Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver’s last game. This article will focus on the Canucks’ most recent 9–7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Paul Cotter
Paul Cotter has been the Canucks’ best forward, offensively speaking, since the start of the 2026–27 season. Following his two-goal performance on Tuesday, Cotter scored yet another goal in Thursday’s 9–7 loss to the Oilers and also added an assist on a goal by Brock Boeser in his effort.
Cotter’s strong play earned him a promotion onto Vancouver’s second-line alongside Boeser and Liam Öhgren, with the trio playing a team-high 7:28 minutes together. Individually, Cotter also had five hits and recorded a faceoff win percentage of 64.3%.
Elias Pettersson
Is Elias Pettersson back? That’s the question everyone seems to be asking after the forward’s performance on Thursday night following his three-point, eight-hit night. The most notable part of Pettersson’s night was his slap shot on the power-play to give Vancouver their sixth goal of the game, with the play resembling a vintage shot by the forward. This was his 202nd-career goal, which gave him sole-possession of ninth all-time in Canucks history.
After Vancouver blended their lines up to start the second period, Pettersson and his wingers — Jake DeBrusk and Linus Karlsson — were given the difficult task of matching up against Connor McDavid’s line. Through a little over six minutes played together, the trio produced three scoring chances-for and surrendered one against.
Oct 1, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) shoots during warm up prior to a game against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Arshdeep Bains
Dating back to training camp, Arshdeep Bains has been praised for his no-quit hustle even when not in game situations. The forward brought that same performance to Thursday night’s game alongside new linemates Marco Rossi and Jonathan Lekkerimäki, spearheading what would ultimately become a shocking consecutive four-goal output for Vancouver in both the second and third periods.
With less than a second left on the clock in the second period, Bains drove to the net to snap a rebound past Oilers goaltender Devon Levi, scoring Vancouver’s third of the game. He didn’t stop there, however, as it was his line that scored two goals for the Canucks five minutes into the third period to bring their total up to five goals on the night. An assist on the second goal made Thursday Bains’s first multi-point NHL game.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 01: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers scores the first goalie goal in Rangers history against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden on October 01, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Friday, TSFers! This extra-long international break won’t wind up until Tuesday, but it’s time to start re-focusing on Arsenal. Unfortunately, we’ve got an injury update coming later today for a couple guys who picked up issues on international duty. I don’t like international breaks. I really don’t like extended international breaks.
This morning, we’ll talk about something fun. The NHL season started this week — go Caps — and with the season just a few days old, we’ve got something that only happens every couple of seasons. A goalie goal!
There weren’t any goalie goals last season. Oddly enough, there were three the season before — Ilya Sorokin, Alex Nedeljkovic, and Filip Gustavsson. According to Wikipedia, that was the first time there had ever been more than one in an NHL season. To give a sense of how uncommon they are, there have only been 21 goalie goals in the history of the NHL. There have been multiple 5+ season stretches without one being scored. Martin Brodeur scored three in his career. Ron Hextall scored two.
With all that in mind, what other sporting feats are as rare and unlikely as the NHL goalie goal? The first thing that came to mind is a no-hitter in baseball. It’s not quite there in terms of rarity — there have been 327 recorded in MLB history — but the combination of difficulty and rarity feels about right. What say y’all?
Easton Cowan has been on fire to start the 2026-27 NHL season with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In the first game of the season, the 21-year-old left winger recorded an assist on William Nylander's second goal of the game in Toronto's 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
In the second outing against the New York Islanders, Cowan outdid himself with a pair of points. He got an assist on Colton Sisson's first goal as a Maple Leaf and scored the second on the power play, which turned out to be the game-winning goal.
To this point in the season, Cowan leads the team in scoring with three points, contributing on all of Toronto's goals but one.
Regarding Cowan's performance so far this season, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman has noted that his stock has been rising within the organization, and that might've nixed the franchise's desire to trade the youngster.
"I think there were a couple of things in the off-season that (the Leafs) were considering that could potentially have Cowan involved," Friedman reported on Thursday's episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. "And I did hear this week that even before the puck dropped, that Cowan's stock in the organization was way up. And that it was like Toronto's desire to move Cowan has really decreased."
