The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their three-game road trip with a 5-4 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Tuesday, and multiple players have taken the blame for certain moments in the game.
The Maple Leafs did come close to evening up the contest late with a six-on-four opportunity. However, along the way to nearly completing a comeback from being 4-1 down, there were plenty of areas that can be cleaned up, and the players realize that.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly was asked about Utah's first goal of the game. Left winger Daniil But made a move on Rielly, leaving him in the dust, before netting his fifth-career NHL goal.
"Yeah, he made a good play," Rielly admitted, who finished with a minus-two rating and 16:09 of average ice time. "Obviously, that's on me. But I thought we did a good job getting back in the game. But there's plenty of areas to clean up."
Rielly wasn't the only player to take responsibility for part of Toronto's defeat, bringing the team to a 3-3-1 record after seven games.
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz, making his third start of the season, allowed five goals on 28 shots on goal from the Mammoth. He finished the outing with an .827 save percentage and endured his first loss of the year. He now holds an .875 SP from his three appearances this season.
There were a few goals that slipped past him, and the 32-year-old confessed that he could've been sharper in those moments on Tuesday.
"I put us in a tough situation," Stolarz said post-game. "You know, probably want two or three of those goals back. And not the way you want to go and end the road trip."
Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller defended Stolarz and didn't let him take the entire blame for the bleeding, conceding four goals in the second period specifically.
"He was alright, " Hiller said of Stolarz's performance. "He gave us a chance at the end for a period of a couple of saves. You know, they scored five rush goals. So that's not just Anthony. That's different people making mistakes prior to getting to him. There's probably a couple he wants back, but that happens."
As mentioned, Toronto's first road trip is complete. Their next opponent will be the Buffalo Sabres at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.
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It was La Soirée Québécoise at the Bell Centre on Tuesday night, as the Montreal Canadiens hosted the Buffalo Sabres, the first time the two teams met since Montreal eliminated them in the second round of the playoffs. For a third straight game, Jacob Fowler started for the Habs and, interestingly, the New York Rangers goaltending scout was in attendance.
He may not have known whether Fowler or Dobes would be in net that night, but his presence after Igor Shesterkin was ruled out for the rest of the season is still interesting. However, with their number one goaltender still having six years left on his contract, Samuel Montembeault would be the best fit for the Rangers, but he’s still injured.
The Canadiens' penalty kill was very impressive on four power-play opportunities; the Sabres couldn’t get a single shot on net. Granted, their man advantage is hardly menacing, with a 13.6% success rate before Tuesday night’s game, but the Canadiens still played well on the kill.
Jake Evans had an active stick to break up plays; Arber Xhekaj timed his dive perfectly at one point, taking away a passing opportunity in the second frame, while Noah Dobson’s long reach came in handy on the PK in the first frame. Asked how he felt about the PK’s work on the night and the fact that it didn’t allow a single shot, Evans said: "I didn’t even know that. Yeah, you know, we feel confident. Everyone’s been working their tail off and blocking shots if they need to. We get the saves when we need to. You know, when the PK’s going well, it’s not one guy; it’s not just the goalie. It’s everyone chipping in and helping out."
As for Josh Anderson, he added: "We’re starting to get a little bit comfortable and used to the new kill this year; we’re trying to dial it in each and every day, just watching clips of what we need to work on and obviously things went our way tonight with the kill."
The PK’s efficiency didn’t go unnoticed by Martin St-Louis; we played a good game. The two goals in the third hurt, but we’ll look at it and try to correct things. […] The PK was excellent; we went out and got a goal on the PP. We were organized, played a good second frame, and did a lot of things well, but nothing was perfect. Perfection is impossible, so it’s about correcting errors and trying to be perfect, knowing full well it’s impossible.
Hecatomb On The Blue Line
Days after GM Kent Hughes traded Jayden Struble, Mike Matheson was labelled day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, and sources say his absence could be lengthy. As if that wasn't worrying enough for the Habs, Dobson took a puck to the face in the second frame and headed straight down the tunnel once he regained his senses.
Thankfully, he returned at the start of the third, looking no worse for wear; in fact, he finished the evening with 5 hits, doubling his season total. Despite missing a good chunk of the middle stanza, he still spent nearly 19 minutes on the ice.
In the dying seconds of the game, Alexandre Carrier threw caution to the wind and threw himself off a Tage Thompson cannon shot to push the game to overtime. While the coach said every player knows how much that hurts, the blueliner didn’t agree: "It wasn’t that bad, honestly. The opportunity was there, so I just tried to block it."
Playing With Fire
The Canadiens seemed in full control, leading 3-1 at the start of the third frame and having given Buffalo only nine shots, but at 4:24 the Sabres got a goal back, tying the game just over a minute later. Those goals felt like déjà vu, with Fowler unable to see the puck through heavy traffic. Two of the visitors' goals came off deflections, which makes the netminder’s job really hard. The coach explained:
We got to block the shots from up high, and you need to box out and take the sticks away down low. It’s really simple.
Still, the Canadiens managed to get away with the two points thanks to another Zachary Bolduc shootout goal, but they nearly lost that extra point in overtime when Juraj Slafkovsky made a couple of mistakes.
After the game, the Habs headed to Washington, where they’ll take on the Capitals tomorrow at 7:30 PM. Both teams will be on the tail end of a back-to-back, and since the Caps were playing away, they both will have travelled post-game.
Despite starting the season on what has now devolved into an eight-game losing streak (0-5-3), the Philadelphia Flyers are still generating plenty of trade interest around the NHL.
Which teams are inquiring, you may ask? Or would even want to inquire? That's less clear, though any team calling Flyers general manager Danny Briere's phone is looking to buy low on one of many struggling players.
In TSN's latest "Insider Trading" segment, NHL insider Pierre LeBrun reported that Briere is indeed getting tons of calls from around the league, and that's not necessarily a good thing amid the team's 0-5-3 start that has seen them allow the most shots per game, generate the fewest shots per game, and score the fewest goals per game.
"Danny Briere, the GM of the Flyers, my understanding is his phone is getting all kinds of love from other GMs around the league, but not the kind of attention you wanna get," said LeBrun.
