For the second straight preseason game, the Philadelphia Flyers suffered an uninspiring blowout loss, and for the second straight preseason game, the Flyers lost a key player to injury,
On Monday in Hershey, the Washington Capitals ran away with a 5-2 win, and forward Denver Barkey exited the game in the second period due to a lower-body injury.
On Tuesday in Boston, the Boston Bruins cruised to a dominant 5-1 win, and the Flyers lost Dan Vladar after just 13 minutes to an innocuous upper-body injury, forcing Aleksei Kolosov to enter the game in relief.
Like Monday against the Capitals, the Flyers got off to a decent start against the Bruins, out-shooting Boston 10-9 in the first period and heading into the first intermission deadlocked at 1-1, thanks to a solo effort from Jacob Gaucher.
Top center prospect Jett Luchanko recorded his second assist in as many nights, quietly bolstering his case to earn an NHL roster spot in the next week.
An even, scoreless second period saw the Flyers again out-shoot the Bruins, this time 8-7, but they completely fell apart in the third period.
The Bruins scored on four of their nine third-period shots, and Kolosov was helpless on just about all of them.
Morgan Geekie's power play redirection left Kolosov stranded, and Brian Halonen tapped in a puck that was deflected in front of Kolosov two minutes later.
With five minutes left in the third period, the Flyers were caught sleepwalking in their own end once again, and Elias Lindholm waltzed right by Danila Klimovich to bury a feed from Nikita Zadorov with a one-timer.
To put the cherry on top of the beatdown, Mikey Eyssimont cashed in on a Flyers defensive zone turnover, when Ty Murchison passed the puck right to Dans Locmelis. Eyssimont's one-timer beat Kolosov sliding across on the fast-developing play, and it was also the only Bruins goal that did not come between the circles and below the dots.
Overall, it was just a brutal game for the Flyers defensively, who frequently mismanaged the puck and failed to protect the good ice in their own zone.
Nobody especially stood out for the Flyers, though Spencer Gill and Cole Knuble looked in control for much of the game.
David Jiricek still has trouble handling the puck, something that wasn't a strong suit of his even dating back to the 2022 draft, but at times flashed the creativity and playmaking that helped make him the sixth overall pick four years ago.
Jiricek, 22, played a team-leading 22:46 on a pairing with Nick Seeler and appears poised to win the No. 6 defenseman spot, pending something catastrophic.
Oliver Bonk had moments, too, but would have committed his second penalty in as many games if Murchison's penalty hadn't been called first. Because Bonk is waivers-exempt, Jiricek will get every opportunity to retain his place in the lineup, though his shot needs to be utilized more.
The Flyers will return home Thursday for a preseason rematch against the Bruins at 7 p.m. at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
There’s a timeless saying that goes a little like this: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” In the case of the Vegas Golden Knights vs. the San Jose Sharks, this seems more like a young dog struggling to learn a new trick. If you wanted to force the Golden Knights into the ‘old dog’ role, the saying really only applies if the ‘new trick’ is losing to the Sharks.
The Sharks iced a more veteran-heavy roster, deploying the likes of Jacob Trouba, Dmitry Orlov, Tyler Toffoli, and Alexander Wennberg. They also played Ivar Stenberg and Michael Misa, the second overall picks from the past two NHL Entry Drafts. However, despite entering tonight as heavy underdogs, the Golden Knights found a way to win. It seems like they always do against the Sharks.
Yes, their 2-1 shootout victory tonight came in a meaningless preseason game. But to the Golden Knights, who sent a young roster out against a more veteran-heavy Sharks team, a win is a win.
1. A Hard Day’s Knight
The Golden Knights are saving their veterans for their two home preseason games, and therefore didn’t ice many flashy names tonight. They did, however, ice a roster chock full of hardworking individuals, and their top line– Alexander Holtz, Tanner Laczynski, and Jonas Røndbjerg– led the way.
They pushed the pace all night, getting in on the forecheck and making life difficult for San Jose’s defensemen. They generated offense off the cycle and combined for 11 shots on goal. It’s really only fitting that they were the line to finally break through and get the Golden Knights on the board.
On this particular shift, Braeden Bowman came over the boards with Holtz and Laczynski instead of Røndbjerg. He and Holtz prevented the Sharks from clearing the zone and dumped the puck in for Laczynski below the goal line. Laczynski worked it around to Adam Ginning at the point; Ginning held the line and sent it back to Laczynski below the left circle. Bowman crashed the net, and Laczynski set up Holtz for a one-timer through traffic.
We really should’ve known right from the start that tonight’s preseason contest was destined to be a goaltender duel.
Carter Hart stole the show in his preseason debut, earning first star of the game with 28 saves on 29 shots for a .966 SV%. And the Golden Knights didn’t do him many favors– the Sharks used their speed to generate odd-man rushes all night. Hart was up to the task and made highlight-reel saves all night, robbing second overall pick Michael Misa on several Grade A chances. The only puck that got past him came on the power play on a second attempt.
For the Sharks, Yaroslav Askarov wasn’t far behind and earned second star of the game with 22 saves on 23 shots and a .957 save percentage.
3. Piiparinen’s First Dance
Juho Piiparinen, the Golden Knights’ first-round selection at this year’s NHL Entry Draft, made his preseason debut tonight. The Finnish defenseman just turned 18 last month, but you wouldn’t have been able to guess his age based on how he played tonight.
Piiparinen didn’t look out of place against veteran NHLers. He looked comfortable, and was confident enough in his game to jump into the rush and activate in the offensive zone. He played just over 20 minutes, blocked two shots, and recorded a takeaway.
The organization is extremely high on this year’s 29th overall pick, and for good reason.
“He’s come as advertised from what we’ve seen,” said head coach Ryan Craig on Tuesday morning. “A great young man, great skill set.”
RALEIGH, NC - JUNE 02: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly addresses the media prior to game one of the NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes on June 2, 2026 at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Katherine Gawlik/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
NEW YORK — Meeting for the first time since the NHL began exploring expansion to Houston or Austin, Texas in June, the league’s Board of Governors discussed the topic on Tuesday but did not make any decisions, according to Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly spoke to billionaire Dan Friedkin’s group last week and got a full report, and representatives from the 32 current teams were briefed on the situation with no timetable to consider a possible vote on adding a 33rd.