It's early, but Cowan has truly morphed not only into a solid NHL player but also into a difference-maker on the Maple Leafs.
"They're like, ' this guy is a player,' and then in the first two games of the season, the loss to Montreal and the victory over the Islanders, he was one of their best players, I thought."
Toronto's head coach Jim Hiller was early to spot Cowan and his positive trajectory in development during training camp. It was after the first day of training camp that he singled out Cowan as the player who stood out to him the most at practice.
He called him a puck hound, and he's certainly brought that playing style to the regular season. Cowan is fast on the forecheck and eager to strip the opposition of the puck, and has been contributing to the team's penalty kill.
"There definitely is a feeling that Cowan's stock is up even before they started playing, and I think in the first two games we all saw why," Friedman said.
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After a day off on Wednesday, the Montreal Canadiens returned to the ice Thursday afternoon, getting ready for their tilt with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night. The Habs flew right to Pittsburgh after their win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night and spent their day off doing team-building activities. Asked why it was important to do that, Martin St-Louis explained:
Because it’s an opportunity when there’s a break in a schedule like that, especially early on and when we didn’t have the opportunity to do it during training camp. It’s to…I know we have a very tight-knit group, but it’s to have opportunities to get even tighter. It doesn’t guarantee it, but if you don’t do it, you don’t even have the opportunity. So we’ve got some activities here where we can have some fun, and we’re working at the same time.
As for practice itself, the coach explained that it wasn’t so much about teaching as it was about working, putting in effort, and raising the heart rate. After missing the first game of the season, centerman Oliver Kapanen was back on the ice, wearing a normal jersey and fully participating in the session. Will he be back in the lineup this weekend? That remains to be seen, as the coach said he didn’t know yet.
At practice, the lines and pairings were as follows:
Alex Newhook played well in Kapanen's spot on Tuesday, but the line he formed with Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov failed to put points on the board. Still, the Newfoundlander spent over 16 minutes on the ice, including 2:31 on the penalty kill and 1:24 on the power play. He had three shot attempts, only one of which got to the net, and he landed three hits; more importantly, he won seven of his nine draws for a 77.8% success rate.
If the Finn does return to the lineup, one can wonder whether he will land back on the second line. That’s where he started training camp, but he didn’t have a very productive preseason; still, the coach seemed to want to give him another chance after he scored 22 goals in his rookie season. It would therefore be surprising if he wasn’t even given a look in a single regular-season game before being unseated.
As for who would come out of the lineup, it would likely be between Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier. While Dach had a good game on Tuesday, Texier does play on the power play, so that could be the deciding factor; time will tell.
The Canadiens will practice at 11:00 AM on Friday and face the Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday at 7:00 PM. The Pens will hope to build on the momentum from their first game, when they beat the Philadelphia Flyers 7-0 on the road.
MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. -- After
another underwhelming start to a season that had coach Jim Montgomery
talking about being ready when the puck drops in October by having a
very focused training camp, the time has arrived for the St. Louis
Blues to see if they can put their money where their mouth is.
When
the puck finally drops on the 2026-27 season starting with a
three-game road trip beginning Friday against the Dallas Stars (8
p.m.; TNT, ESPN 101.1.FM), the Blues are putting an emphasis of
getting off to a much better October than in recent years’ past.
Not
since 2021 when they came out of the gate hot at 6-1-0 have the Blues
had the kind of success needed to start a season that is essential to
a good season. They finished that season 49-22-11 and reached the
second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs before falling to eventual
Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the Jordan Binnington gets taken
out by Nazem Kadri series.
In
the ensuing month of October’s, the Blues have gone 3-5-0, 3-3-1,
5-6-0 and last season, 3-6-2. The only time they reached the playoffs
was in 2025 when they were 5-6-0 by getting hot towards the end of
the season and needing a win in the regular season finale against the
Utah Mammoth to guarantee a spot.
Having
to chase the standings just isn’t feasible in the well-balanced,
plenty-of-parity NHL and the Blues, who face the Avalanche on
Saturday before closing the trip Tuesday against the Chicago
Blackhawks, know it. That’s why the emphasis began the moment
training camp, which was abbreviated with the 84-game regular-season
schedule and fewer preseason games, started.
