NHL News
Welcome to Thursday Night Hockey, folks!
After an exciting win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, the Bruins will travel to Pennsylvania for a meeting with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins aren’t off to the best start, but they’ve still got plenty of talent, so this should be a good game.
Bruins! Penguins! IN PENNSYLVANIA!
Discuss.
The Buffalo Sabres seemed to find their stride on their four-game road trip, earning seven of a possible eight points with an overtime loss to Washington and three victories over San Jose, Anaheim, and Los Angeles, but that success did not translate in the opening of their four-game homestand against the Ottawa Senators.
The Sabres looked sharp wearing their new “Hometown Remix” jerseys, but did not play as they appeared, managing only 25 shots on Senators backup Samuel Ersson and one goal on a Peyton Krebs deflection of a Tage Thompson late in the second period. Buffalo relied on a strong performance by goalie Colten Ellis, but defensive lapses led to Shane Pinto’s tying goal and Michael Amadio’s game-winner with 3:09 left.
"I can sum it up this way: I thought we got outskated, I thought that we got outworked. We gave up six or seven odd-numbered rushes and the game-winning goal was an odd-numbered rush," Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said. “sure. " I thought we weren't skating well, some of the puck play wasn't very good. I'm not going to sit here and making excuses. We weren't good enough. (Ottawa) won more puck battles. They created more odd-numbered situations. They were smarter than us."
Other Sabres Stories
Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL
The Sabres have earned points in seven of their eight games on the road (4-1-3) and are averaging 3.63 goals per game (8th in the NHL), but on home ice, where teams need to have success to make the playoffs, they are under .500 and are averaging 2.14 goals per game (27th in the NHL).
"We talked this morning about being better in this building. We won't better, and I think with three minutes left, we've taken a lot of pride in not giving up something like that when points mean big points, and you give up an odd-man rush again." Ruff said. “had "When we started getting a little bit going, it was more, net- front battles. You win a puck battle, you come off the wall, you're going to get some type of chance if you make the right play. I just feel that we didn't win enough battles."
The loss leaves the Sabres tied for the bottom spot in the Atlantic with 17 points and the second-worst goal differential in the Eastern Conference (-7), but the bigger concern is their lack of scoring. Tage Thompson (10 goals) and Jack Quinn (8 goals) account for 40% of the club’s offense.
Other than Noah Ostlund, no one has tallied more than three goals, which brings into focus the failure of GM Jarmo Kekalainen to address the offensive gap created by the departures of Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram, and why the Sabres are reportedly on the hunt for scoring help.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo
A former Buffalo Sabres goalie is available for the taking on the waiver wire.
This is because former Sabres goalie James Reimer has been placed on waivers by the New York Rangers, as reported by The Associated Press' Stephen Whyno.
Reimer signed a one-year contract with the Rangers late last month. Now, less than two weeks after signing with the Rangers, the former Sabres goalie has already been placed on waivers.
Reimer being placed on waivers come with Rangers goalie Joonas Korpisalo nearing his return from injury.
Reimer made one appearance for the Rangers on Oct. 26 against the Los Angeles Kings, and it was a nightmare. The former Sabres goalie allowed three goals on just eight shots in the first period before being pulled by the Blueshirts.
Reimer appeared in 22 games with the Sabres during the 2024-25 season. During them, he posted a 10-8-2 record, a .901 save percentage, and a 2.90 goals-against average.
This would be Reimer's lone season with the Sabres, as they opted not to re-sign him during the 2025 off-season.
The Chicago Blackhawks (4-11-1) are coming off another horrific loss. On Wednesday night, they were defeated on national television by the Florida Panthers. This will be their first back-to-back situation of the season.
Not only did they lose, but the NHL on TNT crew carved them up in front of the entire hockey-watching community in the United States. Now, they are playing a team equally as good in what promises to be a very tough environment.
Scouting Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Lightning (9-3-2) are one of the best teams in the National Hockey League right now, especially with that record. However, they are one of the teams in the NHL that is going through incredible turmoil that they did not see coming entering the season.
Last week, news broke that Nikita Kucherov informed the Lightning that he has no intention of signing an extension after this season, and his preference is to be traded. He will not miss games for them, however, due to the situation.
Kucherov is one of the greatest players in the history of the National Hockey League. In addition to winning the Stanley Cup twice, with four appearances in the Final, he has won the Hart Trophy 2 times, the Art Ross Trophy 3 times, and has been an All Star 7 times. In 893 career games, Kucherov has 405 goals, 739 assists, and 1144 points.
At 33 years old, it’s more than conceivable that he has 5 to 6 more years of being an incredible producer of offense. Kucherov was never the fastest player who uses his speed to dominate; it’s all about his brain and how he sees the game. That ability is not going away any time soon. It’s not like the Lightning lack talent around Kucherov, either.
