snapped Carolina's four-game winning streak, while Nashville heads into its next game having won back-to-back contests.

Boston Bruins (11-4-1, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (5-8-2, in the Metropolitan Division)

Pittsburgh; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Pittsburgh Penguins host the Boston Bruins after the Bruins took down the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 in a shootout.

Pittsburgh has a 4-1-1 record in home games and a 5-8-2 record overall. The Penguins have gone 2-3-1 in one-goal games.

Boston has a 4-3-1 record in road games and an 11-4-1 record overall. The Bruins have committed 75 total penalties (4.7 per game) to rank fifth in the league.

The teams meet Thursday for the first time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Evgeni Malkin has six goals and five assists for the Penguins. Rickard Rakell has five goals and two assists over the past 10 games.

David Pastrnak has eight goals and 12 assists for the Bruins. James Hagens has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Penguins: 3-6-1, averaging 2.8 goals, five assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.6 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game.

Bruins: 7-2-1, averaging 3.7 goals, 5.9 assists, 4.8 penalties and 11.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Penguins: Bryan Rust: out (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).

Bruins: Matthew Poitras: day to day (undisclosed).

___

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

Vegas Golden Knights (10-5-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. Detroit Red Wings (7-6-3, in the Atlantic Division)

Detroit; Thursday, 7 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights visit the Detroit Red Wings after Tomas Hertl's two-goal game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Golden Knights' 3-2 win.

Detroit has a 4-4-1 record at home and a 7-6-3 record overall. The Red Wings have gone 4-1-0 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent.

Vegas has a 3-2-2 record in road games and a 10-5-2 record overall. The Golden Knights have gone 2-2-2 when they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent.

The matchup Thursday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS: Viktor Arvidsson has eight goals and seven assists for the Red Wings. Lucas Raymond has six goals and six assists over the last 10 games.

Mitchell Marner has two goals and 16 assists for the Golden Knights. Mark Stone has seven goals and five assists over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Wings: 6-3-1, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.4 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.

Golden Knights: 5-3-2, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.4 assists, 3.5 penalties and 9.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.

INJURIES: Red Wings: Albert Johansson: out (undisclosed), John Gibson: day to day (lower body), Mason Appleton: out (undisclosed), Marco Kasper: out (upper body).

Golden Knights: Parker Wotherspoon: out (upper body), Victor Olofsson: out (undisclosed), Kai Uchacz: out (undisclosed).

___

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

MONTREAL (AP) — The Winnipeg Jets had every reason to stop believing.

They were down four goals in the third period, less than three minutes from a 10th straight defeat, in their fifth game in eight nights. Their coach was on the hot seat. Their season had been rocked from the start when former MVP goalie Connor Hellebuyck asked for a trade.

The Bell Centre was roaring and a Montreal Canadiens win looked certain, but Kyle Connor still had faith.

“Always,” the Jets winger said.

Connor scored twice, and Dylan Samberg won it in overtime as Winnipeg rallied for the latest four-goal comeback in NHL history on Tuesday night, stunning the Canadiens 5-4 to end a nine-game skid.

Winnipeg scored four goals in two minutes and six seconds to tie the game with 33 seconds remaining in regulation, before Samberg beat Canadiens goalie Jacob Fowler with a wrist shot at 3:30 in overtime.

“What a way to end the streak we were on,” Connor said.

The Jets had controlled most of the play before the rally but Fowler, the NHL’s rookie of the month for October, looked unbeatable. He had made 33 saves in Montreal’s win over Winnipeg at the Heritage Classic outdoor game on Oct. 25, and he stopped 42 on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old American reached back for a glove save to rob Cole Perfetti’s backhand on the doorstep with 4:34 left in regulation, at the time preserving his shutout. He made 19 saves in the second period alone, including several incredible stops on Mark Scheifele.

“That young Fowler kid, wow,” Jets coach Scott Arniel said. “That’s twice now I’ve seen him. I don’t want to see him anymore. Wow, he’s something. The stops he was making, especially in that second period.