“Yeah
we tried to establish competing first on pucks,” Montgomery said.
“There’s been competition in every day of practice of some form
to try and get our mindsets that we’re going to win. Every
competition matters, so that we have natural, competitive spirit to
try and start and be hard to play against. They go hand-in-hand.
That’s been something that I haven’t instituted very much because
I think if you’re a naturally competitive spirited person, I don’t
care if you’re working on 2-on-1s or 5-on-0s, you want to put the
puck through the back of the net. That just hasn’t transpired here.
That’s what we’ve clearly tried to institute is that when we get
on the ice, it’s an opportunity to compete and be grateful for it
and go out and compete.”
Among
the players, there has been some chatter on it, but not much. They
understand after finishing last season strong but falling short going
37-33-11.
“I
think it’s important,” Blues
defenseman Philip Broberg said.
“You don’t want to chase, you want to get off to a good start and
everybody feeling good about their game and being confident. I think
a good start is important and just keep building from that.
“I
think every team talks about a good start. I think in the past we
haven’t really had really good starts, so I think we want to put an
emphasis on making sure we prepare for the first game.”
The
players can talk about it all they want, but it’s the action that
will speak louder than the words. That’s why players feel like the
results will be the determining factors.
“I
think it’ll take care of itself,” Blues forward Jake Neighbours
said. “Obviously it’s a focus for us to get off to a good start.
It’s the same with any team. We’ve been chasing the 8-Ball the
last couple years and that’s something we don’t want to be in the
position to be doing this year. I don’t think it needs to be said a
ton by the leadership group or anyone else. It’s known. ‘Monty’
made an emphasis at the start of camp how important this camp is and
how we don’t have much time and it’s going to be the regular
season right away and now you’re feeling that. I like the way the
group’s progressed in camp. It seems that guys are bringing the
intensity and the habits that we’re going to need when the regular
season starts.”
Blues
defenseman Cam Fowler said, “I think there has to be (an emphasis).
We saw last year what happens when you get off to a start that is not
where you want to be and you just feel like you’re kind of chasing
things right from the beginning. … Talking with the players and the
coaches, there’s nobody that is very happy with the season that we
had last year. By the looks of it, it seems like everyone had a great
summer to refresh. The guys physically look really good out there.”
When
the puck drops Friday, the Blues will have 11 new players on their
opening night roster, the most they’ve had since 2023 (also 11).
Mason McTavish, one of their top pickups on the season when they
acquired the center at the 2026 NHL Draft for two 2026 first-round
picks, feels the Blues can make some noise in the Western Conference.
“Oh
for sure, just being on the ice with them, there's so much skill, so
much speed,” McTavish said when asked if the Blues can be a playoff
team. “I think guys are really hungry and we have a really
competitive group, as far as I can tell. That's something that is
never to be overlooked, how bad you want it and that compete level.”
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NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 1: Jack Hughes #86 of the New Jersey Devils scores the game winning goal during the overtime period of the game against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 1, 2026, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
A delightful start to the campaign! Jack Hughes finished off an overtime win as the Devils took Thursday’s season opener 3-2. [Devils NHL]
Here we go!
The #NJDevils with Luke Hughes on the ice tonight (5v5):
– 29-6 advantage in shot attempts – 13-3 scoring chances – 4-0 high-danger chances – 81.68% of the expected goals – Game-tying goal in the 3rd
“This is a big season for the Devils. It’s more or less playoffs or bust. The talent is there for them to return to postseason play, especially with a murky Metropolitan Division, but they need to prove it. Can the Devils finally live up to expectations and deliver the goods?” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
“NHL commissioner Gary Bettman believes that no-trade clauses are no longer being used as ‘originally intended,’ and instead, players are using them to force moves to specific teams after requesting a trade.” [ESPN]
On the Quinn Hughes question in Minnesota: “This year is really important,” Guerin said. “Every year is really important, but the steps we’ve taken over the last five or six years to get where we are now — it’s been a lot of work from everybody involved. Put it like this: We can’t waste years. You can’t waste years.” [The Athletic ($)]
We’re just throwing around money these days:
Anaheim is extending young D Tristan Luneau 6 x $7.2M AAV
Largest contract in NHL history for player with 14 games played.