"There is no easy fix here. There is no blockbuster trade that the Flyers are gonna pull off to get themselves out of this brutal start. I know some fans are chanting, 'Fire Rick Tocchet.' That’s not even a thought for Flyers management right now. The answer lies within.
"This is a collective letdown from the start of the year. There’s a belief inside that management group that this is a group of young players who, after getting a taste of success last year, maybe took a lot for granted here entering this year. It’s a wake-up call. They gotta fix it themselves."
The pressure on Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet continues to build as Philadelphia extends its worst season-opening slide in franchise history, but LeBrun insists, further to previous reporting from Anthony Di Marco, a coaching change is not something that's in Briere and Co.'s playbook at this moment in time.
As for a potential trade, the Flyers have been linked to Detroit's Simon Edvinsson and Dylan Larkin, though Larkin doesn't want to come to Philly, and Detroit is hellbent on keeping and re-signing Edvinsson, an RFA still without a contract well into the start of the season.
Maybe Flyers president Keith Jones did some scouting at Monday night's Devils-Senators game in Newark, but the Flyers would have to present a viable deal to make the playoff hopefuls even consider striking a trade.
With the amount of big contracts and trade protection the Flyers have given out recently, it is hard to even pinpoint the players they could sell off to inquiring teams, though it is safe to assume that players like Rasmus Ristolainen, Noah Cates, Owen Tippett, Cam York, and even Matvei Michkov would generate interest from prospective contenders.
With a terribly difficult slate of games coming up for the Flyers - one that includes games against Ottawa, Colorado, Buffalo, Anaheim, and Washington - this situation could be one to monitor closely, especially if the Flyers are unable to begin making up some serious ground in the standings.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 13: Roman Kantserov #80 of the Chicago Blackhawks scores a goal past Sergei Murashov #1 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at United Center on October 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins fell 5-3 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday despite two goals from Sidney Crosby, including his first of the season. Pittsburgh’s power play went 0-for-4 and has failed to score in its last 16 opportunities over five games. [Recap]
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is embracing a reduced role on Pittsburgh’s third defensive pairing as the 39-year-old adjusts to fewer minutes on the ice. The Penguins are looking to manage his workload while continuing to rely on his experience and offensive contributions. [Trib Live]
Franchise icon Mario Lemieux was inducted into the Pittsburgh Walk of Fame on Tuesday during a ceremony at the Strip District’s Terminal building. Lemieux was honored alongside nine other Pittsburgh-area figures, including former Steelers running back Franco Harris and broadcaster Myron Cope. [CBS Pittsburgh]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal is expected to miss one to two months with a torn calf muscle, head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced Tuesday. The 38-year-old was injured during warmups before Sunday’s win over the Philadelphia Flyers. [ESPN]
The Detroit Red Wings and star winger Alex DeBrincat have agreed on a seven-year, $91 million contract extension, according to TSN insider Chris Johnston. [TSN]
Columbus Blue Jackets coach Rick Bowness criticized his team after a 7-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, saying players should be embarrassed by their performance. Columbus led after the first period but surrendered four goals in the second, including a natural hat trick by Brady Tkachuk. [Sportsnet]
Montreal Canadiens (3-2-1, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Washington Capitals (3-3, in the Metropolitan Division)
Washington; Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
LINE: Capitals -135, Canadiens +111; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens visit the Washington Capitals after the Canadiens knocked off the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in a shootout.
Washington is 3-3 overall and 2-1-0 in home games. The Capitals rank 10th in NHL play with 31 total penalties (averaging 5.2 per game).
Montreal is 1-0-1 in road games and 3-2-1 overall. The Canadiens have committed 33 total penalties (5.5 per game) to rank seventh in NHL play.
Wednesday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.
INJURIES: Capitals: Rasmus Sandin: out (knee), Patrick Thomas: out (upper-body), Pierre-Luc Dubois: day to day (illness), Matt Roy: out (lower body), Alex Tuch: day to day (undisclosed).
Canadiens: Florian Xhekaj: day to day (undisclosed), Oliver Kapanen: out (lower-body), Ivan Demidov: out (lower-body), Mike Matheson: day to day (lower-body), Lucas Condotta: out (undisclosed), Bryce Pickford: out (undisclosed), Samuel Montembeault: out (lower-body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Calgary Flames (1-5, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (6-2, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Calgary Flames take on the Vegas Golden Knights in Pacific Division action on Thursday.
Vegas is 3-1-0 against the Pacific Division and 6-2 overall. The Golden Knights are 2-1-0 in games they score at least one power-play goal.
Calgary has a 1-4-0 record in Pacific Division play and a 1-5 record overall. The Flames have conceded 29 goals while scoring 12 for a -17 scoring differential.
Thursday's game is the first time these teams match up this season.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: Parker Wotherspoon: out (upper body), Lukas Cormier: out (undisclosed), Victor Olofsson: out (undisclosed), Kai Uchacz: out (undisclosed).
Flames: Jonathan Huberdeau: out (hip), Samuel Honzek: out (undisclosed).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Following a brief two-game Canadian road trip where they took four of four points from the Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames on Friday and Saturday, respectively, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the very same Flames team on Tuesday night at Honda Center.
Their two points proved rather costly for Anaheim on Saturday, however, as throughout the game, they lost the services of both forward Cutter Gauthier and center Ryan Poehling. Gauthier remains “day-to-day” with an upper-body injury and was unavailable for this game. Poehling will miss the next 6-8 weeks with a sprained MCL.
Ducks top prospect Roger McQueen was recalled from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL to replace Poehling on the Ducks’ listed third line and made his NHL debut in this game. Also making his season debut was Drew Helleson on the blueline, who had been sidelined since Sept. 20 with a lower-body injury.
Calgary entered this game hungry, as one of just three winless teams in the NHL and the only team without a point through five games.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Killorn-Carlsson-Sennecke
Nesterenko-Granlund-Colangelo
Vatrano-McQueen-Greer
Malott-Washe-Caulfield
LaCombe-Warren
Mintyukov-Helleson
Hinds-Luneau
Lukas Dostal started in net for the Ducks for the fifth time in six games. He saved 32 of the 35 shots he faced. He was opposed in the Calgary crease by Dustin Wolf, who stopped 22 of 24.