“But really, that was the message after the first and after the second: Don’t stop.”

Jets defenseman Tyrel Bauer played his part in turning things around.

A sixth-round draft pick playing in his 10th NHL game, Bauer dropped the gloves with Canadiens heavyweight Arber Xhekaj with 9:20 left in regulation. Xhekaj fired up the crowd and was soon joined in the penalty box by his younger brother, Florian, the two grinning together on the arena’s big screen.

But the 6-foot-3, 207-pound Bauer had the last laugh, scoring his first career goal with 2:39 left in regulation to ignite the comeback.

“That’s a long, hard stretch, but this group believed in each other,” said Bauer, his fists still dripping blood after his tilt with the older Xhekaj. “We had each other’s backs in that room, the guys had my back on the ice tonight. I blacked out for the rest of it.

“I don’t know if I wanted to win a hockey game more in my life.”

Morgan Barron made it 4-2 at 18:03, with Bauer earning an assist that completed his Gordie Howe hat trick. Connor then tied it with two one-timers 27 seconds apart with the goalie pulled — the second on the power play — before Samberg finished the job.

Over in the Canadiens’ locker room, players had trouble explaining how they fell apart.

“I guess (we) thought the game was over,” said Canadiens winger Cole Caufield, who scored his second of the game early in the third period to make it 4-0. “We had a four-goal lead. There’s no excuse for this. It’s terrible.”

Head coach Martin St. Louis said the Canadiens “got what we deserved.”

“We were winning, but we weren’t outplaying them,” he said. “If you look at the game as a whole, forget the score, Winnipeg was the better team tonight.

“How the whole thing happened, that’s hard to explain. I’ve never been part of anything like that.”

The Jets entered desperate for their first win since Oct. 13, and their first since Hellebuyck’s trade to the New Jersey Devils ended a tumultuous finish to his Jets tenure.

They were coming off a 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday that Connor, an 11-year veteran, called a “low point” with the franchise. That loss raised questions about Arniel’s future behind the bench heading into Tuesday night’s game.

It’s a night the Jets hope they can look back on as the turning point in their season.

“I’m so happy that we won tonight and we got that win,” Arniel said. “This is November 3, this isn’t February and March. To me, we’re still in the hunt. Going into this game, we were four points out of a playoff spot in the West.

“You just gotta stay in the pack. I know it’s been a grind for us, but we just gotta stay in it. And hopefully this is the jump-start that we needed.”

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See AP’s full NHL coverage here

To begin their three-game Western Canada road trip, the Anaheim Ducks traveled to British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday evening. 

The Ducks were coming off a 6-3 comeback victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, hoping to return to a .500 record, and looking to avenge an overtime loss to Vancouver a week ago in which the Ducks surrendered a three-goal lead of their own late in the game.

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-3 Win over the Senators

Ducks Place Nick Jensen on Waivers

The Canucks entered on a three-game losing streak and were trying to earn just their fourth win of the year. 

Prior to Tuesday’s game, the Ducks placed forward AJ Greer on IR after sustaining an upper-body injury late in Sunday’s game against the Sens. His roster spot was filled by prospect Nico Myatovic, who made his NHL debut and was inserted into the lineup in Greer’s spot alongside Tim Washe and Sam Colangelo on the listed third line.

The rest of the lineup remained unchanged for the Ducks. Here’s how they lined up to start this one:

Killorn-Carlsson-Caulfield

Gauthier-Granlund-Sennecke

Myatovic-Washe-Colangelo

Malott-McQueen-Nesterenko

Lacombe-Helleson

Mitchell-Luneau

Mintyukov-Warren

Laurent Brossoit got the start for the Ducks in net and saved 19 of the 23 shots he faced in this game. He was opposed by Kevin Lankinen, who stopped 17 of 22. 

This game was relatively even from a 5v5 shot and chance perspective, but once again, the Ducks’ power play and star power were able to paper over a handful of defensive blunders enough to earn Anaheim two points in this one. 