Guentzel - Point - Kucherov
Hagel - Cirelli - Goncalves
Mikheyev - James - Holmberg
Viel - Geekie
Moser - Crozier
McDonagh - Cernak
Hedman - Carlson
D’Astous
Vasilevskiy
Hildeby
At forward, Braden Point, Jake Guentzel, Anthony Cirelli, and Brandon Hagel are all above-average, Olympian type of players. Again, there is no shortage of skill around Kucherov. The situation is not his issue. Feeling disrespected is his issue.
One of Tampa’s depth pieces may be familiar to Blackhawks fans, as they now have Ilya Mikheyev, who was an outstanding forward during his time in Chicago. Proving himself as a great 5-on-5 contributor and penalty-kill savant earned him a nice contract with Tampa.
Whether it’s JJ Moser, Ryan McDonagh, or Victor Hedman, the Lightning have a strong left defense. Whether it's the future Hall of Famer Andrei Vasilevskiy in net or backup Dennis Hildeby, they play well enough in front of them to make it easier for them to play their position.
Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago
The Blackhawks got a good game out of Frank Nazar on Wednesday. He scored two goals in the loss, both coming in the third period. If he can start turning up the heat offensively, the Blackhawks will have a much better chance of coming out of their funk.
Kantserov-Bedard-Bertuzzi
Moore-Nazar-Donato
Smith-Frondell-Teravainen
Mangiapane/Boucher-Greene-Greenway
Vlasic-Cole
Kaiser-Levshunov
Del Mastro/Rinzel/Korchinski
Soderblom
Knight
We are learning fast that this group was built with a flawed philosophy. For one, not enough veterans are key players on the team. All 4 centers are 23 or younger, and only Connor Bedard is advanced enough to be considered a true center at this time.
Patrick Kane is out with an injury and should be back soon, but other veteran forwards like Tyler Bertuzzi, Teuvo Teravainen, and Ryan Donato are not helping the young guys take steps with their own play.
On defense, it's a mess. Bowen Byram is still out. Ian Cole is a veteran, but he isn't at the top of his game like he once was, and the rest of the group is right around college age.
During warmups, we'll find out who the scratches are. The lines above have projections with certain players who may be rotated in. This post will be updated with answers. Unless Jeff Blashill goes back to Knight for the second evening in a row, Arvid Soderblom should make his 4th start of the season.
How To Watch
The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. It can be seen locally on CHSN. Nationally, you can stream it on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
Denver, CO — The final horn rang as I waited with members of the media to enter the room for the scrum after Colorado’s 5-2 win over the visiting New Jersey Devils. As the wait dragged on, I thought about the three goals that had happened since I moved from the press box to the locker room line.
Nathan MacKinnon added another page to his book of patented speed-burst, net-driving goals, Jaden Schwartz hammered home a rebound, and the Avalanche gave up another goal to Connor Brown.
If I’m being honest, I didn’t think Nathan MacKinnon had his best game that night, but it’s hard to say after he beat two defenders and Devils goalie Jake Allen in highlight fashion on the way to victory.
For much of the contest, the team still felt a bit disjointed. We saw errant passes, one-and-done offensive possessions, breakdowns, and yet another shorthanded goal against.
I felt the Avalanche might fall into yet another game where they outshot their opponent but still lost. Something Avalanche fans have seen time and time again.
Instead, the Avalanche gained a bit of steam while the Devils hit a wall in the second of a back-to-back. Gabe Landeskog and the second power-play unit tied it at one goal apiece, and Nic Roy made a beautiful pass to Nazem Kadri, who gave the Avalanche a lead that they wouldn’t give up.
Now, make no mistake: the shot log showed the Avalanche were getting more shots on net and, in general, controlling play, but that control and effort weren’t translating into scoreboard results, which, given the earlier struggles, was a bit concerning.
My train of thought was interrupted as the press door opened for the locker room scrum, but I ended up thinking about the question: will the Avalanche see this as a good all-around performance, or another mediocre night that benefited from a tired NJ team?
When questions came to Gabe Landeskog, who wore the player-of-the-game chain (a blinged-out chain with an Avalanche pendant), I got the sense the win eased some of the anxiety and that the captain was overall happy with their performance.
“I thought it was great,” Landeskog mentioned. “We didn’t get rewarded until the third period, but I thought we did a good job of sticking with it.” Colorado’s recent struggles were clearly top of mind. “We wanted to make sure we just bounced back and played our game…”
The scrum then moved to Nazem Kadri, who stood at his stall for questions. “I think a lot of guys have chemistry in here.” Naz mentioned, when asked about the chemistry he seemed to have with Nic Roy on his goal, “I think that’s a great part of our team,” he added.
Parker Kelly was the subject of the final player availability and was asked what was said between the second and third period to inspire the comeback victory, “Nothing really; just stick with it. I think everyone in the room here felt pretty confident that we’d been owning the game for a bit, and if we just stuck to it, things were gonna start going our way.” When asked if he saw this victory as a get-right-win, “Yeah, for sure, I think everyone can leave the rink today feeling good about their game.”