“We had all new lines today,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game of his team’s performance. “The other night, we didn’t generate a lot. There were a lot of bounce-ins, a lot of scrappy stuff in the offensive zone both ways. The quality tonight, they got a lot of point shots through; we weren’t in lanes. We could have been better in that area.
“It wasn’t like we gave up a ton, so it’s one of those games at the end of the year, you’ll say, ‘Geez, we left one on the table.’”
Game Notes
The Ducks were outworked from the start in this game by a well-coached, hungry Flames team that doesn’t have the high-end offensive talent the Ducks have, but whose five-man defensive habits can keep them in games such as this one until they find their breaks. The Ducks’ lack of forward depth and secondary scoring was exposed a bit in this one, as only one or two players were consistently dangerous.
Defensive Zone Coverage: Again, breakouts and decision-making with pucks on the Ducks’ sticks became their undoing and led to several instances of extended zone time for the Flames and numerous quality looks. Anaheim did well to recover back to the middle and into lanes from broken board plays until fatigue set in.
Poehling’s presence was certainly felt in these instances, as he’s a vital key to what the Ducks are trying to accomplish on the ice in their end. Carlsson and Granlund did well to remain low in coverage and protect the inner slot, but Poehling has the ability to not only do those things, but provide a disruptive presence along the perimeter which sparks turnovers, exits, and transition offense.
The Ducks only won 43% of face-offs in this game, which isn’t a major contributing factor to their loss, but when the first 5-15 seconds of shifts from offensive drivers are spent trying to win pucks back, the impact of said players is ultimately greatly limited.
Beckett Sennecke: Sennecke was the Ducks’ best player in this game, hands down. He was incredibly disruptive at both bluelines, forcing turnovers in some of the most dangerous areas of the ice with outstanding consistency. He’s added elements of speed to his game, which, when combined with his puck skill and manipulation capabilities, is proving a deadly combination. He’s endlessly creative, and the attention he garners in the offensive zone unlocked aspects of Leo Carlsson’s cycle game at points early in the game.
Leo Carlsson: Carlsson notched a pretty power play goal, showed some promising cycle tendencies with improved edges in tight spaces, and played a sound game above the puck on the defensive end. However, these are the kinds of games in which the Ducks need Carlsson to take over like the $18 million AAV superstar talent he is.
Too often in this game, he was a passenger on Sennecke’s line rather than an equal share driver. When he isn’t as puck-dominant, Carlsson will have to find more clever ways to fill lanes, become more involved offensively than we saw from him in this game, and show a higher motor to win pucks back and win one-on-one battles with more consistency.
Lukas Dostal: For the vast majority of the early season and this particular game, Dostal put forth a quality effort, made some tough saves look easy, and controlled play to a high level from within and surrounding the crease. However, the inability to make a save on a somewhat routine shot that became the Flames game-winning goal proved a costly mistake by the Ducks’ No.1. At a critical juncture in the game, when momentum seemed to be finally swinging the Ducks’ way, Martin Pospisil was able to slide one through Dostal’s legs during a 1v3 sequence, in transition, from just outside of the strong-side faceoff dot.
Roger McQueen: McQueen only played 11:26 TOI in his NHL debut, including 2:02 on the power play, in the net-front role. He generated one shot on three attempts and was part of some quality, effortful slot plays on his line. He wasn’t able to find much of a rhythm with the amount of penalties taken in totality, and his puck touches were expectedly limited, given the role of his line and the play style of his linemates.
Some promising factors that were on display were on the defensive side of the puck, where his angling, habits, and reach were a presence in the middle third of the ice. He backchecked smartly, covering vast amounts of ice and eliminating passing, shooting, and skating lanes alike. He’s showing a higher NHL floor than expected and could evolve into a two-way dominant player with proper development.
The Ducks will look to get back in the win column on Friday, when the Boston Bruins make their way to Honda Center for a 7 pm PST puck drop.
The San Jose Sharks hosted the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night as the "main event" of the NHL's annual Frozen Frenzy. For just one night, Sharks fans were wishing for the 7:30 PM start of years' past, but instead the puck didn't drop until 8. Yaroslav Askarov was back between the pipes for the Sharks, while Jeremy Swayman stood directly across from him at the other end of the ice.
Boston's new captain David Pastrnak was sent to the penalty box at 4:44 in the first period for high-sticking the Sharks' new captain Macklin Celebrini. Although the Sharks sustained some pressure in the offensive zone with the man advantage, the Bruins were able to kill off the penalty successfully.
Roughly eight minutes into the period, Igor Chernyshov had a tremendous individual effort to force a turnover at the blue line, complete a spinning pass to Will Smith and nearly got the Sharks on the board but whiffed on his one-timer attempt. Less than a minute later, it seemed like the Bruins had taken a 1-0 lead with a shot from Mason Lohrei, but the referee immediately signaled no goal and disallowed it. At 12:55 in the first period, the Bruins did get their lead though as Fraser Minten fired a shot from distance that beat Askarov to make it 1-0.
The Sharks' power play got another chance with 6:33 remaining in the period, as veteran defenseman Nikita Zadorov was penalized for hooking. Two seconds after the penalty expired, Jacob Trouba scored with a rocket of a one-timer from the point that sailed past Swayman and into the nylon.
Charlie McAvoy restored the Bruins' lead after a broken play in front of the Sharks' net led to a mad scramble. The Sharks had a couple of opportunities to get the puck out of a dangerous area, but instead kept the puck right in front of the net where the Bruins could capitalize.
Zadorov went back to the penalty box early in the second period after he tripped up Macklin Celebrini. That power play ultimately led to a special moment, as Ivar Stenberg scored his first career goal on a deflection to tie things up at 2-2. Watch the goal here:
Matthew Poitras then restored the Bruins' lead, making it a 3-2 game right before the halfway point.
Stenberg took a hooking penalty at 12:01 of the second period, sending the Bruins to their first power play of the night. During the penalty kill, Jacob Trouba and Fraser Minton took offsetting penalties for their part in a scrum.
Moments after the Sharks' penalty expired, Mark Kastelic laid a heavy hit on Celebrini at the blue line. In retaliation, Will Smith cross-checked Kastelic from behind and sent the Sharks back to the penalty kill. While it's great to see a player stand up for their captain, taking a bad penalty in retaliation for a clean hit while behind by a goal likely wasn't the best decision. Ultimately, all it meant was two minutes of defensive hockey as the Sharks killed off Smith's penalty as well.