Game Notes

Power Play: Anaheim’s top unit continues to scorch, scoring on all three attempts in this game. The top unit continues to grow more cohesive, creative, and deadly. They have several go-to plays for various situations, but it’s their ability to score in a variety of ways that makes all five players truly dangerous at all times.

They opened the scoring with a low-to-high-to-middle sequence that found its way to Granlund in the bumper from Sennecke at the bottom of the circle. After that goal was scored, when Sennecke had the puck at the bottom of the circle, the Vancouver PK collapsed on him, which then opened up the lane from Sennecke to Gauthier at the top of the circle, where he scored two of his three goals. 

Defensive Zone Coverage: It was clear that after their last meeting, Vancouver identified point shots and heavy traffic as a way to exploit Anaheim’s pressure-zone system, as the Ducks encourage stepping out, eliminating the short side, and blocking shots, rather than battling for position with the net-front attacker.

Until the Canucks’ fourth goal, Anaheim did a much better job of actually blocking those shots after passes went from d-to-d along the blueline, a key facet in the determination of the system’s success. Rookie defenseman Noah Warren, in particular, has taken well to the system and is properly judging how aggressive to be toward the shooter and knowledgeable of his positioning, so that his goaltender can have the best chance of seeing a shot or he himself can block it. 

Nico Myatovic: Myatovic played just 10:34 TOI in this game, mostly due to the Ducks’ reliance on the top-six and 9:02 of this game being played on special teams. He played a dependable forechecking and defensive game, which was to be expected. Numbers reflect his minutes were low-event, but he flashed moments of effectiveness on the forecheck, disrupting multiple retrievals and providing some explosive backchecking routes. 

Penalty Kill: Leo Carlsson has been inserted on the Ducks’ second penalty kill unit of late, and in this game, he led Ducks forwards in PK TOI with 3:29. He struggled when he played the role a year ago, often overcommitting to the perimeter and cheating for offense a bit, alongside Troy Terry. However, through his brief stint in the role this season, he’s more calculated with his challenges, utilizing his length and explosion to close time and space. 

He’s translating his ability to read pucks out of battles to not only gain possession for his club, but kill 10-15 seconds at a time and provide some counter-offense in the process, as displayed by his shorthanded goal in this game. He needed to progress into a more refined 200-foot product in his fourth year in the NHL, and the early returns are promising. 

The Ducks will next head to Alberta for a back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, beginning with a matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday at 5 pm PST.

Takeaways from the Ducks 7-6 Loss to the Sabres

Sabres’ Olen Zellweger Ready for Return to Anaheim

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-5 OT Loss to the Canucks

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored a hat trick for the second game in a row and the Anaheim Ducks held on for a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night.

Mikael Granlund added a goal and two assists for the Ducks, while Leo Carlsson put away a short-handed tally and Beckett Sennecke had four assists.

Laurent Brossoit stopped 19 shots in the Anaheim net.

The Ducks came into the game with the league’s second-best power play (34%) behind only the Utah Mammoth and went 3 for 3 with the man advantage. Two of Gauthier's goals came on the power play and Anaheim has 10 power-play goals on 12 chances over its last three games.

The Canucks got two goals from Jake DeBrusk, and one each from Liam Ohgren and Linus Karlsson. Elias Pettersson notched a pair of assists. Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen made 17 saves.

Granlund opened the scoring with a power-play tally just over four minutes into the first period. Vancouver replied on a man advantage two minutes later. Marco Rossi fed Ohgren just above the crease for the goal.

The Ducks took a 2-1 lead into the intermission when Gauthier fired a shot in on his team’s second power play of the night at the 17:07 mark of the first.

Gauthier also scored three in Anaheim’s 6-3 comeback victory over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, and is the first player in Ducks history with back-to-back three-goal games.

The 22-year-old American has eight goals in his last three games after going the previous nine without finding the net.

Gauthier was in the penalty box midway through the third when DeBrusk scored his fourth of the season to put the score at 5-3.