Ducks believe in the player…kept him in AHL all last year after some previous injuries. Think he will be a top 4 D.
The Florida Panthers will learn on Friday, Oct. 2 how long captain Aleksander Barkov will be out after he left the ice with an apparent injury to his left leg.
"It's not related to his injury last year at all," Panthers coach Paul Maurice said after the 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, Oct. 1. "So we'll have a good idea by (Friday) afternoon."
Barkov went down awkwardly on his left leg during a board battle in the second period. He got up and immediately went to the dressing room, limping and throwing off his glove in anger. He didn't return to the game.
Aleksander Barkov heads STRAIGHT off the ice after falling awkwardly on his leg 🤕
Barkov missed all of last season after receiving right knee surgery for a torn ACL and MCL... pic.twitter.com/t4Vh9OGKTe
Barkov's injury last season was one of many that derailed the Panthers as they missed the playoffs after winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.
Gustav Forsling, who scored in overtime in the Panthers' opening win, missed Thursday's game. Maurice said he's day-to-day and there's a good chance he could return for Florida's next game.
Heeeyyyy, we remember you. | NHLI via Getty Images
Good morning and happy Friday, the New York Islanders are last in the Metro.
Islanders News
Pierre LeBrun talks to Mathieu Darche on chasing Kirll Marchenko, the DeBoer hiring, and more. “It might look like we didn’t do much this summer, but it’s not because we didn’t try. And I don’t want to do anything reckless.“ [Athletic]
How do the Isles use Mat Barzal whenever he returns? [Newsday]
After one game, Anthony Duclair “appears to be capable,” to steal a Rasin’ Arizona line. [Post]
Elsewhere
Last night’s scores included the Jack Hughes getting the Devils the win in overtime after he objected to a mid-game question from AJ Mleczko about bubble wrap and plastic utensils (he was reportedly injured during a team dinner last season). [NHL]
Igor Shesterkin has tied his buddy Ilya Sorokin in career goals, having shot into the empty net against the Lightning. Asked about Sorokin’s goal (which was a Nashville own goal), Shesterkin said, “this one counts!” [NHL]
Returning from a seasonlong injury, Aleksander Barkov left the Panthers-Sharks game after an awkward fall along the boards. [Sportsnet]
Gary Bettman is not a fan of the NTC-wielding trade-request trend. [Sportsnet]
Matthew Knies scored three points in his Columbus debut. [NHL]
The ugly Putin stain on “absolutely shallow and borderline dismissive” Ovechkin’s legacy. [Athletic]
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Blake Lizotte #46 of the Pittsburgh Penguins handles the puck during the third period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on September 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
Penguins center Blake Lizotte missed practice Thursday while being evaluated for a lower-body injury, just one day after returning from injured reserve in Pittsburgh’s 7-0 season-opening win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Center Ben Kindel, meanwhile, returned to practice in a full-contact jersey and participated in line rushes, signaling he could be nearing a return from his lower-body injury. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins assigned forward Rutger McGroarty to their American Hockey League affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, on Thursday afternoon. [Trib Live]
The Penguins’ makeshift third line of Filip Hallander, Ville Koivunen and Hendrix Lapierre provided a major spark in Wednesday’s win, with each player scoring a goal. The trio was assembled because of injuries and absences, but their strong chemistry and offensive contributions could give Pittsburgh more options as the season begins. [Trib Live]
Penguins head coach Dan Muse and defenseman Erik Karlsson toured U.S. Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock as part of the team’s new partnership with the company, which became Pittsburgh’s official helmet partner for the 2026-27 season. [Penguins]
News and notes from around the NHL…
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the recent increase in players requesting trades despite having no-movement clauses is not good for players, teams or fans. [Sportsnet]
The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension worth $43.2 million. [Associated Press via TSN]
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman returned to the lineup Thursday night for the first time since stepping away from the team in March to address his mental health. [Associated Press]
Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff says there remains no timeline for a Connor Hellebuyck trade. [TSN]
In their opening night game, the New Jersey Devils went 0-4 on the power play,
Including 0-3 in first period. At the end of their third opportunity, defenseman Dougie Hamilton lost the puck at the point, forcing the Devils to touch up to avoid offsides.