“I think everybody’s taking a wait-and-see attitude to see what’s being presented and what the pros and cons are,” Bettman said. “Expansion is a multibillion-dollar transaction, which has an impact on all the other clubs in the league. A lot of i’s have to be dotted and t’s have to be crossed. And if there’s going to be expansion, three-quarters of the governors are going to have to be comfortable that this makes sense to them. And that’s not something you do overnight.”
Expansion, if it happens, would involve a $3.5 billion investment between the fee paid to owners and the cost to build a new arena. Daly said Friedkin’s Pursuit Sports had looked at sites to build in Houston and Austin, with a lot left to figure out, including deciding between one of the biggest U.S. media markets and a place that does not have a team in any of the major four North American men’s professional sports leagues.
“We would expect that we’ll know by the end of the year which market they would prefer,” Bettman said. “But we still and they still have a lot of work to do.”
The next board meeting is scheduled for December. The term sheet between the NHL and Friedkin’s family is for a six-month exploration, but that does not guarantee it will be wrapped up by the end of the year.
“I don’t think we’re putting time limits on things,” Daly said. “Originally we contemplated at least knowing where we are in December. I expect we will certainly know a lot more than we do now, come December, but I don’t think there’s any magic date by which something has to get done or not get done.”
Daly said earlier this month in Las Vegas that part of this meeting was getting direction from the board. If the league knows how members are leaning, officials are not saying.
“I think there are probably some owners who think expansion is the greatest thing ever, and I think there are some people who say, ‘Why do we need to expand?’” Bettman said. “I can’t tell you the numbers.”
Bettman and Daly said there also continue to be expressions of interest from ownership options in Atlanta and the Phoenix area. A feasibility study could be the next step, but those processes are not as far along as Texas.
“There’s always markets that are approaching the NHL, looking for expansion opportunities,” Calgary Flames owner Murray Edwards said after he was voted vice chairman and Washington’s Ted Leonsis chairman of the board. “We talk about it, but there’s no sort of fast process or slow process. We’re just looking at options.”
New York Islanders' Matias Maccelli (63) skates against the New York Rangers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
Two of the uncertainties that followed the Islanders into training camp involved the version of Matias Maccelli they’d get — whether he could produce in the top six as some type of Anders Lee replacement — and whether they could revive their power play.
And in their second preseason game, against a lineup containing plenty of NHL regulars, both flashed some potential as Maccelli — who also skated on the left side of the Islanders’ second line in their 4-3 win over the Blueshirts at the Garden — collected two of their three goals with the man advantage. Maccelli started last season on the Maple Leafs’ top line alongside Auston Matthews, but he was also at one point a healthy scratch and finished with just 14 goals and 39 points.
“Obviously, that’s the goal, to play in that role,” Maccelli said of trying to carve out a top six role and run with it. “It was a good start for that [Tuesday], and try not to think about it too much and just come to the rink and do my job and play as good as I can.”
New York Islanders’ Matias Maccelli (63) skates against the New York Rangers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Getty Images
Maccelli’s first goal contained a fortunate bounce, as he flung a puck toward the net that bounced off Rangers defenseman Sean Durzi and went in. But for his second tally, he collected a generous rebound from Spencer Martin off a shot from Matthew Schaefer and deposited the puck into the net.
Maccelli acknowledged that it was just the preseason, but Tuesday’s goals still served as an encouraging sign that his one-year flier with the Islanders could end up being worth it.
“You need a certain amount of goals in this league in order to get in the playoffs, regardless of how well you defend,” Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer said. “You still have to put the puck in the net at a certain level in order to give yourself a chance to get in the playoffs. So I think our conversations were around ‘how do we add some goals to the lineup,’ and that included adding guys that could help our power play — and I think he checked both those boxes.
“He did what he’s supposed to do [Tuesday] in order to make a statement about where he fits on this team.”
Matias Maccelli (63) of the Islanders scores the game-winning goal against Spencer Martin (41) of the New York Rangers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. Getty Images
And it could directly coincide with the emergence of a power-play unit that finished with the third-worst success rate in the NHL (16.5 percent) last season. DeBoer said the unit “felt dangerous” during their power-play chances — with Schaefer recording the other goal — but said he wanted to “temper our enthusiasm.”
“It’s one game,” DeBoer said. “We’re working on some things. If we go 0-for-4 tomorrow, the sky’s not falling, either.”
DeBoer said postgame — when asked about Schaefer — that the second-year superstar will be “a future captain of this team.”
“He’s one of those players at the end of my coaching career, I’m gonna sit on a deck somewhere and think about that I got a front-row seat to watch that guy play hockey, which is pretty special,” DeBoer said.
Defenseman Ethan Bear and goaltender Henrik Tikkanen were waived Tuesday for the purpose of assignment to AHL Hamilton. Cameron Berg, Cam Thiesing, Jesse Pulkkinen, Hunter Drew, Ryan Healey, Luke Rowe, Ryan Fanti, Brandon Scanlon, Jesse Nurmi, Joey Larson, Gleb Veremyev and Calle Odelius were all assigned to the Hammers, according to the team. … Kyle MacLean scored the first Islanders goal.
The New York Rangers’ Tuesday night preseason game at Madison Square Garden against the New York Islanders was a big test for 2026 fifth-overall pick Alberts Šmits.
Entering his first training camp, Mike Sullivan emphatically stated that Šmits would be given a real opportunity to make the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
Those words have been put into action, as through the first week of training camp, Šmits has been playing on the Rangers’ third pairing alongside Braden Schneider, a clear indication that Sullivan and the coaching staff are serious about getting a serious look at their young defenseman to determine if he’s ready for the NHL.
Tuesday night marked his biggest test, facing off against an Islanders roster filled with NHL players, and it’s safe to say he passed the test.
The way in which Šmits defended in his own zone stood out, specifically on a play where he used his long reach to poke-check the puck away from Bo Horvat, who was cutting to the net.
At just 18-years-old, Šmits showed he’s able to still command a physical presence and hold his own amongst NHL players, which is what caught the eye of Sullivan.
“I thought he played well,” Sullivan said of Šmits. “One of the biggest challenges for young players is just the physical size and strength of the guys in this league, and I mean you guys can see it, he's a man as an 18-year-old. His physical stature. He's big and strong. He has the ability to battle on pucks. He's big enough and strong enough to compete in this league, that's one challenge I think he's already met.”