With three seconds remaining in the second period, Pavel Zacha scored his second of the season to make it a 4-2 lead for the Bruins.
Boston gave the Sharks an opportunity to get momentum back on their side as they took a bench minor for too many men, and they did just that. At 5:04 in the third period, just 11 seconds into the power play, Macklin Celebrini scored his second of the season to bring the Sharks within a single goal.
Darnell Nurse dropped the gloves with Nikita Zadorov to try to spark some momentum, but instead Nurse went down the tunnel after he appeared to hit his head on Zadorov's takedown. Nurse skated to the penalty box momentarily during a TV timeout before once again heading to the Sharks' locker room.
Will Borgen sealed the game for Boston with an empty net goal to make it a 6-3 game, ending the Sharks' slim chances of a comeback.
After a disappointing overtime loss in Vegas, the Los Angeles Kings returned home to face their rival, hoping to grab their first win of the season, but it didn't go as planned.
The Kings (0-3-2) fell to the Edmonton Oilers (5-0-1) 4-1, dropping to 0-3-2, their worst start in franchise history, and remaining one of two winless teams in the league, alongside the Philadelphia Flyers.
Edmonton was doing all this with several players out due to injury, still wearing the Kings' number and continuing to dominate them, not just win, but take their hearts out in almost every matchup in recent memory.
Still, the Kings had no answer for Conor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl, who both scored in the first period along with Vasily Podkolzin to give Edmonton a 3-0 lead in a span of eight minutes.
It didn't seem like things could get worse than they already were, especially at Crypto.com Arena, but the visiting team played like it was their own, and now, a week into the 2026-27 season, they look even worse than their awful start last year.
Many of the issues that were ailing the Kings continued in this game. After an excellent outing under center against Vegas, Darcy Kuemper didn't make much of an impact tonight, and the rest of the defense struggled as well.
It was one of those nights when, even at home, the Kings looked uncomfortable and disorganized, with their team chemistry off the rails, allowing the Oilers to snatch their heart out in just the first period.
Despite outshouting the visiting team 12-7, the home team still trailed 3-0 after 20 minutes, as McDavid and Draisaitl were a mismatch and a weapon on ice for the Kings.
In the second period, the Oilers went quiet, getting sloppy with the puck for nearly the entire 20 minutes, and the Kings finally responded. After an excellent play from Brandt Clarke, who used his edges to keep the puck high on the 5-on-5, the Kings scored their first of the season in the last seven periods.
LAK Goal - There's one!
Excellent play by Clarke, using his edges to protect the puck up high and his shot goes off Levi and in. Kings with a lifeline, 3-1.
The rest of the period went quiet; LA got within two, trailing 3-1 after 40 minutes at Crypto.
LA got several close looks at the net in the final period, with Eric Haula and Adrian Kempe hitting the post and potentially cutting the deficit. All game, the Kings got good looks, which is why they finished with a season-high 40 shots on goal, but they still managed just one goal.
It was more encouraging; the silver and black were playing faster and moving the puck around, but the shot selection wasn't there.
With Artemi Panarin, Quinton Byfield, and Adrian Kempe on ice, the trio had 19 shot attempts but nothing to show for it. This has arguably been the team's best line, but one goal on the 5-on-5 isn't going to cut it.
The power play killed any comeback for the Kings; they had several opportunities, but finishing 0-for-4 isn't the answer, especially against a high-powered Oilers team that scores efficiently.
Edmonton sealed the deal for good, converting on an empty net to close out the game 4-1 and silence the fans at Crypo.com.
The Kings weren't done any favors with their opening schedule.
Four of their five opponents have a better-than-.500 record to start the season; it's not that hard to look at the Kings' schedule and explain the winless start. The Avs, Golden Knights, and Oilers are widely considered three of the top teams in the Western Conference, and two of those games were played on the road.
And the schedule isn't getting any easier. The Kings play Boston on Saturday, Washington on Tuesday, and the Islanders on Thursday.
But the schedule isn't the number one priority for this team right now; it's their horrendous defense, goaltending, and shot selection, as they have scored just one goal in their third straight games.
Every loss puts pressure on what the Kings' management and ownership should do next. The team has already had three coaches in the last three seasons, which hasn't helped much since Peter Laviolette was hired.
After barely making the postseason last time, it won't be as easy this season, with teams improving and LA losing. At some point, the Kings just need to capture their first win.
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As a team, the Vegas Golden Knights feel they can come back from any deficit. However, they’d rather not, because they’re one of the best teams in the league at defending a lead. On Tuesday, they entered the third period up 3-2 over the Nashville Predators, and they made the most of it.
When teams have the lead, they tend to sit back and focus on defending their net. Tonight, the Golden Knights did none of that. Instead, they attacked in waves and continuously looked to extend their lead.
“Real good third period, obviously,” said defenseman Noah Hanifin following the 5-2 win. “Hiller made some huge saves for us that gave us some momentum. And the penalty came up big in a few different areas of the game.”
“I think the best part was coming out of the 3rd, not taking our foot off the gas, and bringing our game to another level,” said Brett Howden. “It’s tough on a back-to-back sometimes, but I thought we put the pedal down and did a good job of finishing it off the right way.”
1. Bandaid
It’s still early in the season, but thus far, there have been stretches where the Golden Knights have struggled to stop the bleeding. Last night, the Golden Knights took a penalty two minutes and 45 seconds after allowing the first goal of the game. Their penalty kill, which had previously been so strong, crumbled under pressure. The two-goal deficit quickly turned into three, and that hole proved to be too deep.
Tonight, they found themselves in a very similar situation when Brett Howden took a penalty just 41 seconds after the Golden Knights conceded the first goal of the game.
This time, the Golden Knights’ penalty kill came through. Following a strong kill, Raphael Lavoie took it the other way and fed Tomáš Hertl for the equalizer.
“That’s something we talked about this morning,” said Rasmus Andersson following the win. “We can’t let it snowball, right? If we let in one, then we can’t let in the second or third right after. Tommy comes up with a huge 1-1 goal there, and gives us a little bit of momentum.”
2. Momentum Killer
The penalty kill wasn’t just crucial in stopping the bleeding; it also swung momentum in the first period. Funnily enough, the Golden Knights generated quite a bit of offense from their penalty kill, including their second goal of the night.