Press members then made the trek from the locker room back to the press lounge where Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar sat comfortably waiting for us to get started.
When asked about what changed between phases of the game, Bednar said, “I liked our first period, actually. We didn’t create as much in the first offensively, but on the defensive side I thought we were really good.” Bednar saw strong defensive effort for 40 minutes.
So what in the world was I picking up on regarding this contest? I was half expecting more of a “yeah we got the win, but it’s still not good enough,” and instead I got, “That was our best 60 minutes of hockey all year.”
Well, I think it’s important to consider how the victory frames successes, delegitimizes criticism, and whether that’s always appropriate. Part of what I just said is common sense, but I am a detail-oriented guy, and that approach leaves me a bit confused at times, since the details suggest not much has been solved for Colorado.
A whopping 20 giveaways against the Devils in a victory is four more than the 16 everyone was up in arms about against the Flyers in defeat.
A 50% power play is great, but the context- the first unit giving up a shorthanded goal and the second unit breaking through- isn’t as uplifting. That’s a net-zero advantage, as far as I’m concerned.
Moreover, in the days since the presser I just detailed, the Avalanche have fallen right back into their road woes, going down 2-0 to the lowly Blackhawks before staging a comeback. Then they got right back to it against Columbus, who dominated the Avs from start to finish.
The underlying metrics suggest my eyes may have been fooled by Nathan MacKinnon, who had a strong 5-on-5 expected goals percentage (73.57%) and the best 5-on-5 Corsi percentage (80.56%) among Avalanche skaters that night against the Devils.
Still, I stand behind my eye-test observations of Nathan MacKinnon, who is undoubtedly one of the most talented hockey players in the world. That fact shouldn’t make him immune to criticism, and I haven’t seen as much consistency in the effort department as I’m used to.
Keep in mind that I’ve seen Nathan MacKinnon play on just about every stage there is, from the Olympic Gold Medal Game or Stanley Cup Clincher to game 14 of the regular season. The version of Nate that the Avalanche have seen so far this year can always affect a game, but doesn’t always seem engaged in doing so.
Of course he won’t skate in game 14 of the regular season as he does in the gold medal game, but the gap between those two versions of Nate feels too large right now.
Nathan MacKinnon has 27 points in the 16 games played so far, which is elite-level production. It’s hard to admonish someone with that stat line, but in more than half of Colorado’s seven losses, MacKinnon has been held pointless.
I understand a matured MacKinnon has no need to will his team to victory this early in the season, but this is the same group that harkened back to “good habits” and didn’t flip the switch while chasing a Presidents’ Trophy last season. MacKinnon also said something at training camp that has stuck with me ever since: “We have to find ways to make the regular season enjoyable.”
So what is this team’s identity in the here and now?
Are they going with the 2025-26 Vegas approach, taking it easy in 2026 so they have the legs in 2027, or does the expectation never change because they have to build on good habits?
It’s time for the Avalanche to pick a lane, as it feels like we have learned nothing about them in terms of the big-picture concerns we may have. They still fall behind early, still give up short-handed goals, and still don’t start on time.
They outscored their problems against a tired New Jersey squad, and did the same against a lesser Blackhawks team. It was tough to get more than seven against the Blue Jackets, though.
In my first installment of ‘Readin the Room,’ I mentioned that at camp the Avalanche were jovial, with little tension or panic in the room. I ended that work with “let’s see how that changes throughout the season,” and well, as we sit today, it’s gotten a bit tighter around the collar.
Conversations with other press members have shifted from critiquing little things to contemplating philosophical approaches and taking turns answering the question, “what’s going on with this team?”
If this article feels slow to get to you folks, it’s because I thought about not posting it at all after the Avs won two straight. I thought to myself, Adrian, you are getting caught up in the short-term results; just let it go.
Well, I tried to let this article go, but once I heard Jared Bednar say, “We’re a fifth of the way through the year now, so now I have to change my approach,” on the heels of an embarrassing 7-2 defeat, in talks with Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette, I had to fire it off.
Clearly Bednar is seeing a bit of what I’m talking about as well.
On Altitude Sports Radio, Jared Bednar elaborated on his quote with this: “Well, it just means I can’t be too patient on the bench if I notice a player, a line, a D pair, a defenseman, like if we’re not going on a certain night and I know we’re not going, I can’t be too patient and keep playing guys to see if they’re going to come around because the results aren’t coming with it, you know what I mean?”
It sounds like the leash is shortening, and that we may see more obvious benching and demotion-style usage if things don’t start to turn around soon.
We will see exactly what that looks like tonight against the Nashville Predators back on home ice.
Let us know what you think of the Colorado Avalanche’s current state in the comments!
The Colorado Avalanche have plenty of problems to sort out right now, but one in particular keeps coming back to haunt them. His name is Ryan O’Reilly, and the former Avalanche forward has been nothing short of a nightmare for his old team over the last two meetings.