Šmits was also able to contribute offensively.
In the second period, Šmits gave Taylor Raddysh a perfect pass as he was streaking to the front of the net, which resulted in a deflection goal from Raddysh.
The play showed Šmits’ confidence with the puck as well as his impressive offensive instincts to find Raddysh in a tight window.
“He makes a really nice play on Taylor Raddysh’s goal,” Sullivan said. “Just looking for that stick in the high slot, just getting his head up, and the awareness to make that play… He;s a mobile guy.”
Šmits finished the night playing 15:29 minutes, while recording one assist, one blocked shot, two hits, and one takeaway.
After the game, Šmits emphasized that he felt comfortable with the speed of play, something that was directly shown in his performance.
Despite an impressive preseason debut, Šmits described his overall performance as up and down.
“There were a lot of good moments, a lot of moments where I wish I could have played differently,” Šmits said. “Hockey is a momentum game, and there is ups and downs through the game. I just gotta learn from the bad things and gotta take them with me to the future.”
Šmits has already played some high-level hockey at a young age, including at the 2026 Winter Olympics, representing his home country Latvia.
However, he was still in awe and relished the opportunity to play under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.
“Obviously, it's a big arena,” Šmits said. “You can feel all the energy that's in there, and it was an amazing experience for me. I really enjoyed it.”
Offence was hard to come by for the Vancouver Canucks in their second pre-season game. In their 3–1 loss to the Calgary Flames, Vancouver registered a grand total of 10 shots compared to Calgary’s 31. Arshdeep Bains scored the lone goal for the Canucks, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 28 of 31 shots faced.
Tonight’s lineup gave a bit of insight into how the Canucks’ leadership delegation could go in the future. Once again dressing a younger lineup, with Aatu Räty being the Canucks skater with the most NHL experience with 114 games, Vancouver distributed their ‘A’s to three players tonight — Bains, Guillaume Brisebois, and Tom Willander.
Vancouver’s biggest standout in tonight’s game was by far Lankinen, who kept the Canucks in the game despite the team barely generating any offence throughout the second period. The goaltender stopped 21 straight shots before the Flames finally found the back of the net 15 minutes into the second frame.
Neither team was able to find the back of the net during the first period, though both were given power-play opportunities to try and beat the oppositions’ goaltender. Both Vancouver’s first (Braeden Cootes, Bains, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Adam Novotný, and Willander) and second-units (Riley Patterson, Matthew Stienburg, Ty Mueller, Ilya Safonov, and Kirill Kudryavtsev) were unable to put together sustained O-zone time during their opportunities.
Things got a little chippy halfway through the second period after Flames forward Martin Pospisil cross-checked Aatu Räty off a draw. More pushing and shoving occurred the play after, with the result being Calgary forward Maxim Tsyplakov sent to the box for grabbing Räty’s visor. Willander took an interference penalty less than 20 seconds into Vancouver’s power-play, putting the two teams on 4-on-4 for a little over a minute and 30 seconds.
That wasn’t the end of the rough stuff, however. Flames defenceman Kevin Bahl got into post-whistle shoving matches with both Brisebois and Jimmy Schuldt, while Safonov tussled with Zayne Parekh.
Interference penalties made a difference in tonight’s game, as the Canucks took two at two important times throughout the match. The first interference penalty was given to Willander, who caught the skate of Samuel Honzek, taking his team off a power-play and putting them at 4-on-4. The second put Ben Berard in the penalty box, with Calgary scoring on the ensuing man-advantage.
Two of the Flames’ three second-period goals came off the rush, with the first goal, scored on the power-play, occurring after Parekh sent Joel Farabee and Matvei Gridin in on Lankinen in the midst of a Vancouver line change. The second came only a couple of minutes after Calgary’s first goal, with Flames forward Matt Coronato capitalizing on an odd-man rush.
In an attempt to generate more offence, the Canucks switched up their line combinations during the third period. Patterson started the period with Cootes and Bains, Fix-Wolansky skated with Novotný and Brooks Rogowski, and Räty centered Berard and Mueller.
The change seemed to work in Vancouver’s favour, as a combination effort from Cootes, Patterson, and Bains got the Canucks on the scoreboard with around 13 minutes to go in the game. Notably, Cootes and Bains showed chemistry during training camp and combined for two goals in Vancouver’s first pre-season game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
A penalty taken by Bahl with seven minutes to go in the game put Vancouver on their second full power play of the night. Afer the first unit was unable to properly break into Calgary’s zone, the second group came out with a little less than a minute to go in the man-advantage. The Canucks finished the power-play without registering a shot on goal.
By the time the final whistle rang, the Canucks registered a total of 13 scoring chances-for throughout the entire game. In comparison, Calgary put up 43.
While the numbers don't look pretty, the Canucks can take comfort — though not a lot — in the fact that Calgary dressed their near-full NHL lineup. It's likely that Vancouver will roll with a more-experienced lineup come their next pre-season game on Thursday night.
Sep 22, 2026; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Calgary Flames right wing Adam Klapka (43) reaches for the puck in front of Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) during the second period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Canucks register first shot of the second period with 5:50 minutes remaining
Victor Mancini finishes with the highest TOI of all Canucks skaters with 21:51 minutes played
Aatu Räty registers a faceoff win percentage of 75%
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
No Scoring.
2nd Period:
15:00 - CGY: Joel Farabee (1) from Matvei Gridin and Zayne Parekh (PPG)
17:30 - CGY: Matt Coronato (1) from Morgan Frost and Matvei Gridin
18:58 - CGY: Samuel Honzek (1) from Zayne Parekh and Joel Farabee
3rd Period:
6:22 - VAN: Arshdeep Bains (2) from Braeden Cootes
Up Next:
The Canucks return home for the remainder of the pre-season, taking on the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night at 6:00 pm PT. As well, from the 24th to the 26th, the team will be holding their first-ever Fan Fest.
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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Smits was a standout in an otherwise frustrating 4-3 loss to the Islanders in their second exhibition game of the preseason Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Not only did he register the primary assist on the Blueshirts’ third goal, but the Latvian defenseman was sound defensively against an NHL-heavy Isles lineup.