DeBrusk breathed new life into Rogers arena with just over 10 minutes left on the game clock, blasting a point shot in to cut Vancouver’s deficit to a single goal.

Up next

Ducks: At the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

Canucks: At the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

After a night when the Rangers killed all six of their penalties, Mike Sullivan was left ruing the stick infractions that they’ve continued to commit — and that have repeatedly tested the league’s best penalty-kill unit.

The Blueshirts jumped from third to first in the NHL when their 3-1 win over the Blues ended as their success rate climbed to 90.4 percent, but they took three penalties in the first period, two more in the second and another — though Alberts Smits’ was for delay of game — in the third.

“I thought the kill was good,” Sullivan said. “I think it’s a little concerning that the type of stick infractions that we’re taking game in and game out. That’s a conversation we’ve had in between periods. I gotta think about next steps on that one, but we’ve gotta do a better job of our responsibility with our sticks.”

Dylan Garand, who made 32 saves and was less than a minute away from his second shutout of the season, saved the Rangers with some critical stops against a St. Louis power play that entered the night as the 10th best in the NHL. Scott Morrow and J.T. Miller were called for high-sticking penalties, while Noah Laba went for slashing and Jaroslav Chmelar and Mika Zibanejad were given hooking penalties.

The Blueshirts penalty kill has emerged as their definitive strength through the early portion of their season, especially as their power play continues to take shape. They’ve allowed just five goals while opponents have the man advantage all season.

But all five of their stick-infraction penalties occurred while they were either tied or protecting a one-goal lead, giving the Blues plenty of opportunities to shift the tenor of the game.

“It’s a lot to ask to have the penalty kill have to kill that many opportunities against a real good power play,” Sullivan said, “but I thought those guys that were on it did a terrific job.”

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Matt Rempe didn’t hesitate. It’s “definitely been different” seeing his name in a trade rumor, which had never happened until last week, when Sportsnet’s Frank Seravalli reported that Oilers head coach Mike Babcock is “believed to admire” the 6-foot-9 forward — and specifically linked Rempe as a potential option for a team looking to add size.

It marked the first rumor to swirl about Rempe, who, after making the roster out of training camp, fell out of the fourth-line rotation and skated only in his third game of the season Tuesday. He said he’ll stay off social media to avoid the chatter and has instead focused on trying to carve out a role with the team he broke into the NHL with four years ago.

“I don’t pay attention to that stuff,” Rempe told The Post on Monday before skating 8:29. “That type of stuff’s all out of my control. I’m just focused on here and trying to get better and get in the lineup and make the most of those opportunities.”

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Defenseman Sean Durzi missed his second consecutive game with an undisclosed injury, prompting Morrow — who logged 13:07 — to take his place in the lineup again. Durzi remained day to day. … With his goal and an assist on Eeli Tolvanen’s empty-net tally, Adam Fox now sits at 19 points through 16 games, and his points rank third among defensemen in the leag

Are you even surprised anymore?

You knew what was at stake, a chance at three straight wins. We all know how this script plays out.

And true to form for the St. Louis Blues, it played out just was predicted: a loss.

The Blues' 3-1 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in New York on Monday feels like another missed opportunity for a team looking for consistency.

Joel Hofer gave the Blues (7-7-1) a chance to win and kept them in it, but they were less than a minute from being shut out for the third time in five games before Pius Suter scored what amounted to be a consolation goal and ended a shutout bid by Dylan Garand, who like the Rangers (8-7-1) was on a four-game losing streak (allowed 15 goals). Garand was on waivers at the start of the season but has been thrust into a top role with Igor Shesterkin (knee) out for the season and backup Joonas Korpisalo (lower-body injury) also out.

Let's get into the game ... 

* Three in a row is like kryptonite -- The Blues are now 0-3-0 when trying to win three straight.

Sounds familiar? It should.

Last season, the Blues did put together winning streaks or more of three in a row three times from late February on, but as former general manager Doug Armstrong said, those came under "meaningless" games.

In their first five cracks at it last season, they lost every one and were outscored 29-9. 