Nashville has won two straight against the Avalanche, outscoring them 13-5 in the process. The Predators aren’t considered to be a playoff threat, but they’ve looked like bonafide Stanley Cup contenders against the Avalanche as of late.
Leading the charge has been a familiar face.
O’Reilly, who was selected first overall by Colorado in the 2009 NHL Draft and spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the organization, has turned into an absolute headache for his former club as of late.
The 35-year-old has scored five goals in 10 career games against the Avalanche. But here’s where things get a little ridiculous: all five have come in the last two meetings.
O’Reilly first put on a show at Ball Arena on January 16, recording a hat trick as Nashville cruised to a 7-3 victory.
The two clubs met again nearly two weeks later at Bridgestone Arena, and the result wasn’t much different.
Nashville routed Colorado again defeat, this time by a score of 6-2. O’Reilly was once again right in the middle of everything, finding the back of the net twice.
Combined, O'Reilly has racked up five goals and three assists for eight points in Nashville's last two meetings against Colorado.
Nobody is suggesting the Avalanche should throw the entire defensive game plan out the window just to chase one player around the ice. Hockey doesn’t work that way. But when O’Reilly has had a hand in four of Nashville’s seven goals at Ball Arena and four of its six in the rematch, it’s hard to ignore the pattern.
And perhaps that’s a bigger problem than it initially appears, because the Avalanche (9-6-1) are beginning to reach an interesting crossroads. Are they still a legitimate Stanley Cup contender, or are we starting to see a team that’s far more vulnerable than its reputation suggests?
The frustrating part is that Colorado has shown it can look like just about anybody in the league. At its best, this team is breathtaking. The speed, skill, physicality and overall execution can make the Avalanche look like an unstoppable force. But at its worst? Well, there’s a pretty uncomfortable contrast.
Watching Colorado this season has been a case of strong whiplash. One night, you’re standing in front of St. Basil’s Cathedral, admiring something absolutely breathtaking: colorful, intricate, beautiful and almost impossible to look away from.
The next night, you’re looking at Chernobyl. It’s either a masterpiece or a nuclear meltdown, and the inconsistency is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.
The last thing Colorado needs is another disaster against Nashville. And if the Avalanche are serious about getting back on track, it might have to start with finding a way to get physical with their former first-round pick and make life a little more difficult for O'Reilly.
The Avalanche take on the Predators Thursday night at Ball Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. local time.
The Pittsburgh Penguins lost in infuriating fashion to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday and will look to flush that loss down the toilet when the Boston Bruins come to town on Thursday.
The Bruins are having another strong year, posting an 11-4-1 record through 16 games and leading the Atlantic Division. Every time I think the Bruins will take a step back, they do the complete opposite.
David Pastrnak is still ridiculous, racking up eight goals and 20 points in 16 games. He's not only one of the NHL's best goal scorers, but also an excellent playmaker.
James Hagens is also off to a great start in his first full NHL season with six goals and 12 points in 16 games. He made his debut last year and very much looks the part this year.
Elias Lindholm is second on the team in points with 13, while Morgan Geekie, JJ Peterka, Fraser Minten, Pavel Zacha, and Casey Mittelstadt have also had strong starts to the season.
Defensively, Charlie McAvoy does everything in all three zones and is one of the best at his position. The Sidney Crosby line will likely get a healthy dose of him in this game.
In goal, Jeremy Swayman ranks sixth in the NHL with 7.3 goals saved above expected and has a .913 save percentage in 12 appearances this season. He's one of the league's best goaltenders, so it will be paramount for the Penguins to get traffic in front of him.
The Penguins will get back Evgeni Malkin for this game after he missed Tuesday's game with an undisclosed injury. Arturs Silovs will start in goal after another strong showing on Tuesday.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
Drake Batherson knows a thing or two about being a late bloomer in hockey. But compared to his former junior teammate, Dillon Boucher, the Senators forward was practically an overnight success.
Boucher made his NHL debut Wednesday night at the age of 29 with the Chicago Blackhawks against the Florida Panthers, completing one of the more unlikely roads to hockey's highest level.
It was a moment that didn't go unnoticed by Batherson, who took to Instagram to congratulate his old friend.
Batherson and Boucher are former teammates from their days with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.
Both players are Nova Scotia natives, but since they played together in the Q nearly a decade ago, their careers couldn't be more different.
Batherson is now in his ninth NHL season. Boucher has been grinding away in Canadian University hockey and then the minors, never giving up on the dream.
It's been quite a road.
Following his time in the Q, according to Hockeydb.com, Boucher spent another season playing Junior A hockey with the Miramichi Timberwolves in the Maritime Junior Hockey League. For most players, that might signal the end of an NHL dream.
But Boucher wasn't finished.
The native of Head of Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, went on to play four seasons of university hockey at Dalhousie, continuing to develop his game while earning an education.
From there, he worked his way into pro hockey, spending two full seasons with the Wichita Thunder of the ECHL, where he eventually became team captain. He put up 35 points and 242 penalty minutes in 151 games before making the jump to Chicago's AHL team.