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Since the start of training camp, Smits has skated on the left side of the third pair alongside Braden Schneider.
The Rangers are giving their 2026 fifth overall pick every chance to show he’s ready to make the jump to the NHL. It’s one thing not to look out of place in training camp, but it’s an entirely different feat to look as sturdy as Smits did in his first unofficial NHL game.
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits and New York Islanders center Kyle MacLean, right, fight for possession of the puck in the second period at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR NEW YORK POST
Taylor Raddysh got a stick on a perfectly placed puck from Smits at the high slot to give the Rangers a 3-0 lead just under 7 ¹/₂ minutes into the second period.
Smits more than held his own in a physical, scrum-heavy environment. He was strong in the corners and unfazed with the puck on his stick. Logging 15:29 of ice time, Smits also saw 3:33 on the penalty kill.
“I thought he played well,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “One of the biggest challenges for young players is just the physical size and strength of the guys in this league, and I mean you guys can see it, he’s a man as an 18-year-old. His physical stature. He’s big and strong. He has the ability to battle on pucks. He’s big enough and strong enough to compete in this league, that’s one challenge I think he’s already met. He makes a really nice play on Taylor Raddysh’s goal, just looking for that stick in the high slot, just getting his head up and just the awareness to make that play.
“I thought his gaps were really good. He’s a mobile guy. He’s got a long reach. He’s got a long stick. So he’s hard to play against. I thought he had a strong game tonight. We’re real encouraged to this point with what we’ve seen.”
New York Rangers defenseman Alberts Smits (63) controls the puck in the first period against the New York Islanders. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Rangers deepened their pool of players who could upgrade the second power-play unit, but don’t expect to see more balanced ice time between the two groups.
“I think our second power-play unit is more of a threat with some of the people that are on it, and I think as far as how the time is distributed, I think that will play itself out,” Sullivan said. “I do believe strongly that the top power-play unit is really good, and I think they showed last year — certainly the core of that group is still back. And those guys were certainly a bright spot of the team with how they performed on the power play, and so I would anticipate them getting a long look. I think they deserve it. I also think it gives us the best chance to win.”
Sean Durzi, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Eeli Tolvanen, Gabe Perreault and Liam Greentree skated on the second unit in the loss Tuesday night.
Sullivan did not have an update on forward Adam Sykora or defenseman Vincent Iorio, who both left Monday’s game against the Devils with lower-body injuries.
The two did not skate Tuesday and were still being evaluated.
Seven of the 20 Rangers in the lineup Tuesday were acquired in the offseason. Six of them registered at least one point in the loss.
After a 4-1 victory in game one, the Penguins dropped their second game of the pre-season to the Detroit Red Wings, 7-4, in a game that went downhill quickly and sharply. Michael Brandsegg-Nygard led the way for Detroit with two goals, while Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs had a night to forget, allowing seven goals on 23 Red Wings' shots.
Although the goaltending was subpar in this one, the team as a whole began to fall apart in the second period before surrendering four goals in the third.
"I thought we gave up way too much tonight," head coach Dan Muse said. "We have more games coming up, we have more practice time. Arty showed last year, too, what he can do in this league. So, it's not like we're suddenly forgetting about that. He's a guy whose game came a long way just last year, and I believe it's going to continue to come a long way moving forward."
The Penguins opened up the scoring in this one on a first-period penalty kill, when defenseman Ilya Solovyov found Nick Robertson streaking down the right side. Robertson used his speed and edgework to beat the defender one-on-one and cut across the front of the net, burying the puck blocker-side and giving the Penguins the 1-0 lead.
Brandsegg-Nygard responded within the final two minutes of the opening frame with his first goal, and Mason Appleton and Axel Sandin-Pellikka scored 31 seconds apart before the five-minute mark of the second period to put Detroit ahead, 3-1. Rickard Rakell cut the deficit to one in the latter half of the period on a nice feed from Sam Girard, and 3-2 was the score going into second intermission.
That's when the wheels fell off the wagon. A little more than five minutes in, Brandsegg-Nygard scored his second to make it 4-2, and although Kaedan Korczak responded with a snipe from the right point a few minutes later, Pittsburgh never really took back control of the game. Consecutive goals by Ondrej Becher, Wilmer Skoog, and Jesse Kiiskinen sealed the Penguins' fate, even with a late goal by Rutger McGroarty off a nice give-and-go with Markus Ruck.
UNREAL PLAY FROM THE RUCK TWINS AND RUTGER MCGROARTY!
Beautiful steal from Liam Ruck, followed by an even prettier give-and-go between Markus Ruck and Rutger McGroarty!pic.twitter.com/DFllJQ1ZSX
Here are some takeaways from game two of the Penguins' pre-season:
- Yes, it's only the pre-season, and everyone is just getting warmed up for regular season action.
But this was not a good performance by Silovs in any way.
Yes, he earned that 1A spot with his outstanding performance against the Philadelphia Flyers in Round 1 last postseason, and yes, he will begin the season on the NHL roster. Muse basically said as much during his postgame presser, when he reiterated that Silovs's performance from last season cannot be forgotten about when evaluating the situation in goal this season.
However, given how well Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist have performed in the pre-season up to his point, Silovs needs to make sure a performance like this doesn't follow him into the regular season. There's a giant target on his back, and two young, promising goaltenders won't be relenting anytime soon.
- I wrote two summers ago that the Penguins should pursue Robertson (this one, anyway). And, again, it's only the pre-season, so everything must be taken with a grain of salt.
But I really like what I'm seeing from him so far in this camp. He's easily been one of the standouts, and he looks like a natural fit on both the penalty kill unit and on the top line with Sidney Crosby and Rakell.
His speed is a huge factor, but he can shoot the puck, too. And his defensive awareness seems to be a bit better than what waas advertised when he came over from the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer.
"You saw a lot of what he's shown already throughout trainimg camp," Muse said of Robertson's game. "Just the speed, the tenacity, the ability to hunt pucks. I thought that [the shorthanded goal] was a good example. He makes good defensive reads, and we wanted to get him some time here early on and get to see him on the penalty kill. And I thought - obviously, the shorthanded goal was nice to see - but, also, just from what we've seen so far, he's shown the ability to make those reads defensively.
"We know he's going to work. I think just that speed, the quickness, the tenacity he plays with is obviously a major factor and a big part of his game."