“We scored right after two penalty kills,” said head coach Ryan Craig. “When you do the job on the kill and then get that response, it can be deflating to a team.”
Coming into Tuesday’s game, the Predators boasted the league’s fourth-ranked power play. But tonight, the Golden Knights won the special-teams battle, going 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.
“The penalty kill was huge,” said Noah Hanifin. “And they’ve got a good power play over there. But we stuck with it and got a couple goals shortly after the kill. Building momentum, that’s what it’s all about. When you’re on the penalty kill, you’re making sure you’re giving your team some momentum. I thought the group did that tonight, and it paid off for us.”
3. Offense From Defense
With the likes of Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone, the Golden Knights have a pretty lethal forward group. But when they’re really humming, the defense is chipping in offensively. That happened tonight, and the defense combined for five points.
Rasmus Andersson led the way with two assists, one coming on William Karlsson’s game-winning goal. Brayden McNabb and Noah Hanifin each recorded a primary assist, and Dylan Coghlan provided an assist as well.
The defensemen didn’t just contribute offensively— they did so at key moments in the game. Just as Ivan Barbashev’s holding penalty expired, Jack Eichel found Brayden McNabb in transition. McNabb carried the puck up ice and fed Eichel as the center drove the net. Eichel redirected it past Juuse Saros, and the Golden Knights took their first lead of the night.
Noah Hanifin’s contribution, too, came when the Golden Knights needed it most. They led 3-2, but the Predators were pushing for the equalizer early in the third period. The Golden Knights responded with a good shift in the offensive zone, and Hanifin capped it off by finding Trevor Connelly all alone for a one-timer.
“You know, sometimes, when you’re in those tight games, you tend to [take your foot off the gas],“ said Noah Hanifin following the 5-2 win. “I thought we did a good job staying on our toes, getting after them, playing in the offensive zone and generating some good looks. It was a really good third period for us.”
The Calgary Flames finally have a win to their name.
After opening the season with five straight losses, the Flames picked up their first victory of the season with a 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on Tuesday night.
It was a much-needed response from Calgary, which showed a noticeable improvement in its overall game. The Flames generated consistent offensive pressure, outshot Anaheim and did a better job limiting the Ducks’ chances at five-on-five.
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Adam Klapka opened the scoring in the first period, Aydar Suniev continued his strong start since being recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, and Martin Pospisil scored the late go-ahead goal to secure the win.
The Flames also had to overcome a difficult stretch in the opening period after Anaheim capitalized on its opportunities to take the lead.
Calgary got off to a strong start, opening the scoring at 8:32 of the first period. After establishing a forecheck and creating pressure in the offensive zone, Klapka collected the puck in the high slot and beat Lukas Dostal with a hard wrist shot for his second goal of the season.
The Ducks responded at 12:09 during a four-on-four sequence. Beckett Sennecke picked off Simon Nemec at the Anaheim blue line and broke in alone on Dustin Wolf. Using his speed, Sennecke moved from backhand to forehand before beating Wolf to tie the game 1-1.
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Anaheim took the lead less than two minutes later on the power play. Leo Carlsson received a pass from Mikael Granlund, skated into the hash marks and picked the top corner over Wolf at 14:05. The goal was Carlsson’s second of the season and gave the Ducks a 2-1 advantage.
Despite surrendering two goals in the opening period, Calgary responded with a much stronger second frame.
The Flames generated several quality chances during a five-on-three power play but couldn’t find the equalizer. However, they capitalized shortly after Anaheim returned to full strength.
Calgary continued to dictate the pace, outshooting Anaheim 21-8 at that point in the game. The physicality also picked up midway through the period, with Klapka and Jeff Malott dropping the gloves.
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
The teams remained tied heading into the third period, setting the stage for a late breakthrough from the visitors.
Pospisil provided the decisive moment at 15:37. The forward carried the puck into the offensive zone with speed, drove wide and sent a low shot through Dostal’s five-hole to give Calgary a 3-2 lead.
Yegor Sharangovich added an empty net goal as the Flames held on, closing out the victory and putting an end to their winless start.
Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Three Takeaways
1. Penalties nearly cost the Flames early
Calgary’s opening goal gave the team an early boost, but three first-period penalties disrupted its momentum and allowed Anaheim to take control of the scoreboard.
The Ducks made the Flames pay, tying the game during a four-on-four sequence before taking the lead on the power play.
Special teams remain an important area for Calgary to clean up. The improved effort at five-on-five was encouraging, but the Flames cannot afford to give opponents repeated opportunities to swing games in their favour.
The difference on Tuesday was that Calgary responded instead of letting the early deficit dictate the rest of the night.
The young forward scored his second career NHL goal, finishing a pass from Strome with a quick one-timer to bring Calgary level in the second period.
Since being recalled from the Wranglers, Suniev has recorded two goals and an assist in three games. He has shown an ability to get his shot off quickly and put himself in dangerous scoring areas, giving Calgary another option offensively.
The early production is encouraging, particularly for a team searching for more consistent offence. Suniev is making a strong case for an extended look with the big club.
3. Adam Klapka brings plenty of bite to the lineup
Klapka made his presence felt throughout the night.
The forward opened the scoring with a strong shot from the high slot and added another physical element by dropping the gloves with Malott in the second period.
Entering the game among the league leaders in penalty minutes, Klapka continues to bring a combination of size, physicality and offensive ability to Calgary’s lineup.
His willingness to get involved physically gives the Flames an edge, but his opening goal was another reminder that he can contribute beyond his imposing presence.
For a Calgary team looking to establish its identity after a difficult start, Klapka is bringing plenty of energy to the lineup.
The Vegas Golden Knights turned a tightly contested game into a convincing victory Tuesday night, scoring three unanswered goals over the final two periods to defeat the Nashville Predators 5-2 at Bridgestone Arena.
Playing their second road game in as many nights, the Golden Knights rebounded from Monday's loss at Minnesota with goals from five different players and a third-period performance that impressed coach Ryan Craig.
"I thought everybody to a man was ready to play, especially our goaltender early with the early penalty kills and the penalty-shot save," Craig said. "But I think our best period for me was the third period. I thought we came up with the right intensity to try to finish off a game, and we did."