He returned to Rockford to begin this season, chasing the dream that must have still felt like a long shot.
But on Tuesday, he got the call. The Hawks recalled Boucher from Rockford, and he made his NHL debut on Wednesday against the Florida Panthers.
Boucher isn't the kind of player who makes his living putting up offence. Not unlike Hayden Hodgson, he's a rugged, physical forward who brings energy and a willingness to drop the gloves.
Last season, Boucher was involved in a couple of epic brawls with Tyrel Bauer in the AHL. Interestingly, Bauer had a memorable NHL moment of his own Tuesday night, recording a Gordie Howe hat trick while helping spark Winnipeg's historic comeback against Montreal.
For Batherson, as his instagram story shows, watching Boucher reach the NHL must have been satisfying.
Batherson's own road to the NHL wasn't exactly conventional. He was initially passed over in both the QMJHL and NHL drafts before the Sens took a shot on him as a 19 year old in round four of the 2017 draft.
But once Batherson got his opportunity, his career took off pretty quickly during a Sens' rebuild/youth movement. He's now among the league's better-paid players and an established offensive force with the Senators.
But Boucher's trek required patience. A lot of it.
There were no guarantees during his four years at Dalhousie, no assurances during his time in Wichita, and certainly no promises that his time in Rockford would ever lead to the show.
But he kept battling and believing.
And on Wednesday night, at 29 years old, he became an NHL player.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Declan Carlile has been a big topic of discussion this season, and especially lately given how he seems to be at the center of a lot of things that go wrong.
Especially in high-leverage situations, in big moments, late in games.
It happened against Utah when Logan Cooley tied the game.
It happened against Vegas when Tomas Hertl won the game.
It has happened so often that Carlile has been on the ice for more goals against during 5-on-5 play this season (19) than any other player on the Penguins roster. The next closest player is Erik Karlsson, who has only been on the ice for 15 goals against despite playing 15 more minutes than Carlile. Nobody else on the team has been on the ice for more than 13 goals against during 5-on-5 play.
Whether that is all Carlile’s fault is certainly up for debate. What is not up for debate is that is a lot of goals.
Given the issues, and the timing of them in a lot of cases, it was naturally a point of discussion with head coach Dan Muse on Wednesday. And Muse had no interest in throwing his defenseman under the bus and put together a very passionate defense of him.
His full defense, from the Trib’s Seth Rorabaugh:
“Declan Carlile is typically the first guy out on that penalty kill every time,” Muse said. “If you go back earlier in (Tuesday’s) game, that same exact play happened and Declan Carlile, he ends up stopping the play. It rolls in there, (goaltender Arturs Silovs) holds onto it. Almost the exact same thing.
“We’re going to talk about this because at the end, it ended up being a goal against. But I think you’re also missing some of those other things. You (media) weren’t complaining about his play on the penalty kill until last night. He was getting the job done, he was out there. If you go through the goals against, there might have been one where we had it marked down in terms of being on him. Either that or last night was the first one. Those things are there.
“If you want to put blame on him, I think it’s a misstep by you (media) and everybody else because there’s also some other things that he’s doing really well. And he’s a guy who played (46) NHL games prior to this year. He’s come in here. Is he taking on bigger responsibilities? He is. Is that part of it? Is that something that sometimes players need in order to grow and get better? It is. There’s going to be times too where, if you want guys to continue to grow, they’re going to be in some situations where — and there’s been plenty of them — it’s become the penalty kill with him this year where he’s come up with a big block or a big clear or a big moment there. Last night wasn’t one of them. So, we learn from it. We get better.
“But you go through the game tape, he was in that same exact moment (earlier) and he had some good plays in the game as well. He’s a guy who’s younger in this league. There’s still plenty of room for growth but I also see there’s really good qualities and good things that he has done as well and he’ll continue to grow.”
I actually like a lot of that answer, and there are a lot of things in there he is completely right about.
(Or, at the very least, things I agree with.)
Specifically the nature of us (media and fans) focussing on the plays that don’t work and ignoring the ones that do. He’s right to point out that Carlile successfully defended a nearly identical play earlier in the game that went largely unnoticed. It went unnoticed because the puck didn’t end up in the back of the net. We even tend to overlook the mistakes that happen that don’t result in a goal. It usually just results in a quick “well he really got away with that one,” comment and then everybody forgets about it like it never happened.
We notice the ones that DO end up in the back of the net, because we notice goals, because goals win and lose games, and then we spend all of our time analyzing what went wrong on that particular play. That same detail isn’t being put into the 15 plays earlier in the game that don’t have that result.
I also don’t expect a coach to publicly throw his player under the bus just because everybody wants a pound of flash to satisfy their anger after a tough loss. Maybe he is being more critical behind closed doors. He probably is. He almost certainly is. But when it comes to facing the public and putting things on the record, most coaches aren’t going to be John Tortorella or Rick Bowness or Mike Babcock and absolutely skewer a guy for being responsible for a goal (or several goals).