And going back to the previous season, prior to their record-breaking 12-game winning streak they put together from March 15-April 5, 2025, they were 1-7-2 in attempts to win three in a row., and let's face it, without the record winning streak, they likely don't make the playoffs that season.

If they want to be a playoff team again, they better figure out to put winning runs together and put them together often. Right now, this core group simply doesn't get it done. 

* Good start to the game -- The Blues seemed to be on the front foot to start the game after the Rangers had to opening 30 seconds to a minute in the Blues zone, St. Louis pushed back and had some really good looks and sustained shifts -- and some lengthy ones -- in the O-zone.

What was missing though, were those areas of crashing the crease, getting bodies in and around the goalie and near the blue paint, burying good looks.

The power play (which we'll get into next) actually looked really good on the first opportunity when Scott Morrow was in the box for the Rangers for high-sticking at 7:44.

* Power play just wasn't good enough -- Look, I understand the Blues had been on a nice run with the man advantage going 8-for-24 and thrusting themselves into the top 10 (ninth) going into the game.

But in going 0-for-6 -- the last one was a meaningless 22 seconds remaining in the game -- in a game which scoring a goal (or more) with the man advantage could have made a huge difference, the Blues laid a big dud.

And the biggest problem was the breakouts and zone entries, which continue to be a problem spot. There's just not enough skill displayed for them to carry the puck in without losing the puck, getting it stripped or not doing so cleanly and it's right back down the ice and they spent the majority of their time simply trying to enter the zone outside of their first opportunity, which generated three of their eight shots.

And when they did have a good look or two the rest of the way, including Pavel Buchnevich's slot chance, retrievals were non-existent, they were one-and-done, and the Rangers, which came in with the third-ranked penalty kill on the season, so you have to give them credit for that, were able to get relatively easy clears.

And to top things off, the Blues were at times their own worst enemy making the ill-advised passes that were coming out of the zone and re-entries were problematic.

The penalty kill, which was good again going 3-for-3 despite the Rangers getting 11 of their 31 shots on goal, did its job, but the flip side of the special teams could have made a difference for the Blues in trying to secure that third straight win.

* Bad line change breaks ice -- The game was scoreless into the second period, so it was turning into one of those contests where mistakes need to be limited and when a scoring chance was available, someone needed to pounce.

The Blues had the offensive zone and puck possession when it suddenly changed hands, and whether Dalibor Dvorsky saw that or not, can't really speak for him, it was his ill-advised line change that enabled the Rangers to drive the the neutral zone with the puck, gain the D-zone of the Blues and find Adam Fox for the ice-breaker at 1:49 of the second period for a 1-0 Rangers lead:

New York goal!

Scored by Adam Fox with 18:11 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Tye Kartye and J.T. Miller.

NYR: 1 | STL: 0#STLvsNYR#NYR#StlBluespic.twitter.com/OqogKiUTXl

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 4, 2026

* Turnover leads to clinching goal -- The Blues pulled off the third period comeback against the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday and were in a one-shot game Tuesday, but a turnover led to what amounted to be the game-winner by Oliver Bjorkstrand and a 2-0 New York lead at 9:01 after Mason McTavish lost control of a wobbly puck and turned it over, leading to a mini 3-on-1 that Bjorkstrand buried from the slot:

New York goal!

Scored by Oliver Bjorkstrand with 10:59 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Eeli Tolvanen and Will Cuylle.

NYR: 2 | STL: 0#STLvsNYR#NYR#StlBluespic.twitter.com/UIvMdZ1TLn

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 4, 2026

* Tough night for Fowler-Jiricek pair -- Those two players were on the ice for the first two goals against, and it's only reflective in each being a minus-2.

I get there are a lot of fand right now down on Fowler, but he's had to be the one to nurture a couple young guys as his partner with the shuffling of defensemen and guys being out.

When Colton Parayko comes back, and that could be as early as Thursday, and also Logan Mailloux is ready to play, the Blues need to get him back with Brandon Carlo, someone he began camp with and played really well to start the season with.