The fumbled puck brought a round of boos from the crowded Prudential Center, more so than a typical error at the blue line from a defenseman. The fans weren’t just venting on the play; they were venting at the player, the contract, the tenure he’s put together with the Devils thus far.
Hamilton responded with a goal in the second period, the Devils’ first in the game, that woke up the building. “He fires away, gets a second look, fires again. It's a great shot,” head coach Sheldon Keefe stated after the game, acknowledging the accuracy but, more importantly, the effort to keep firing away and giving the Devils a chance. His goal got the offense going and kickstarted the 3-2 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The 33-year-old defenseman has become a lightning rod for the Devils, certainly for the fans in recent years. Hamilton is a favorite when the team is playing well and a scapegoat when they struggle, whether he deserves the criticism or not. It’s the life of a defenseman, especially an offensive-minded defenseman, yet he’s taken a lot of heat over the years because of who he is and what he brings to the lineup.
Hamilton Has Always Had The Hype (Or Overhype)
Hamilton’s lofty expectations go back to his early playing days, back when he was drafted with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 draft by the Boston Bruins. He was a highly regarded prospect at the time and was a regular on the defense by the time the 2012-13 season rolled around. There are high expectations for a defenseman when they are on the team at 19 years old.
Yet, the Bruins traded him three seasons later to the Calgary Flames, giving up on a young defenseman well before they knew how he’d pan out. The Flames are where he found his footing, but they traded him as well in the 2018 offseason. While the Flames moved him as part of a blockbuster trade that landed them Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin, the move said a lot about Hamilton. He was traded twice before turning 25, a sign that teams are willing to give up and move on from him.
That said, Hamilton still had the talent to be a great defenseman. All it took was for a team to believe in him. The Carolina Hurricanes saw the talent and were willing to take a chance on him. They not only acquired Hamilton in the blockbuster trade but made him a cornerstone of their rebuild.
The Hurricanes Created A High Bar For Him
The Rod Brind’Amour system is kind to defensemen. It allows them to have great seasons as long as they buy in. The defensemen must be great skaters, specifically, to play man-to-man defense, plus, they must be patient with the puck, valuing possession and quality looks on the net. Hamilton was always a great skater, making him the first of many to benefit from Brind’Amour’s style.
Hamilton looked great at a pivotal time for the Hurricanes. Brind’Amour came in, took a team that was going nowhere, and made them a perennial playoff team. Hamilton was a pivotal part of the resurgence as well, with 121 points and 13 defensive point shares on the other end in three seasons.
While Jaccob Slavin was the emerging shutdown defenseman, slowly becoming one of the best in the game at his craft, Hamilton was the scoring defenseman. Hamilton was the one adding another layer of offense and fueling the playoff runs, especially the 2019 run where the Hurricanes appeared in the Eastern Conference Final.
It made Hamilton a top player when he went to free agency in the 2021 offseason. The Devils needed a two-way defenseman who they could lean on and thought he’d be the answer, the fix to their woes at the point.
Hamilton Hasn’t Lived Up To That Contract
The Devils gave Hamilton a seven-year contract with a $9 million average annual value, expecting him to play like a number one defenseman. While they weren’t asking him to lead their rebuild, he was expected to become a big part of their success. After all, he was part of the successful rebuild with the Hurricanes.
In his five seasons with the Devils, he hasn’t lived up to that contract. It’s the combination of injuries, bad luck, and being a good but not great defenseman that’s left the Devils searching for more.
It’s made Hamilton someone the Devils have wanted to trade but can’t. The previous front office wanted to send him to the San Jose Sharks and offload the contract, but his no-trade clause got in the way. It’s left the player and the team in a difficult spot where they must wait out the contract, or hope that he rediscovers his game to make that contract worthwhile in the end.
The Frustration Is That The Devils Go As He Does, Certainly On The Blue Line
The one season with the Devils that Hamilton was healthy and played all 82 regular season games was 2022-23, the best one they’ve had in the past decade. Everything went right for the Devils that season, and it started with Hamilton.