I've seen several others say this at this point, but he reminds me a bit of Pascal Dupuis as a complementary piece on that line. His forechecking and speed are legit, but I also think there is a bit higher upside in terms of goal-scoring.
We'll see how things progress into the season, but I think this could be a really good pickup for the Penguins.
- I thought the third line of Rutger McGroarty, Bill Zonnon, and Atley Calvert got some great looks early on. Their game faded a bit as the team's overall game faded later, but overall, they were pretty solid.
It was nice to see McGroarty notch that goal at the end, too. I'm not sure there is space for him on the NHL roster to start the season, and I'd like for him to start showing more in other aspects of the game. But that goal, although meaningless, had to feel good.
- Speaking of which, the Rucks looked really good on that McGroarty goal, too. Liam - notching his second helper of the night - forced a turnover along the wall and fed it to McGroarty in the slot. McGroarty was decisive in getting the puck over the Markus on the right side, and Markus fed it right back for a nice finish.
Honestly, I thought both twins looked pretty good in this one. It's always interesting to see how newly drafted prospects look in NHL game action during the pre-season, and they didn't really look out of place for it being their first NHL tilt.
Individually, I actually thought Liam looked right at home on that second power play unit, and he made some cerebral offensive plays to help generate chances throughout the night. Markus could stand to work on his skating a bit, but he was also attacking the offensive zone and made a few nice reads in the defensive zone, too.
Overall, it was a good first outing for both. They're likely bound for Medicine Hat - whether that's at the same time or at different times during camp - but they looked good in their first taste of NHL action.
- I really like how Sam Girard has looked throughout the pre-season, and he turned in a nice performance Tuesday. It's clear as day that he is healthy, he's got more jump to his step, and he's a heck of a lot more confident with the puck than he was after the trade last season.
I like the way he and Korczak tandemed, too. Korczak doesn't do anything flashy, but he is pretty solid defensively, and he and Girard were reading off each other nicely.
I imagine this will be the Penguins' third pairing to begin the season.
- I think Solovyov was particularly noticeable in this one. He may not be the most fleet of foot, but his decision-making is quick, and his breakouts are solid. He never holds onto the puck too long, and he's rarely caught out of position despite his footspeed.
He played well in the games where he saw action last season, and yes, he is going to struggle against some of the league's faster teams. But he's a nice option as a seventh defenseman, and unless Jake Livanavage really impresses in his taste of pre-season action - presumably, on Thursday - I think Tuesday's performace probably won Solovyov that spot.
- Finally, a note about another new blueliner: Declan Carlile was an angry man in this one.
He took exception to Detroit's harassment of Crosby throughout the game, and it was only a matter of time before the ticking time bomb in Carlile went off. That finally happened in the third period, when he took it all out on Skoogs and earned a double-minor for roughing and a 10-minute misconduct, and Brandsegg-Nygard scored his second goal on that four-minute man advantage.
If anything, it's a good sign that the Penguins appear to have a few guys willing to step in when guys like Crosby are messed with. Carlile doesn't shy away from that aspect of the game, and it certainly got to a tipping point Tuesday.
"Taking that penalty at the end, I think it was just... I kind of had enough of it throughout the game, and it is what it is," he said.
I'd expect a lot of fisticuffs from Carlile this season.
It took nearly two years and two partial knee replacements for Semyon Varlamov to get to this point. It took 662 days from his last NHL game — Nov. 29, 2024 — until Tuesday night, when he was staring down Alexis Lafrenière on a breakaway early in the third period in his most difficult chance since completing his improbable return.
Lafrenière had split Kashawn Aitcheson and Scott Mayfield. He moved to his backhand and then went back to his forehand. But Varlamov followed him the whole way, turning aside the shot during the Islanders’ 4-3 preseason win over the Rangers on Tuesday at the Garden.
He didn’t face many chances after taking over for Ilya Sorokin with 10:15 left in the second, only needing to make 10 saves, but it marked another promising step for Varlamov just over one week before their season opener.
Semyon Varlamov (40) of the New York Islanders prepares to play against the New York Rangers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. Getty Images
“I haven’t played for a while in this league,” Varlamov said, “and, for me, it was a very special moment.”
By the time the second period dipped under 12 minutes, Varlamov had replaced his baseball hat with his goalie helmet on the Islanders’ bench. He shook his blocker, fixed his glove and then grabbed his stick as play continued, inching closer to the point when he’d finally enter. Then he skated onto the ice, tapped gloves with Sorokin as they crossed paths and returned to an NHL crease.
Through his grueling recovery, Varlamov, 38, found a way to keep his vision for inching back to the Islanders intact. He still has plenty of boxes left to check before his role is solidified. There’s a massive gap between splitting a preseason game and making 25 to 30 starts as the primary backup to Sorokin, but Varlamov said that he doesn’t need to manage his knees at this point. He also made a strong save on a tough shot from Sean Durzi with around 2:40 left in the second period.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Varlamov said. “I don’t have to do anything. The knees are feeling good, and I just have to play a few games before the season. Next time, I’ll be playing the full game, and then I really want to see how everything responds — it’ll be important for me to get through the game and get the full game to play.”
Varlamov admitted last week that his thought for the surgeries was “crazy,” a “very risky idea” and something that he knew he wanted to try because — despite a lengthy career that began with the Capitals as a first-round pick in 2006 and also included an eight-year run with the Avalanche — he didn’t want to stop playing. When he got injured in 2024, Varlamov had gone 3-4-3 with an .889 save percentage to start the season.
But it took time for Varlamov’s vision for his recovery to take tangible steps. It required David Rittich backing up Sorokin last year, though Varlamov managed to log a pair of games with AHL Bridgeport at the end of last season while on a conditioning assignment. He allowed three goals, made 46 saves, picked up a pair of wins and, perhaps most importantly, demonstrated that his improbable return actually had a realistic chance of happening.
Semyon Varlamov (40) of the New York Islanders plays against the New York Rangers during a preseason game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. Getty Images
The Islanders still braced for the worst in the offseason, inking Vitek Vanecek to a one-year deal worth $1 million in free agency. They could keep three goaltenders on their roster, though DeBoer admitted that it “does handcuff you.”