Muse also touched on something that is going to drive me nuts this season, even though I wasn’t necessarily expecting Carlile to be one of the subjects of it.
It’s the part where he talks about Carlile entering this season with less than 45 games played in the NHL, taking on a bigger role, and dealing with mistakes and struggles that come with that.
That is something that I don’t think a lot of Penguins fans are prepared for, especially as the team has an eye on the future and starts working in younger players.
Even though Carlile is 26 years old, he’s still relatively unproven as an NHL player, and especially as a defenseman being tasked with playing big minutes for the first time ever. Inexperienced players, whether they are at a young age or simply haven’t played much in a certain role at a certain level, are going to make mistakes. If you want the Penguins to get younger, play younger players, and put younger players into bigger roles, you can’t just immediately toss them aside the second something doesn’t work.
Sergei Murashov is going to have some crappy games this season. It doesn’t mean he stinks and won’t be good.
Ville Koivunen is going to make mistakes. He hasn’t even played a full season’s worth of NHL games. It doesn’t mean he won’t or can’t be a good NHL player.
Ben Kindel is going to make some mistakes. His age still ends with “teen” and
If you’re expecting these guys to just show up and immediately play clean hockey from the start, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. You can’t have it both ways. If you want to see the development, you have to experience the growing pains. It’s been a long time since we’ve had to do this here.
Even though Carlile isn’t really coming from the same place as them as a prospect, he’s still a guy with limited NHL ice time playing a role and minutes he’s never played before. There are going to be mistakes.
The question you have to ask, especially with a player like Carlile, is whether or not there is an upside here that is worth playing through those growing pains. Maybe there is. Carlile was basically replacing Parker Wotherspoon this season, not only in terms of role, but also fitting the same profile of a mid-20s player with limited NHL experience that was waiting for a bigger role. As good as Wotherspoon turned out to be last season by the end of it, he did have some mishaps early in the year. There were some rocky moments before he really started to solidify himself in that role. He was also two years older than Carlile with about 50 more games of NHL experience. Does that mean Carlile is destined to put it all together the same way and figure it out? Absolutely not. But Muse isn’t wrong about the process.
Having said that….
That doesn’t mean the criticism of Carlile and his usage is off-base at this point. Results are what they are, and you can’t hide from it. It also doesn’t mean you can’t make adjustments based on situations. If you see a guy that keeps getting beat in high-leverage roles or high-leverage situations (and there is a trend here with Carlile in those moments), you can pull them back from for a bit. It doesn’t mean you never revisit it. It doesn’t mean they never get a chance at it. It just means you try something different if Plan A is not working.
A young player can sit for a game or two and get a different perspective. It doesn’t have to be a punishment. It can be a reset and a fresh set of eyes. It can simply be giving somebody else a different role and a different opportunity.
Carlile has not played as well as hoped. Maybe he never will. You are right to be critical of that. You are right ot want to see different players on the ice in a big moment in the closing minutes. Maybe you should see a different player in that spot the next time it arises. Dan Muse is also right to have a bigger picture viewpoint of it and defend his player the way he did.
On Tuesday, TSN's Darren Dreger made an interesting report on the situation between the Detroit Red Wings and center Dylan Larkin.
The NHL insider said on the show Insider Trading, the Red Wings have yet to receive an offer from a team on Larkin's trade list that they could take to the 30-year-old and say, "this is a deal we can make."
Instead, Detroit has reportedly received an offer from an undisclosed team that is not on Larkin's list, one that interim GM Shawn Horcoff is reportedly willing to accept, according to Dreger. Larkin's camp, however, still believes better offers are out there from teams on his initial ten-team list.
The report brings another one into focus as earlier this week on Monday, TSN's Chris Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show that the Buffalo Sabres made a "pretty big offer at one point" but were told Larkin wasn't willing to waive his no-move clause to go there.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Buffalo came up again when Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast on Thursday that some teams are pushing hard to get onto Larkin's trade list, citing the Sabres as one of them. Larkin will need some convincing, but Buffalo appears to be one of the teams on the outside looking to make a massive push to get in.
The Sabres have plenty of young forwards, especially at the NHL level. They also made a strong push for Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck before he was dealt to New Jersey, and they may view Larkin as their next top target.
Buffalo has more than enough assets to put together a solid offer, and Detroit is likely already willing to accept one. The only caveat is that Larkin won't waive his no-move clause.
The Sabres have first-round picks in each of the next three years and young centers like Zach Benson, Konsta Helenius and Noah Östlund. They also have a potential top-six center option in Josh Norris, as well as notable prospects like forward Ilia Morozov and defenseman Radim Mrtka.
If Larkin were to expand his list to include Buffalo, a deal might already be done. With the Sabres not making the cut so far, Horcoff still appears to have his work cut out for him in getting a trade done.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings will look to get back on track after dropping two of their last three games when they welcome the defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights to Hockeytown.