Hamilton not only played every game, but he also scored 22 goals and added 52 assists to the offense, both of which were career highs. He gave the Devils the boost that they needed from the point, opening up the offense when Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier couldn’t.
For the Devils, they rely on Hamilton. He’s not their best player, but they go as he does, especially on defense. It’s what made his performance on opening night an optimistic sign, that’s he’s poised for a big season, a season where he proves he was worth the $9 million AAV contract.
“He’s scored in every game I played with him,” rookie forward Amadeus Lombardi joked after his NHL debut, and the Devils are hopeful that he’s a constant threat for the offense. “They should be in the rush like that all year and giving us offense,” Jack Hughes stated, including his brother Luke, who also scored on opening night. With two defensemen making an impact offensively, the conversation around the Devils will change quickly, going from a murky middle team to a top-of-the-division one
The Chicago Blackhawks wasted no time being shut out for the first time in 2026-27, as the Utah Mammoth defeated them on Thursday by a final score of 6-0. If you can believe it, the Blackhawks were significantly more outmatched in Utah than against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.
Vegas defeated Utah in the first round last year en route to the Stanley Cup Final, but the Mammoth gave them a scare. This year, it appears that the latter can give anyone a run for their money as the season goes along. The Mammoth showed their dominance against the Blackhawks to kick off their own season on Thursday.
Dylan Guenther scored the first goal of the game, and it was the first of two for him. Utah managed two goals in the first, three in the second, and one in the third. For the entirety of the game, Chicago had no answers for Utah in the defensive zone.
Their top pair, consisting of Alex Vlasic and Bowen Byram, struggled in a big way, as their game scorecard showed them to be much worse than the rest of the defense corps. Sam Rinzel also had a tough night, which makes you wonder if Kevin Korchinski or Ethan Del Mastro will get a chance in Buffalo.
Patrick Kane scored a goal in the first game against Vegas, but he didn't produce much of anything in this one. He wasn't the only Blackhawks forward who had a rough go, however, as the entire group struggled to possess the puck, create any pressure, or look even a little bit connected as a group.
Teuvo Teravainen had a chance to prove himself as he entered the lineup in place of the injured Andrew Mangiapane, but there wasn't much there for him either. At least he had a shot, which is something that six Blackhawks forwards can't say.
One line can say that they weren't horrific, and that was once again the 4th line of Ryan Greene, centering Jordan Greenway and Cole. They were the best trio against Vegas, and they repeated their play in this match against Utah. Can their play be due to the fact that it's the only line that hasn't been put in the blender? Maybe, but the top three lines must start living up to their roles sooner rather than later.
There was a moment in the game where MacKenzie Weegar hit Oliver Moore hard. In response, Ryan Donato dropped and fought Weegar. Both Donato and Moore hit the dressing room after the sequence, but they each eventually returned to the game.
All in all, this defensive recipe is not it. Not only will they never get anything going offensively if they waste all of their energy skating around their own zone, but they will put their goaltenders in a bad spot. Soderblom was not incredible in this game, but it's hard to place the blame on him when the final shot count favored Utah 32-15. This wasn't a competitive game in any way, shape, or form.
Whether it's making a change to the lineup on defense ahead of the next game, switching pairs, or adjusting their style in practice, something has to be done if they don't want another performance like the first two.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
The Chicago Blackhawks did not score a goal, so there is nothing to show in that regard.
What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawks are now 0-2-0. They will wrap their season opening three game road trip with a game out east against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. After that, they will head to Chicago for their home opener, which will take place on Tuesday.
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NEW YORK — Igor Shesterkin became the first New York Rangers goalie to score when he lofted the puck the length of the ice into an empty net, capping a 5-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.
A year after failing to score in their first three home games last season, the Rangers wasted little time preventing a repeat performance, getting a goal from Mika Zibanejad less than six minutes into their Madison Square Garden opener.
Pavel Dorofeyev and Eeli Tolvanen each scored his first goal with his new team, and top prospect-turned-important contributor Gabe Perreault deflected in a shot by No. 1 defenseman Adam Fox.
Shesterkin scored with 2:34 remaining, becoming the 18th goalie in NHL history with a goal. The first of his career was the 21st by a player at the position, counting the playoffs.