But by making his expected return to an NHL-level game, Varlamov demonstrated that he’s one step closer to stepping back into his Islanders role that — for the longest time — seemed like it was in jeopardy. And the scene once the final horn sounded at the Garden, as his Islanders teammates — starting with Matthew Schaefer, Adam Pelech and Casey Cizikas — gave Varlamov long embraces, captured the weight of the moment.
“Just really impressive when you think about what he’s gone through in the last year, how hard he’s worked to come back, even the situation tonight — he’s playing the second half of the game, so he’s going in there cold,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “And to play like he did, I think it’s inspirational to our group.”
Less than 24 hours after not finding the back of the net in their exhibition opener against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Detroit Red Wings opened the floodgates against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Defenseman Albert Johansson recorded four assists, while forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård scored twice in Detroit's 7-4 preseason win over Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday evening.
Johansson, taken in the fourth round (105th pick) in the 2022 NHL Draft, finished second among all Detroit defenseman in ice time behind Justin Faulk. Meanwhile, Nate Danielson picked up an assist, while Theo Rochette picked up a pair of assists.
Pittsburgh struck first thanks to a SHG from Nicolas Robertson in the first period, while Brandsegg-Nygård scored Detroit's first goal of the preseason - and the first of seven on the night - with a one-timer from the right face-off circle soon afterward.
Detroit took a quick 3-1 lead early in the second period thanks to goals from Mason Appleton and Axel Sandin-Pellikka. Appleton buried a rebound past goaltender Arturs Silovs from in tight, while Sandin-Pellikka buried a one-timer from the top of the slot after taking a feed from Viktor Arvidsson 31 seconds later.
Despite the Penguins cutting Detroit's lead to one goal late in the second period, Detroit's offense roared back to life in the game's final frame.
Brandsegg-Nygård beat Silovs with a backhander off a rebound on the power play before Ondřej Becher added another goal by deflecting a Johansson shot into the net.
Wilmer Skoog then buried a rebound off a Sutter Muzzatti shot for Detroit's sixth goal, while Jesse Kiiskinen soon found the scoresheet after he redirected another Johansson shot.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh scored shortly after Detroit's fourth and seventh goals.
Silovs played the entire contest and allowed all seven goals; he made 16 saves. Pittsburgh native John Gibson played the first two periods for Detroit, stopping 22 shots, while Trey Augustine stopped six of eight shots in the third period.
The Red Wings, who are now halfway through the preseason slate, return home to face the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday evening from Little Caesars Arena.
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Dan Vladar, whose steady goaltending last season helped the Philadelphia Flyers end a five-year playoff drought, left a Tuesday, Sept. 22 NHL preseason game against the Boston Bruins with an injury and didn't return.
Vladar, 29, had reached out for a loose puck in the first period and Bruins forward Tanner Jeannot appeared to clip him as he skated by. The goalie lost his stick and Boston's Michael Eyssimont scored on a deflection of a shot from the point.
Vladar then skated to the bench and a trainer appeared to be looking at his arm. The Flyers later announced that he had an upper-body injury and wouldn't return to the game.
Vladar signed with the Flyers ahead of last season as a free agent and grabbed the No. 1 job with a 29-14-7 record, 2.42 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. Philadelphia beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs before losing in the second round.
The goalie signed a five-year, $27.5 million extension during the offseason.
Dan Vladar injury update
The Flyers said Vladar had an upper-body injury. He was replaced in net by Aleksei Kolosov in the 5-1 loss.
Coach Rick Tocchet had no postgame update, saying Vladar was being evaluated.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Nick Robertson (14) scores a goal against Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson (36) in the preseason NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings on September 22, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Lineups
The Penguins bring out a lot of their big guns and mix in a bunch of players making preseason debuts in Bill Zonnon, Tomas Galvas with Markus and Liam Ruck getting in the lineup too.
Visiting Detroit brings a slightly better lineup tonight than Buffalo did last night, though it’s very much an early preseason road game type of roster.
Egor Chinakhov went to the penalty box for tripping, the Pens not only kill it off they get a goal. Nick Robertson scores on his first shot in a Pittsburgh jersey, bursting around forward Theo Rochette, driving to the net and lifting it past John Gibson. 1-0 Pens early.
Robertson gets tripped and draws a power play. Crosby, Malkin, Chinakhov, Rakell are out there, Sam Girard fills in for Erik Karlsson (not playing).
They don’t score, the following shift the Red Wings do. Arturs Silovs makes a great save but the Pens’ defensive structure is broken down. Detroit regroups and passes it around and tie the game.
🚨BRANDSEGG-NYGARD!!!🚨
Beautiful pass by Nate Danielson to set up MBN for the first goal of the preseason for the Red Wings and now we have a tie game!!!#LGRW#GoGRGpic.twitter.com/nLyGBUbH1Q
Crosby and Marco Kasper get tied up and slash each other enough to both take penalties. While at 4v4 the Red Wings score twice. First, Arturs Silovs coughs up a bad rebound that Mason Appleton bulls through Tomas Galvas to knock into the net. 2-1 Red Wings. They add another on a broken play, Malkin only got a piece of a centering pass, throwing off the timing for a Red Wing to quickly hammer home.
The Pens’ first line turns up the heat with a long shift of pressure. Ilya Solovyov and Sam Girard are all over the puck too. Eventually Girard sends the puck down to the net for Rickard Rakell, the Swede spins and shoots it in to narrow Detroit’s lead to 3-2.
Trey Augustine is in net for Detroit, Silovs remains in there for the Pens.
Rakell gets taken down and Pittsburgh gets their third power play of the night, which comes up empty for the third time.
More tempers flare, Carlile grabs a guy and drops the gloves and ends up with a double minor and 10 minute misconduct. Detroit scores on one of their power plays after Silovs leaves a rebound and Girard can’t clear it away. 4-2 game.
Kaeden Korczak gets on the board in his Pittsburgh debut, wristing in a long shot from the right side. 4-3.
Detroit re-establishes their two goal lead with a deflection goal. 5-3 with over 10 minutes to go.
More bad news, another huuuge rebound that’s kicked out and Chinakhov isn’t quick enough to get to it. 6-3.
The damage keeps coming, off an offensive zone faceoff for the Red Wings, they get a point shot through that hits Girard and flutters into the net. 7-3.
The Pens get one before time runs out. Pretty passing between the Rucks and Rutger McGroarty leads to an open net for the latter to score on. 7-4.