Playing on home ice should provide Detroit with a valuable advantage, as the energy from Little Casesars Arena can hopefully give the Red Wings a subtle edge in a crucial bounce back spot. With a challenging four-game road trip beginning Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche, Detroit will be eager to build some momentum before heading out of town.
The Golden Knights enter this matchup struggling to find consistency, having dropped five of their last seven contests. Vegas has been abnormally quiet offensively during that stretch, managing just 16 goals, while surrendering 24 at the other end.
Detroit, meanwhile, had been trending in the right direction before its recent setbacks, posting a 6-3-1 record over its last 10 games. The Red Wings have generated 32 goals during that span, although their defensive play has remained somewhat inconsistent, allowing 29 goals.
Despite Vegas' recent struggles, Detroit will need to overcome a difficult recent history against the Golden Knights as the Red Wings have dropped three straight and four of their last five against Vegas. However, playing at home has been a different story, with Detroit winning four of its last six matchups against the Golden Knights on home ice.
A strong performance on Thursday could provide the Red Wings with a much-needed confidence boost and some positive momentum heading into what promises to be a demanding road stretch.
Red Wings' Dominik Shine Nets Four Goals For Record-Setting Night With AHL GriffinsCaptain Dominik Shine rewrote the franchise record books in a dominant six-goal rout, propelling Grand Rapids to the top of the league behind a historic four-goal performance.Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
*subject to change*
DeBrincant - Finnie - Arvidsson
Brandsegg-Nygard - Copp - Raymond
Rasmussen - Compher - Danielson
Mazur - Dries - Kolesar
Chiarot - Seider
Wallinder - Faulk
Englund - An. Johansson
Postava
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The New York Islanders, along with the rest of the NHL, unveiled their Hometown Remix Jersey on Monday morning.
The jersey is, as was heavily rumored, a beautiful white fisherman.
Look what the tide brought in.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 2, 2026
Introducing the #Isles Hometown Remix jersey. pic.twitter.com/gDeOtyqJX9
Locally, the fishermen jersey will always bring mixed feelings for older Islanders fans who lived through the mid-to-late 90s debacle which included this logo change.
This latest revival of the jersey gives the Islanders the chance to change their legacy with the jersey:
The Fisherman returns tonight, but can today's #Isles change its troubled legacy?
— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) November 5, 2026
I spoke with @StanFischler, Bo Horvat & a few other players about the logo's past, its comeback & what comes next.@TheElmonters ⤵️https://t.co/hQMXNkfKPr
As potentially controversial as it is on Long Island, it's the total opposite nationally.
An independent poll of over 5,000 random NHL fans voted on all 32 Hometown Remix Jerseys, and just look where that fishermen ranked:
Over 5,000 fans rated each Hometown Remix jersey out of 10, and here's the result.
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 3, 2026
1. Anaheim: 8.1
2. Buffalo: 7.5
3. Washington: 7.2
4. New York Islanders: 7.1
5. Seattle Kraken: 7.1
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/4EajTUfgJJ
The fishermen is a beautiful design, and is consistently one of the most sought-after jerseys in the league.
Its finishing fourth overall in the entire poll speaks volumes about how much people like the concept of the jersey.
The jersey makes its debut tonight inside UBS Arena against the Carolina Hurricanes, the defending Stanley Cup Champions.
What better way for the Islanders to kick off the new era than by knocking off the team that's eliminated them from the playoffs three times in the last 8 years?
Puck drop is scheduled for just after 7pm, with the game being an ESPN+ Exclusive.
The Hockey News' Stefen Rosner will join the Islanders' Radio Broadcast during the first intermission and answer some questions:
Guess who's back! 🎙️
— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) November 5, 2026
I'll be back on @NYIslanders Radio with @alanfuehring during the first intermission of #Isles vs. #CarolinaCulture
Have any questions?
Drop them below, and I'll answer some live on air! https://t.co/6FyG5zOwL3
The Florida Panthers defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in Sunrise on Wednesday night. The NHL broadcast this 5-3 loss on TNT. Overall, it turned out to be a game that put national negativity on the Hawks.
The TNT panel, which consisted of Ryan Reaves, Paul Bissonnette, Liam McHugh, Anson Carter, and Henrik Lundqvist, blasted the Blackhawks at multiple points throughout the show. They were on during the pregame, intermissions, and postgame, going to town on all the shortcomings that Chicago is dealing with.
“I don’t see a lot of identity,” Bissonnette said. “I see a soft team. They don’t check well; they don’t forecheck well. They don’t really do anything well.”
The man known as "Biz" used other terms like "Mickey Mouse", "soft", "horrible", and "pathetic", among others.
That is the national perception of the Blackhawks, who are off to the worst start, 4-11-3, during the Kyle Davidson rebuild era. Nothing he said is incorrect, and now a larger audience will be influenced by that opinion. Jeff Blashill, after the game, did comment on what was said.