It was a far cry from the nightmare start at MSG in October 2025, when the Rangers went nearly 181 minutes before setting off the goal horn there. They became the first team in league history to get shut out in the first three home games of a season.
The crowd at this home opener didn’t even have much of a chance to get nervous. Coming off getting blanked 3-0 on the road Tuesday night at Boston, New York was the aggressor early. Drawing a penalty paved the way for Zibanejad to score on the power play.
The offensive outburst allowed the Rangers to put up four goals on 24 shots against two-time Vezina Trophy- and Stanley Cup-winning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. In a matchup of two of the best at the position in the world, Shesterkin stopped 24 of the 25 shots he faced, leading to chants of “Igor’s better!”
The only goal Shesterkin gave up was to Nikita Kucherov, the reigning MVP who banked the puck in off the right skate of Rangers center Noah Laba.
Although the score indicated otherwise, the Philadelphia Flyers were completely outclassed by the New Jersey Devils in their 3-2 overtime loss on Thursday night.
By the end of the night, the Devils out-attempted the Flyers 74-34 at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, and 96-41 overall thanks to four power play opportunities courtesy of the Flyers.
That is especially true when the Flyers themselves have struggled to make basic passes and connect on plays, whereas the Devils looked like the Harlem Globetrotters in contrast.
"Still some hockey IQ mistakes, not some smart hockey. We got to really buckle down here," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said after the loss.
Rasmus Ristolainen opened the scoring for the Flyers on Thursday night, scoring with an surprisingly deft deflection in front of Jake Allen on a long-range shot from Travis Sanheim on a delayed penalty.
New Jersey's Dougie Hamilton scored the only goal of the second period to tie the game at 1-1, though Sanheim uncorked another blast at the top of the third period to restore the Flyers' one-goal lead.
To tie the game for the Devils once again, Luke Hughes found soft ice in the slot, received a tidy pass from Luke Evangelista, and buried a bullet past Joseph Woll, who made an outstanding 41 saves on 44 shots (.932%) in his first start of the season.
"They feed off the rush, and if we keep turning it over, neutral zone, they're gonna go down and make their plays," Flyers forward Christian Dvorak assessed. "We're lucky we got a point because of Woller."
Sanheim agreed: "If it wasn't for Woller there, it could've been a lot worse ... What a performance from him, and obviously good to see and happy for him and the way that he was able to play, [the result is] unfortunate."
Jack Hughes ended the game in overtime, racing down the ice in transition, recognizing Travis Konecny was the lone man back on defense, and tapping in the game-winner.
Forwards Alex Bump, Porter Martone, and Carl Grundstrom effectively ended the game benched for the Flyers; Bump and Grundstrom each played just one shift in the third period, while Martone played four.
"I needed some lines to somewhat control Jack. He was caving some of our lines, and I just tried to get the best nine, I thought, for tonight," Tocchet said of the line changes.
The Flyers at least earned their first point of the young 2026-27 season, but the overall outlook is bleak through a two-game winless start and very little offense generated.
After a day off on Friday, the Flyers will be back at it at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday night, hosting the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m.
The San Jose Sharks faced a tough test to begin the 2026-27 season, as they hosted the Florida Panthers, a team widely considered to be one of the NHL's top Stanley Cup contenders. For a team looking to make the playoffs and kickstart a new era, the Sharks had an instant opportunity to show that they could hang with the top teams in the league.
Yaroslav Askarov was called into work early, as he was forced to save a tough cross-crease pass, but he did so with ease. That save helped the Sharks get a rush, as Igor Chernyshov's speed helped him get past the Panthers' defense and get a shot on net, even though it was from a tight angle.
Kesselring had a nice defensive zone exit early in the period, chipping the puck off the boards for a self-pass that helped him spring the Sharks up the ice.
Jacob Trouba got his first fighting major less than half a period into his Sharks stint, dropping the gloves and standing up for his captain after a heavy off-the-puck hit by Brady Tkachuk knocked Macklin Celebrini's helmet off.
Darnell Nurse took the first minor penalty of the season for the Sharks as he was called for slashing, giving the Panthers' high-powered power play a chance early on. The penalty kill looked solid on the first shift, which ended with a two-on-one rush with Nolan Allan and Barclay Goodrow heading toward Akira Schmid. Allan opted to keep the puck and shot it straight at the Panthers' netminder.