UNREAL PLAY FROM THE RUCK TWINS AND RUTGER MCGROARTY!
Beautiful steal from Liam Ruck, followed by an even prettier give-and-go between Markus Ruck and Rutger McGroarty!pic.twitter.com/DFllJQ1ZSX
It didn’t take Robertson long to flash. As we wrote this weekend, this addition could be a really big deal if the Pens can unlock his talent fully. In his size and quick skating, Robertson is reminiscent of a former Crosby winger in Conor Sheary from a decade ago. Unlike Sheary, whose hands often couldn’t keep up with his feet, Robertson has already demonstrated a higher degree of finishing ability – which was on display tonight. Gotta temper it a little bit but it’s hard to not see this as an exciting and encouraging possibility.
It was probably a lesson that didn’t need to be taught though nice to see Declan Carlile get the memo and charge in after a whistle when a Red Wing got a stick up and was jousting with Crosby after the whistle. He was really mad! The ref had to do the old hug and drag away, with Carlile still trying to get after anyone in red. Small but nice to see.
Tomas Galvas’ debut was unremarkable. He got caught on the ice for nearly a two minute shift on the first DRW goal, roving up in the zone at one point and unable to get possession back. Galvas got a lesson in NHL strength when the 6’2, 200 pound Mason Appleton drove through him to the net on the second DRW goal. Not the end of the world but doesn’t look particularly close to being an NHL regular at a first glance for preseason action.
Atley Calvert has a bit of the ‘Avery Hayes condition’ in him and by that I mean the more you see, the more there is to like. Calvert looks bigger on the ice than the 6’1, 196 he’s listed at. He skates very well. He’s positionally solid and always in the right spot, good along the boards. He’s never going to win a scoring title but is just a good player. Calvert’s surely Wilkes-Barre bound in the near future but he’s showing enough to wonder if there’s something more down the line.
Lowkey but it was smart to see the coaches stick with the Zonnon+Calvert partnership on a line tonight. The two played together extensively in the AHL playoff run last spring. That bit of familiarity had to help the 19-year old Zonnon in his first taste of NHL action. For his part, Zonnon was fine, though he too is clearly going to need a measure of time to grow his game and adapt to the pro speed.
It’s kinda crazy to think this is the fourth decade of Malkin’s life (teens, 20s, 30s and now 40s) that he’s worn a Penguin jersey. Quiet night for the elder statesman, though at one point he was backchecking hard and battling to successfully lift an opponent’s stick and win the puck back. Observing Malkin as long as we all have, seeing a high level of engagement is always a positive indicator of where his form is at.
The Ruck boys too in their first glimpse of NHL action, only getting a handful of shifts from the fourth line but made the most of it, Liam (the first round pick) grabbing two assists and Markus making a really nice play late to add one. Great to see them with Mikhail Ilyin, hopefully in about five years that could be a future NHL line if all the cards come together right. Long way between there and here, of course, just an idle September dream for what could be one day.
Not a very inspiring performance in net from Silovs, but then again the stakes couldn’t be lower. Seven goals on 23 shots is what it is. Besides the sheer quantity of allowing seven goals in a game, the only major problem I had was seeing the costly rebound on three of those goals- all too common a sight last season when his game wasn’t sharp. No need to stew or analyze it too much besides hoping to see him tighten up before next week.
Really liked what we saw out of Solovyov tonight. His moonlighting tonight in Karlsson’s spot suggests Solovyov is in-line to be the seventh defenseman, at least for the moment, and he played really well. Three shots on goal (always forget how active he is in the offensive zone). Two hits, a blocked shot and an assist (ironically he was more influential in the play where he DIDN’T get an assist officially). Solovyov doesn’t do anything great but he does a lot to a nice degree.
The best thing about any preseason game is when it’s over and now this one is in the history books. The Pens will bring a team on the road to play in Columbus on Thursday for their next one.
It's no surprise that ever since twins Liam and Markus Ruck were selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2026 NHL Draft, they've been inseparable - both literally and figuratively, in person and in print.
But starting now, their developmental journey will begin to differentiate even the smallest bit.
Both Rucks were invited to NHL training camp and, subsequently, had the opportunity to play on the same line in Pittsburgh's second pre-season game, which came against the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday.
Even though both still plan to play together for Medicine Hat Tigers of the WHL - barring they don't make the NHL roster and sign entry-level contracts - next season and then head to the University of North Dakota in 2027-28, Markus is excited to tap into who he is as an all-around player even more, both in tandem with Liam and individually.
And that includes unleashing his shot more.
"For sure. I want to be an all-around player that can do whatever," Markus said. "I don't just want to be known as a passer because guys will start picking those off and reading the pass. So, I'm definitely working on that, and I want to be able to do both."
Of course, he is referring to his reputation as a playmaker, while Liam has developed a reputation as the shooter. As a tandem for Medicine Hat last season, they were first and second in WHL scoring, with Markus posting 21 goals and 108 points to Liam's 45 goals and 104 points.
Markus has a shot that can pop, too, and he plans to use it more as he develops. But, in general, he also wants to continue developing his all-around game, which he believes presents the best path to becoming an effective player at higher levels of hockey.
"That's always really important for me," Markus said. "Just the little details, not cheating the game at all. There will be times where, you know, higher-point guys in leagues will cheat the game a bit, and I definitely want to focus on not doing that and just playing the right way."
And training camp has provided an excellent opportunity for him to hone some of those skills. He has been on Team 3 - the prospect group - for the duration of camp, and he earned an opportunity to suit up in that pre-season game with his brother due to some of those details he showcased within his game. He mentioned that the coaching staff has been very helpful in helping him learn the nuances of the NHL game that aren't necessarily present in lower levels.
In general, there are few better places to learn some of those details than Pittsburgh, too - whether on-ice or off-ice details - considering the NHL veteran players he is sharing the ice and the locker room with during training camp in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson.
"It's really cool seeing those guys in person," Markus said. "Those are the guys that I grew up watching and idolizing. Seeing them around the rink and what they do to take care of their body or how they eat, I'm trying to pick up things like that because they're, obviously, some of the best to ever do it."
He added: "It's unbelievable. There's tons of great players out here and so many staff members that are willing to help out. It's really cool, it's something that I've always dreamed of, to be in this situation. So, I've been having lots of fun and learning a lot."