Fowler can be more the guy that jumps into the offense, which is suited for his style, and Carlo is the safety net defenseman.

* What is going on with Connor McMichael? -- I can include a number of players in this category, but going into this, and some of the numbers -- or lack thereof -- that were coming from the McMichael stat lines, I really thought this would be the game perhaps the forward would break the schneid and score.

McMichael hasn't scored a goal now since the fourth game of the season (Oct. 8) against the San Jose Sharks and has just two in 15 games; he has eight points, which is OK (not great), but in the past 11 games, McMichael has four assists and just two in the past nine.

He was a minus-2 again Tuesday and just isn't shooting the puck.

In shutout losses to the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 24 and Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 27, McMichael had eight shots on goal, which is good. In nine games surrounding those two, he has a grand total of four shots. McMichael is also a minus-8 over his last nine games; his minus-8 on the season is a team worst.

But it's the line in general with McTavish and Jonatan Berggren, which started off the season so productive, has dried up considerably of late. It's gotten stale and perhaps needs a shakeup.

Berggren has just one assist in eight games since scoring Oct. 15 against the Minnesota Wild and McTavish has no points in five games and one goal in the past seven.

"We have to commit to going to harder areas so that we can generate more at 5-on-5, some greasy goals."

Hear from Pavel Buchnevich, Mason McTavish and Jim Montgomery after a loss to the Rangers. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/JF9WIAJXMa

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 4, 2026

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If this movie seems familiar, well, that's probably because something similar just happened three days ago. 

For the third consecutive game, the Pittsburgh Penguins controlled play late only to fall short, losing 3-2 in regulation to the Vegas Golden Knights when Tomas Hertl scored a power play goal with 32.8 seconds remaining on the clock. 

Hertl's power play goal - his second of the evening - came after the Penguins had a five-on-three power play opportunity for a minute and 22 seconds and failed to convert. They were 0-for-6 on the power play, while Vegas was 2-for-4. 

Special teams was the difference in this one. But just like they fell short to the Montreal Canadiens Saturday in a back-and-forth affair, and just like they blew a lead in the literal last second against the Utah Mammoth Thursday before losing in overtime, the late losses - however they're happening - are becoming a bit too much of a theme as of late for the Penguins.

"We've got to get the job done," head coach Dan Muse said. "Taking a penalty right after that power play, that's tough timing, but we've got to get the job done, whether it's situations like that, whether it's five-on-six, whether it's five-on-five. Those are big moments defensively where we have to find a way.

"Sometimes it's just getting the puck out, sometimes it's getting stops, sometimes it's getting the clears, sometimes it's getting a block. I don't think it's something [that's] the exact same thing every time. But, the bottom line is we have to be resilient in those situations. And, so far this year, it's been too many times where we haven't been."

Despite play being pretty even for the first 40 minutes, Hertil converted on a first-period power play opportunity to make the game 1-0, and the score remained that way until the third and final frame.

And, all things considered, the Penguins were the much better team for the final 20 minutes.

They came out flying to begin the period, and they were rewarded early on when they won an offensive zone faceoff - something that's been an issue for the Penguins as a whole - and Spencer Stastney dished it to his defensive partner, former Golden Knight Kaedan Korczak. Korczak threw the puck toward the net, it hit a skate, and Tommy Novak was there to pick up the loose change and tie the game at 1-1 for the Penguins. 

TOMMY COMES UP BIG IN HIS 300TH @NHL GAME 👏 pic.twitter.com/UPsg7G3GxJ

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 4, 2026

Pittsburgh continued to pressure in the minutes that followed, and they finally got the go-ahead goal when Novak passed the puck to Rickard Rakell, who was making his way across the net-front. He put a nice finish on his fifth tally of the season and fourth game in a row with a goal to give the Penguins a well-deserved lead.