William Karlsson broke a 2-2 tie with 2:16 remaining in the second period before Trevor Connelly and Brett Howden scored 95 seconds apart early in the third to put the game away.
Ryan O'Reilly opened the scoring for Nashville at 3:55 of the first period before Tomas Hertl answered at 6:46 and Jack Eichel gave Vegas a 2-1 lead at 12:48.
Adam Edstrom tied the game with a shorthanded goal at 8:45 of the second period, but Karlsson restored the Golden Knights' advantage at 17:44.
Vegas seized control in the third, with Connelly scoring at 4:49 and Howden following at 6:24.
"I think the best part was coming out in the third and not taking our foot off the gas and kind of bringing our game to another level," Howden said. "I thought we put the pedal down and did a good job of finishing it off the right way."
Adin Hill made 25 saves, including a first-period penalty-shot stop, while Vegas demonstrated the offensive balance Craig believes will be critical throughout the season.
"Depth. That's what it is," Craig said. "We were able to play four lines. The game dictated that quite a bit, which is good for a hockey club, especially on a back-to-back early in the year."
Karlsson's goal at 17:44 of the second period broke a 2-2 tie after Nashville had gained momentum with a shorthanded equalizer. His second goal in as many games restored Vegas' lead and set the stage for its decisive third-period performance.
KEY STAT: Five of 'em
Five different Golden Knights scored, and 12 players registered at least one point. Vegas also received 25 saves from Hill, including a first-period penalty-shot stop that helped prevent Nashville from building an early advantage.
It took a bit longer than he likely wanted, but San Jose Sharks rookie Ivar Stenberg has scored a goal in the National Hockey League.
On Tuesday night, as Nikita Zadorov of the Boston Bruins sat in the penalty box, Macklin Celebrini had a perfectly placed pass into the crease. Stenberg then tipped it past Jeremy Swayman. Immediately, you could see the weight lifted off of Stenberg's shoulders as he looked to the sky in celebration.
Not only is this a very important milestone for Stenberg, his first goal came at an important time. It tied the game between the Sharks and Bruins at 2-2.
The second overall selection in this summer's 2026 NHL Draft, Stenberg is the second player in his draft class to score a goal. Gavin McKenna of the Toronto Maple Leafs was the first to do so and currently has two goals in his rookie season.
Stenberg now has three points in six games to start his NHL career, but with the sixth game still in progress at the time of writing, he has time to add to that total.
Want
to watch the perfect road game, or as near a perfect road game as an
NHL team can play, look no further than the St. Louis Blues and their
7-2
beatdown
over the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre
In Kanata, Ontario on Tuesday, ending
Ottawa’s three-game winning streak.
Forget
that they scored a season-high seven goals for the game; it was the
way they did it.
So
lets get into how they did it and what proved to be pivotal.
*
Penalty kill continues to flourish – OK,
I had this as the top reason why the Blues (3-2-1) won in the fashion
in which they did despite
allowing that Fabian Zetterburg meaningless power-play goal with 1:27
to play in what was a 7-1 blowout.
I
know that unit on the ice (Pius Suter, Jonatan Berggren, Colton
Parayko and Justin Barron) won’t like it, but that’s alright. The
Sens, who were 5-1-0 on the season, crafted that one well.
But
that unit was so good again early on in killing three penalties to
get to 17-for-18 to start the season (they’re 17-for-19 now) and
it’s the aggressive nature in which those skaters are doing it.
Assistant
coach Greg Cronin has -- particularly the forwards -- on the ice,
whether it’s Suter, Robert Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich, Berggren, Jake
Neighbours or whoever it may be with sticks in lanes taking away the
open areas of the ice when teams are in the zone, but the Blues are
taking away time and space so much, they’re doing to teams what
teams have done to their power play: get on top of the puck handlers
and forcing quick decisions, and it’s working.
Oh,
and on this night, Suter set the tone after what I felt like was a
bad call on Cam Fowler with a shorthanded goal at 14:28 of the first
period to make it 1-0:
Short-handed goal for St. Louis!
Scored by Pius Suter with 05:32 left in the 1st. Assisted by Colton Parayko and Pavel Buchnevich.
At
the time, it gave the penalty kill a 2-1 advantage on goals over the
Blues’ power play.
*
Huge response after an Ottawa goal – This
to me was the goal of the game for the Blues because the Senators,
who won 4-1 at the New Jersey Devils on Monday, started to find some
footing.
Claude
Giroux scored at 17:52 of the second to cut the Blues’ lead to 2-1
and make this an interesting third period of what they thought would
be at least a one-shot deficit. And it was a goal that I thought
Blues defenseman Brandon Carlo played well; it was just some bad luck
that after taking the red-hot Tim Stutzle with him behind the net,
the puck hit the side of the goal and Stutzle was alert in getting to
his feet and finding a seam to Giroux coming down the interior of the
right circle and beating Joel Hofer with a really good shot.
But
Mason McTavish and the second line had a response 33 seconds later to
restore the lead to 3-1 at 18:25 that broke out into a 3-on-2 where
all three on that line (with Connor McMichael and Berggren) all
touched the puck, and how about Berggren being able to control this
McTavish pass with his skate and being able to get it to his stick
and finding McTavish in the crease for the contested finish:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Mason McTavish with 01:35 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Jonatan Berggren and Connor McMichael.
*
Dylan Peterson fit in, in his first NHL game – Welcome
to the big show, and it was a successful game for the third-round
pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Peterson,
who was recalled from Springfield of the American Hockey League on
Sunday, played just 8:57, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but he
had four of the team’s 18 hits, played physical throughout, started
the process of Suter’s second goal of the game on the forecheck by
separating the puck in the right hand corner that made it 4-1 at 7:54
of the third period:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Pius Suter with 12:06 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Ross Johnston and Brandon Carlo.
And
to top it off, he had his first NHL fight and it was a doozy with
fellow Senators rookie Jorian Donovan at 14:52 of the third with his parents and three sisters among a plethora of family and friends in attendance:
There
was good chemistry on that line with Suter and Ross Johnston, who
picked up his first point with the Blues on Suter’s third-period
goal.
*
Doesn’t Colton Parayko look good? -- It’s
been a terrific start to the season for ‘Colt55,’ and when you’re
seeing him skate with the puck like that, with such confidence, you
know things are going good.