Matthew Tkachuk hit the inside of the post with the penalty close to expiration, but Askarov was able to cover the puck.
Mason Marchment lit the lamp three quarters of the way through the opening frame, causing the Sharks' new goal song, "Holiday" by Green Day to blare throughout the SAP Center.
Shortly afterwards, Askarov once again came up big in his own end of the ice.
The Sharks got their first power play of the season when Seth Jones sat for interference with just under a minute remaining in the first period. They ran out of time before they were able to convert though, so the power play continued into the second period and was killed off by the Panthers.
Kiefer Sherwood, using his special "Kiefer" branded Sherwood stick, was called for high-sticking when he made contact with Aleksander Barkov. Barkov was cut by the stick, resulting in a four-minute double minor.
While the Sharks were killing off the penalty, Will Smith netted his first goal of the season on a rush with Macklin Celebrini, doubling the Sharks' lead. Considering Smith has had limited shorthanded ice time throughout his career, Ryan Warsofsky's decision to throw him out there on this occasion surely looked like a brilliant move.
Shortly after the goal, Barkov left the ice in substantial pain for the Panthers. He missed all of last season with a knee injury, as a result there is likely substantial concern in the Panthers organization.
Moments after he got out of the penalty box, Marchment was sent right back, this time for slashing. Once again, the Sharks' penalty kill was able to neutralize the Panthers' dangerous power play.
It was a period full of special teams, as shortly after Marchment left the penalty box for the second time, the Sharks earned a power play as Sam Bennett sat for hooking. The Sharks took advantage, as the captain, Macklin Celebrini seemingly scored on a wraparound to put the team in teal up 3-0 just over halfway through regulation, but the goal was later changed to Smith who had his second of the night.
After a hard hit by Uvis Balinskis on Ivar Stenberg, Collin Graf dropped the gloves to avenge his teammate. Graf lost his footing and immediately fell to the ice though. After all was said and done the Sharks got a power play, which was shortened after about a minute when Luca Cagnoni was called for interference. The Sharks once again killed it off, and remained perfect on the penalty kill so far this season.
Darnell Nurse handed the Panthers their sixth power play of the night when he was called for his second cross-checking penalty of the night. They finally capitalized on this opportunity, as Eetu Luostarinen got his first goal of the 2026-27 campaign. As a result, the Sharks' lead was cut to 3-1.
Early in the third period, Tyler Toffoli had a very nice breakout pass that found Michael Misa in the neutral zone and gave him a bit of a breakaway. Unfortunately for the Sharks, Misa was unable to capitalize on the chance.
Not long afterwards, the Panthers did capitalize on a scoring chance though, as Luostarinen scored his second of the night. Then, just 17 seconds later, Matthew Tkachuk scored his first of the season to tie things up at 3-3.
The Sharks responded well after the equalizer, as they should. Given the fact that they had a 3-0 lead in the third period, they couldn't afford to leave this game without any points.
Kiefer Sherwood was taken down hard in the offensive zone late in the first period by Niko Mikkola and skated gingerly to the bench where he was immediately evaluated by medical staff.
The Sharks ensured one point, as they pushed the game to overtime. They still had almost a full power play heading into the extra frame as well.
The Sharks had some strong chances on the power play, but the Panthers' defense and goaltender were even stronger as they made some big plays to keep the game tied.
Luca Cagnoni came through big time for the Sharks, scoring his first career NHL goal in overtime to win the game for San Jose 4-3.
New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin did something Thursday night no NHL goalie did all of last season: score a goal.
Shesterkin sealed the Rangers' win over the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning when he scored an empty-net goal at 17:26 of the third period. His length-of-the-ice goal made him the first Rangers goaltender with a score, MSG's Kenny Albert said on the Rangers' broadcast.
The goal gave the Rangers a 5-1 lead in what became their first win of the 2026-27 season.
Despite happening more in recent seasons, a goalie goal is still a bit of a rarity. Shesterkin is just the 18th different goalie to score, and his was the 21st goalie goal in NHL history, per NHL.com.