That's goals in four straight for Raks 👏 pic.twitter.com/rOV3xS0ZHF

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 4, 2026

The Penguins kept coming after the go-ahead goal, but as they have done time and time again, they blew their lead less than a minute and a half later. While pressuring in the offensive zone, Ben Kindel faked a shot and allowed a puck to squirt back to Kris Letang, who whiffed on a one-timer. The puck, as a result, went right to the tape of the speedy Trevor Connelly, who took it all the way back down the other way on a breakaway and beat Arturs Silovs in highlight-reel fashion to tie things back up at 2-2.

Still, the Penguins kept the pressure on, leading to a power play with a little more than four minutes remaining. During the kill for Vegas, defenseman Brayden McNabb got nabbed for high-sticking, which gave the Penguins the two-man advantage for nearly a minute and a half. 

And, well, the rest was history. The Penguins failed to convert, and Vegas did not when they were rewarded a late power play on a Novak tripping call. Again, special teams was the difference, but the Penguins know they need to lock down late in games to turn what are close losses into close wins. 

"I think, it's like... the game is there," said Silovs, who was solid again with 20 saves on 23 shots, none of which he could have stopped. "I think there’s a lot to like. The game can go either way, and it went the opposite way.

"But, I think we're really close to breaking through."

Takeaways: Spooky Defensive Zone Play Dooms Penguins In 5-4 Loss To CanadiensDespite a late push, Pittsburgh could not make up for some early-game errors as they dropped their sixth game in the last eight.

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Here are a few takeaways after another tough loss:

- It's getting tough to keep beating the very dead horse, so to speak. But, once again, Declan Carlile was at the epicenter of blown defensive coverage that led to goals against. And, as was the case against Montreal on Saturday, that happened twice and led directly to goals against. 

On Vegas's second goal, Letang was already pinching, and understandably so. He was gearing up to take a one-timer that he, ultimately, whiffed on. But there should have been coverage at the top of the zone, right?

Nope.

Instead of remaining high in the zone with Letang pinching, Carlile chose to chase Connelly, who did a 180 the other way much faster than Carlile was able to get back and recover on. Boom, a goal against. 

BREAKAWAY CONNELLY 🦅 pic.twitter.com/bjxgrUdKo7

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 4, 2026

On the power play goal at the end? Yes, it was a power play goal, but Carlile's man was Hertl at the net front, and he let him just walk behind him and get set up to redirect the puck into the back of the net uncontested. Boom, another goal against. 

Seeing DOUBLE 🫣 pic.twitter.com/j2cnydZAZM

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 4, 2026

Unfortunately, it's becoming a nightly occurrence at this point where Carlile's lapse in defensive coverage is leading to goals against. He is a team-worst minus-10, and it's a completely earned minus-10.

Left defenseman Jake Livanavage was just recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Tuesday, and the 22-year-old has done a pretty darn good job so far in the AHL and earned his opportunity to get a look. Quite frankly, he should absolutely be in the lineup when the puck drops against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.

Even if Livanavage isn't a defensive stalwart - he's alright in his own zone, but nothing special - the Penguins are at a point where it's probably better to watch a young guy with promise figure it out at the NHL level, even if there are a few blunders.

Their current blue line is costing them hockey games, and even though it's not all on one singular guy, he's been a little too largely responsible lately.  

Penguins Recall Young Defenseman After Hot AHL StartDefensive prospect Jake Livanavage earned the call to the NHL club with his impressive start for the WBS Penguins

- Egor Chinakhov is getting chances. He's helping generate chances. He's playing a 200-foot game. He's covering high for defensemen. He's getting some looks.

But, at some point, he needs to start producing. 

Chinakhov has two goals and four points in 11 games this season. He just signed a three-year extension worth $6.25 million annually. Yet he has the same amount of points as Blake Lizotte and less points than Hendrix Lapierre, Nick Robertson, and Connor Dewar, all of whom have played mostly bottom-six roles this season. Carlile, Letang, Korczak, and Sam Girard all have more points than him, too. 

He's missing the net far too much on the shots he does take, and he's taking less shots than he did last season. It's not as if Chinakhov is playing poorly because he's not. 