Parayko
got the assist on Suter’s shorthanded goal with the aggressiveness
of checking the puck off two Senators skaters, then starting the
breakout and saucing a puck to Suter to finish, then he started the
breakout that led to the 3-on-2 for McTavish’s goal late in the
second period.
Parayko,
who played 19:33 in the game, has skated well playing with Justin
Barron the past couple games, then locked it down with Philip Broberg
in the third period.
He’s
a big reason why the Blues’ defensive numbers through six games
look so good right now. Some of the metrics don’t read it, but the
eye test does, and No. 55 is passing them in the early going so far.
*
McTavish looks like the real deal (so far), so
does McMichael; that line with Berggren looks really good
– McTavish
and McMichael were off-season acquisitions to help balance out the
top six and alleviate some of the pressure out on the Dylan
Holloway-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud top line.
The
line combined for six points (two goals, four assists) in the game
and since Jim Montgomery moved Berggren up there, that line has been
on fire.
Sure
it’s early, but McTavish, who has four goals and three assists in
six games, is on pace for 98 points (56 goals, 42 assists) in an
84-game season, and McMichael, who had two assists in the game and
has two goals and four assists in six games, is on pace for 84 points
(28 goals, 56 assists) over the course of an 84-game season.
As
a Blues fan, you’ll take this return – or anything close to it –
when these respective trades were made this past summer.
McTavish
finished this dart of a one-timer on the power play at 15:33
of the third period for a 6-1 lead as part of three goals in a span
of 1:44:
Power play goal for St. Louis!
Scored by Mason McTavish with 04:27 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Connor McMichael and Pavel Buchnevich.
*
Pius Suter is so valuable in all facets – This
guy may be the most trusted, reliable player the Blues have, and
that’s no exaggeration.
The
coaching staff is so comfortable putting the 30-year-old on the ice
in all facets, whether it’s on the PK, in 5-on-5 situations late in
games protecting leads, and this season, he’s centering the fourth
line, and the guy probably deserves to be higher up in the lineup.
Suter
had two goals and an assist, was a plus-3 and won eight of his 11
face-offs in 15:21 of ice time and did such a good job of helping set
the tone with two tough guys as his linemates in the game.
To
be honest with you, I thought that Suter, who is in the final year of
his two-year, $8.25 million contract, could be prime trade bait at
some point this season, and he still could, but if the Blues are
anywhere in the playoff chase or in a playoff position as the season
progresses, I’m finding a way to keep him if I’m GM Alex Steen.
Where
can you find such a multi-faceted skater like this that can be
utilized in so many different situations? They’re hard to find, and
unless Suter would out-price himself to remain in St. Louis, I think
you have to find a way to keep this guy.
He’s
a huge reason why your penalty kill is currently tied for sixth in
the league, and when you have such a trustworthy player like this,
you find ways to keep them.
His
game tonight arguably was the the best all-around game by any of the
Blues.
*
Jiricek finally finds paydirt – It was coming. If you watched this
game, it had all the earmarks that somehow, the 2024 first-round pick
would find his way onto the scoresheet, whether scoring or assisting.
Jiricek
had himself another solid game, making good, smart decisions on the
ice, proper reads, effective pinches and he read the play well when
he scored his first NHL goal at 16:32 of the third to make it a 7-1
game to finish as a plus-2 in 15:04 of ice time with five shot
attempts (three on goal) and a blocked shot:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Adam Jiricek with 03:28 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Pius Suter and Mason McTavish.
He
also made a nice recovery after initially getting beat down the
lefthand side that turned the puck back and got the Blues going the
other way before Neighbours scored his first of the game in the
second period.
But
Neighbours set the tone with his solid check on Stutzle behind the
net in the second period, and when he’s that engaging, it leads to
other areas of his game, and his dad Ed apparently approved too:
Neighbours
was a plus-2 in 16:05 of ice time with three shots on goal, two hits
and three blocked shots.
*
Pavel Buchnevich looks sharp, and it’s one side of the puck that’s
leading to it – Buchnevich had three assists in the game giving him
four points the past two games, and I’ve always felt like if his
defensive game – like it was on Tuesday again – is noticeable and
on par, it fuels his offense.
He’s
part of that PK group that was engaging at the start and it helped
kickstart his playmaking abilities in this game.
*
Blues again took advantage of a team on second of back-to-back games
– When
teams are traveling, like the Senators did after playing in New
Jersey on Monday, you want to get them to retrieve pucks and go the
length of the ice.
The
Blues did a good job of keeping pucks alive in the offensive zone and
forcing the Senators to defend, hence only allowing 17 shots on goal,
and not getting hemmed in themselves.
They
chipped pucks and used the forecheck to win the possession battle and
not give the Senators any time and space.
They did the same thing to the Columbus Blue Jackets -- finally -- in the final two periods on Saturday in a 5-3 win.
All
in all, a truly solid performance by plenty of skaters, including
Barron, who played 18:28 and was a plus-2 with two hits and three of
the Blues’ 18 blocked shots.
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It seemed like a natural starting point to build for the Penguins, who had struggled to find consistency in the early going.
But they reverted right back to square one in their follow-up performance Tuesday.
The Penguins visited the Chicago Blackhawks and walked away with a 5-3 loss despite coming back from a 3-1 deficit in the third period. A late goal allowed by Sergei Murashov - one that he would certainly want back - forced a six-on-five situation for the Penguins at the end, where Tyleer Bertuzzi scored an empty-net goal to seal the win.
The Penguins were up to no good in the opening minute of the game yet again, which is becoming an unfortunate recurring theme for them. Defenseman Declan Carlile turned the puck over from below his own goal line, feeding a puck directly to the Hawks that resulted in a Teuvo Teravainen goal just 28 seconds into regulation.
Pittsburgh responded six minutes later, though, when captain Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell found themselves on a two-on-one. Crosby rifled the puck past Chicago goaltender Spencer Knight for his long-awaited first of the season to tie the game at 1-1.
However, Roman Kantserov scored a power play goal near the end of the first period to restore the Blackhawks' lead, and he scored another goal midway through the second period to put Chicago up by two.