"I like Biz, I respect Biz, I don’t agree with his opinion,” Blashill said. “I don’t think that we’re soft. I don’t think we’ve won enough games, so when you have the record that we have, you put yourself in a position to be criticized. We’re going to have to accept that criticism. I don’t agree with his verbiage. I’m sure he doesn’t break our tape down on a regular basis, but again, we’re subject to that criticism.”
Bissonnette was an enforcer who did not score goals or make plays on a regular basis, but he was a plus player in 202 games played. Plus-minus is not a great stat in 2026, but he managed to be +7 as a 4th liner on mostly bad teams. He was also either an All-Star or a champion at every pro level in North America below the NHL. He has a smart hockey mind in a lot of ways.
At the same time, this take can come off as a bit performative, but the results are the results. Perhaps people will like what Henrik Lundqvist, who is a very level-headed former Hall of Fame goaltender, has to say.
"When you’re in a rebuild and you try and get out of it, it’s not about being the best team every night,” Lundqvist said. “You have to be smart and have awareness."
The conversations around the team making changes are growing louder and louder with each loss that piles up. Things won’t get much easier as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes are the next two teams on deck for the Hawks. Thursday night will see them in the second half of a back-to-back vs Tampa, their first such situation of the season.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are at home to face the Dallas Stars tonight at 7:00 PM.
Dallas Stars - 9-5-1 - 19 Points - Won 2- 3rd in the Central
Columbus Blue Jackets - 6-7-0 - 10 Points - Won 1 - 6th in the Metro
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Blue Jackets Stats
Stars Stats
Series History vs.Stars
Who To Watch For The Stars
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 37
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN - Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo. DirecTV Ch. 660 (streaming), 660-1 (satellite). U-Verse (1735/735)
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. Share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
Who:Boston Bruins (11-4-1, 23 points, 1st place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (5-8-2, 12 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division)
When: 7:00 p.m. eastern
How to Watch: Locally televised game on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and NESN, streaming for out of market at ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: California awaits, the Pens head out west for the next three games against all the CA teams. First up will be Los Angeles on Saturday, then a quick turn over to nearby Anaheim on Sunday night. After that, they’ll head north to San Jose for a game next Wednesday.
Opponent Track: The Bruins hosted and defeated Vegas 3-2 in a shootout on Monday in their last game, their second win in a row. Before that they lost two games, and before that they won two games. Overall it’s been a great start to the season with a 9-2-1 record in their last 12 games and an aggregate score of 48-27 in that stretch.
Season Series: These two teams won’t see each other again after tonight until March 6th, when the Pens take their lone trip of the season to Beantown. The Bruins then come back to Pittsburgh on March 11th to finish out the three game set.
Hidden Stat: Per Pens PR, Tommy Novak has four points (3G-1A) in his last five games versus Boston, including a two-point performance (1G-1A) in the team’s last matchup with the Bruins on March 8, 2026. Novak also recorded a goal and an assist last game against Vegas.
Projected lines
FORWARDS
JJ Peterka – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
Marat Khusnutdinov – Fraser Minten – Morgan Geekie
Casey Mittelstadt – Elias Lindholm – James Hagens
Tanner Jeannot – Sean Kuraly – Mark Kastelic
DEFENSEMEN
Hampus Lindholm / Charlie McAvoy
Nikita Zadorov / Will Borgen
Frederic Brunet / Mason Lohrei
Goalies: Jeremy Swayman and Michael DiPietro
Potential scratches: Matthew Poitras, Connor Clifton, Jonathan Aspirot
Injured Reserve: None
Season stats
via hockeydb
Key to the game: Can the Penguins stack up against one of the league’s best early season teams?
It’s still early but it’s hard to look stronger under the hood than the Bruins do. They control play enough to be top-10 in both expected goals for and against. Their goaltender is awesome and has elevated them to some of the stingiest results around, helping them to a literally off-the-charts 65.5% 5v5 goal differential there in the top righthand corner (38 for to 20 against) that is tops in the whole NHL right now. Their finishing has been sufficient, driven by players like Pastrnak who can create and convert on chances.
Based on how this first month or so has gone, Boston is one of the top-performing teams right now in the NHL. This is going to be a very tall task for the Pens tonight to try and measure up with a quality club that is backed by a top goaltender.
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell
Egor Chinakhov – Ben Kindel – Evgeni Malkin
Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Justin Brazeau
Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Nick Robertson
DEFENSEMEN
Sam Girard / Erik Karlsson
Spencer Stastney / Kaeden Korczak
Declan Carlile / Kris Letang
Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov
Potential Scratches: Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Solovyov, Jake Livanavage
IR: Ryan Graves, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Elmer Soderblom, Bryan Rust
Sidney Crosby passes Marcel Dionne to claim full ownership of sixth in all-time scoring with one more point. Crosby was on the ice for two goals last game and had an influence on both but did not record a point out of last game.