But the Penguins paid him to score goals. If they're going to turn things around, it's not just the defense that has to step up. They need some of their regular producers to do their part, too. Rakell has found his game, so it's Chinakhov's turn to find the back of the net. 

- Speaking of Rakell, what a turnaround it has been for him in the last six games. 

He went from having no goals and two points in his first nine games to five goals and seven points in his last six games. And three of those goals have been game-tying goals, while the one Tuesday was the go-ahead goal.

It's safe to say he's found his form again, and he and Sidney Crosby seem to have found that long-lost chemistry that they were missing to start the year. Novak has begun to gel nicely on that line in the past couple of games, too.

It's big news that the first line is finally getting going. And Rakell has been, arguably, the biggest reason for that in recent games. And the crazy thing is that he's still missing the net with frequency, meaning he and Crosby could have even more points. 

It's good to see he's found his game again. If things don't turn around quickly for Pittsburgh, I suspect he'll be getting interest on the trade market.

'I'm Still Learning So Much': Rakell Continues Growth As Leader, Player Later In CareerPittsburgh Penguins' forward Rickard Rakell hasn't always been the most vocal player in the room, but he's learned a great deal about leading by example during his time in Pittsburgh.

- Again, the Penguins play Boston Thursday, and this is a team that continues to surprise.

A year after they were expected, like the Penguins, to be a lottery team and made the playoffs instead. Now, they're leading the formidable Atlantic Division at 11-4-1 with 23 points. 

The Penguins are 5-8-2 with 12 points and are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets in the basement of the East. 

These teams are about as far apart as can be right now. A win Thursday could do wonders for team morale. 

If there is a such thing as a must-win game this early in the season, Thursday is it. The Penguins hit the road for another Western swing after that, so they need to go into that on a high note if they have any hopes of turning their season around.

- The Penguins wore their new Hometown Remix jerseys for the first time Tuesday.

I like them a lot. And they looked even better in action. 

Reactions: Penguins Reveal Hometown Remix JerseysThe Pittsburgh Penguins, along with all 31 other NHL teams, revealed their unique Hometown Remix jerseys Monday.

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Playing their second game in just over 24 hours against a Sunshine State-based divisional rival, the Detroit Red Wings looked largely listless for the first portion of the contest before mounting a comeback effort.

Unfortunately, the comeback wasn't meant to be.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, mired in a controversy of their own after the shocking trade request of superstar forward Nikita Kucherov, held off the Red Wings with a 4-2 win at Benchmark International Arena. 

Final. Back home Thursday vs Vegas. pic.twitter.com/S8aPGT3Efp

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

With the setback, the Red Wings fell to 7-6-3 through the first 16 games of the 2026-27 campaign. And making matters more complicated was the fact that goaltender John Gibson departed the contest after the first period; he did not return. 

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

The aforementioned Kucherov picked up a pair of assist in the opening 20 minutes alone, both on goals from Brayden Point, giving the Lightning a two-goal cushion. That lead was increased to 3-0 after a tally from Anthony Cirelli near the midway point of the second period. 

At that point, the Red Wings began battling back. Forward Lucas Raymond stayed hot by scoring his sixth goal of the season just under two minutes later, followed by an early third period power play tally from J.T. Compher, cutting the deficit to a single goal. 

Pierre LeBrun Reports Dylan Larkin’s Camp Won’t Budge As Red Wings Stalemate Continues According to the latest information from NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Dylan Larkin and his representation aren't backing down from the line they've drawn regarding his 10-team approved destination list.

While Daniil Tarasov on the bench for an extra attacker, Detroit pressed heavily for the equalizer, but fell just short; defenseman Ryan McDonaugh sealed the win with an empty net goal in the waning seconds of regulation.

Before departing, Gibson stopped 11 of the 13 shots he faced; in relief, Tarasov stopped 12 of 13 shots. Meanwhile, Andrei Vasilevskiy denied 19 of 21 attempts. 

The Red Wings return home to Little Caesars Arena to host the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday evening. 

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