Both Markus and Liam join a crop of Penguins' prospects who both fans and the organization have high hopes for. There is a lot of belief that the prospects currently developing can help usher in a new wave of talent - and winning - for the NHL club beyond the years of Crosby.
And Markus is excited to be included as part of it all.
"There's tons of great young players here, and the staff, the organization, has done a great job of bringing in lots of great players and good people, too," he said. "It's exciting, and going forward, I think the future is bright here.
"I'm excited to be a part of it, and I've been working towards it every day to, hopefully, help his team win in the future."
Through four preseason periods, the Philadelphia Flyers have already lost two key players due to injury, and seemingly innocuous ones at that.
On Monday, forward Denver Barkey left the team's first preseason game against the Washington Capitals with a lower-body injury after taking a hit from defenseman Martin Fehervary, though he did briefly return for the start of the second period before bowing out for the night.
Flyers assistant GM Brent Flahr had said during July's development camp that Barkey sat the scrimmage out to manage a hip flexor injury, though it's currently unclear if the new injury is related.
Then, on Tuesday, news got even worse for the Flyers, as starting goalie Dan Vladar suffered an apparent upper-body injury against the Boston Bruins and exited the contest after making six saves on seven shots in 13:31.
Vladar made a stick save on a bouncing puck before trying to lurch forward to corral the rebound, but lost his stick in the process with Tanner Jeannot skating on by.
Jeannot appeared to make very slight contact with the Flyers goalie, who was outside of his crease, but certainly nothing major that would indicate a serious injury.
Still, though, Vladar was clearly in pain and needed to remove himself from the game after the Bruins had scored and subsequently stopped play.
Heading into Tuesday night's contest, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said at morning skate that the plan was for Vladar to play the first two periods against the Bruins and for Aleksei Kolosov to play the third, mirroring the split Joseph Woll and Carson Bjarnason had against the Capitals the previous night.
Those plans were quickly dashed, though, and the Flyers announced that Vladar would be out for the rest of the game vs. the Bruins with an upper-body injury as the end of the second period approached.
Kolosov, at the time of this writing, has stopped all nine shots he's faced in relief of Vladar.
Kolosov, 24, has two seasons of NHL experience, posting a 5-11-1 record, 3.64 GAA, and .863 save percentage in 21 total appearances, and is set to be the Flyers' backup goalie to Joseph Woll if Vladar is to miss any time.
Vegas Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig has been saying for days that a shortened preseason means more urgency. Fringe players have less time to make their case for the few available spots. Veterans only play in two preseason games now, so they have less time to get their touches.
The Golden Knights veterans prefer a shorter preseason.
“For me, personally, I’m excited with the way the camp is [this year]. I find that [training camps] drag on a little too much,” said Golden Knights captain Mark Stone on Thursday. “I want to play right away; I want to play the important games. The first [preseason game] is to get your feet wet, but now, let’s get going. That’s better for us.”
It’s hard to evaluate certain players based on their performance in meaningless preseason games. Still, after five days of camp and preseason action— everyone had Sunday off— there have been enough drills and scrimmages to draw some conclusions from.
Here are my biggest takeaways through five days of camp.
1. The Howden–Karlsson–Marner line looks to be picking up right where they left off
William Karlsson spent the majority of last season dealing with various injuries. However, when he finally returned in Game 1 of the second round of the playoffs, he immediately reminded everyone just how valuable he is to the Golden Knights lineup. By Game 3, John Tortorella put him between Brett Howden and Mitch Marner, and that line became the cornerstone of the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
In the end, that line played 13 games together before Karlsson suffered a broken wrist. But in those 13 games, all three players put up excellent numbers. Marner led the way with seven goals and 20 points. Howden scored nine goals and provided three assists, and Karlsson scored three goals and nine points after missing exactly six months with a lower-body injury.
That line began training camp together, and head coach Ryan Craig sounds like he plans to keep it that way. And why wouldn’t he? They all read off of each other like they’ve been playing together for years. And if the training camp drills are anything to go off of, they’re going to pick up right where they left off.
2. Trevor Connelly looks like a safe bet to make the Opening Night roster
Trevor Connelly, the first-round pick of the Golden Knights back in 2024, has been the story of camp.
Last year, Connelly was over a point-per-game in his first full season playing professional hockey. At just 19, he played 46 games and scored 14 goals and 49 points in a league made up mostly of players who are significantly older, bigger, and stronger than him. Now, he has his sights set on making the step up to the NHL.
I really, really like his chances.
Both head coach Ryan Craig and general manager Kelly McCrimmon have said that Connelly gets the first crack at the vacant spot on the third line. He’s been on a line with Tomáš Hertl and Victor Olofsson since the start of training camp, and he seems to be passing every test that the coaching staff throws at him.
Connelly isn’t in the group heading to San Jose tonight, which actually bodes well for his chances of making the roster. The Golden Knights only sent two veteran players to their second preseason game– Marc Gatcomb and Braeden Bowman– so Connelly staying home to get more reps in with the big squad is probably a good sign.
3. The top power play unit probably won’t replicate last year’s success
On paper, this year’s top power play unit looks stacked. It’s almost identical to last year’s PP1 with one notable difference: without Pavel Dorofeyev, Shea Theodore moves back up to quarterback the top unit.
There’s one problem with that. Without Dorofeyev, Jack Eichel, one of the best playmakers in the league, no longer has a left-handed one-time option in the right circle. Mitch Marner replaces Dorofeyev in the right circle, and he’s a player who rarely defaults to ripping a one-timer. Now, even if he wanted to, he physically couldn’t.
Is this the end of the world? No. Eichel, Marner, Theodore, Mark Stone, and Tomáš Hertl are all world-class players. Hertl has scored 14 and 13 power-play goals in the last two seasons, respectively. And no one is better below the goal line than Stone, who posted a career-high nine power-play goals and 27 power-play points.
Losing that lethal one-time option is going to be a hard pill for the Golden Knights to swallow, and only time will tell how they go about replacing Dorofeyev’s team-leading 20 power-play goals.
Flyers Suffer Another Injury as Dan Vladar Departs Early vs. BruinsThe Philadelphia Flyers have lost starting goalie Dan Vladar to an innocuous upper-body injury.