When all seemed to be going downhill for Pittsburgh, the fourth line of Blake Lizotte, Connor Dewar, and Nick Robertson created a chance off the rush in the offensive zone. Robertson finished the job to score his team-leading fourth goal for the Penguins at the end of the middle frame to bring the Penguins to within one.
Midway through the third, the captain answered the bell again when he picked up some loose change at the net front to tie the score at 3-3. But, unfortunately, with a little more than four minutes left in regulation, Teravainen had the puck along the left wall just above the goal line in the offensive zone, and he threw it toward the net.
The puck unexpectedly trickled past Murashov, giving the Blackhawks the late lead and deflating the Penguins of any kind of life they had.
It's hard to fault the penalty kill too much, as the Penguins allowed just their second power play goal of the season against the Hawks. But Pittsburgh's power play was 0-for-4, and minus the third opportunity, it looked like it was 0-for-4, which occurred against one of the worst penalty kills in the league.
Special teams was a huge reason the Penguins made the playoffs last season. The PK is keeping up, but the power play looks lost. Zone entries and faceoffs have been an issue, but so has personnel.
They need to switch things up, and I think it starts with moving Malkin back to the second unit, when the power play was more effective. It's hard to keep Egor Chinakhov off that first unit, and Rickard Rakell is struggling enough that he can afford to be bumped down, too.
They need more guys willing to just rip the puck - other than Erik Karlsson, that is, as he took about five consecutive one-timers on the third power play and missed the net about seven times. He showed up, at least
- If it seems like I'm bringing up Robertson in a whole lot of recaps, it's because I am. He's been really, really good for the Penguins up to this point, and it's not often you see a team's leading goal-scorer on the fourth line.
While the goal total speaks to Robertson's work ethic and the season he's had so far, it's not ideal for, again, your team's leading goal-scorer, to be on the fourth line. Maybe this is less of an issue with a team like the Penguins, who roll four lines.
But the top-six has two guys with three goals, two guys with two (both of Crosby's came in this one), two guys with one, and a guy with zero. At the end of the day, that's not encouraging, especially when the two guys with three goals, Tommy Novak and Evgeni Malkin, have one goal between them in the last three games.
Simply put, the top-six needs to produce more, and in particular, the first line. There were some encouraging signs from Crosby in this game, but neither Rust or Rakell are meshing with Crosby like they usually do.
As a whole, the top-six needs to get going. I know the fourth line has been spectacular, but it's a combination Dan Muse could always put back together down the line. Right now, Robertson needs to be playing in the top-six.
- Another player who needs to get going is Egor Chinakhov. This is something that was brought up in a recent recap, but it feels like he is so close to scoring yet so far at the same time.
He had a one-timer hit above 96 mph on the radar gun that he missed the net on in this one. He had a breakaway opportunity that he just missed as well. He has had some chances, but he is missing the net with frustrating frequency right now.
In addition, the chemistry that was so evident with Novak and Malkin last season isn't really there to start this season.
If I'm the coaching staff, I consider bumping both Chinakhov and Rickard Rakell - two goal-scorers struggling to score - to the third line with Ben Kindel for a bit. Elevate Robertson and Andrei Kuzmenko. Give Elmer Soderblom another look:
Chinakhov and Rakell have combined for just one singular goal in eight games this season, and the one goal was scored by Chinakhov in game one. The Penguins need more from them, and they need more from them sooner rather than later.
- Murashov's fourth goal was not a good one. It's a play that he would want back, and it's a save he should have had.
That said, I think some folks need to pump the brakes on expectations for the 22-year-old netminder with eight games of NHL experience.
Young goaltenders are going to give up bad goals. Elite goaltenders are going to give up bad goals. And, sometimes, those bad goals will come at bad times. There is a difference between wanting or needing a save in a particular situation and it being unnacceptable that a save isn't made in that situation.
Murashov should not have allowed that goal. But he should be allowed to surrender a bad goal or have a bad game as a young goaltender finding his NHL footing and as a guy whose team has not played well in front of him once this season.
Expecting perfection - or, even, expecting that goaltenders won't allow any goals they should have - is a perfect way to set a young netminder up for failure.
His team needed a save there, but he also needed his team to be better the rest of the night. Neither happened. That goal is an easier pill to swallow if the stakes weren't that high to begin with due to poor play from the rest of the team preceding it.
- Carlile has endured a rough couple of games. He coughed up the puck in a bad turnover on Chicago's first goal, and oftentimes, he finds himself playing like a forward.
This is not a slight to Carlile, but there is a difference between Erik Karlsson jumping up on a play and Carlile doing so. I think Carlile commits a bit too much offensively for the relative level of offensive talent he has, and it gets him in trouble sometimes.
On a pairing with Karlsson, being too active can hurt more than help. He just needs to learn when to pick his spots better. And he also needs to have more awareness below the goal line in his own zone.
He blocks a ton of shots, is mobile, and is physical. He's at his best when playing to his strengths and not trying to force plays.
- A small yet relatively significant bright spot in this game was Crosby.
He needed those two goals. It was only a matter of time before the captain broke through, and he finally did, which should, hopefully, get him going a bit.
I thought his line was a bit better tonight, but it could still use more speed, which is why I'd like to see Robertson reunited with Crosby. If Sid has finally found his legs, and Robertson and Rust can provide some speed on his wings, it could make for a lethal combination.
- The Penguins next have the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights back-to-back Friday and Saturday. Needless to say, they are not the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Penguins tend to find a way to elevate against better competition, so hopefully, they can find another level like they did against the Stars Saturday. But they need to start beating some of the teams they should be beating, like the Hawks.
Half the points on this tough Western road swing would be a good aim for the Penguins. Winning at least one of these games feels important.
'Pretty Easy Decision': John Tavares Reclaims Maple Leafs' Top Power-Play Spot Over Gavin McKenna In UtahAfter missing the last game with the birth of his child, John Tavares has taken his spot back on the Toronto Maple Leafs' top power-play unit in Utah. Gavin McKenna was in that spot in his absence.
‘Completes Our Family’: John Tavares Re-Joins Maple Leafs in Utah After Birth of Son TuckerAfter a whirlwind cross-country trip to meet his newborn son Tucker, John Tavares rejoined the Maple Leafs in Utah with high praise from teammates who noticed plenty of "dad strength" in his stride.
