The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home to face the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at 7:00 PM.
Toronto Maple Leafs - 4-4-2 - 10 Points - Won 1 - 6th in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 3-4-0 - 6 Points - Lost 1 - 7th in the Metro
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle has 4-21-25 in 33 career GP vs. Toronto, including a 0-4-4 effort last season on Oct. 29, 2025.
Luca Del Bel Belluz has 1-1-2 in two career matchups with Toronto and notched all points with his first career multi-point effort on Jan. 22, 2025.
Adam Fantilli has 6-2-8 in nine career GP vs. the Leafs, with multi-goal performances in each of the last two seasons (2-1-3 on Nov. 20, 2025 & 3-0-3 on Jan. 22, 2025).
Valeri Nichushkin has 8-5-13 in 14 career GP against Toronto, with a hat trick on Mar. 8, 2025 (3- 1-4), and has notched 6-3-9 in his last eight matchups as well as scoring in three of his six career home matchups against the Maple Leafs (6-2-8).
Mathieu Olivier has 3-5-8 in eight career GP and has all points in four of his last six matchups after notching his first career four-point game on Oct. 29, 2025 (1-3-4).
Zach Werenski has 2-19-21 with 6 multi-point efforts in 20 career GP, including having a 3-game overall point streak (2-4-6) as well as a 3-game home point streak (2-3-5), and has collected 2-7-9 in his last 6 overall.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 11.8% - 29th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 68.0% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 17 - 30th in the NHL
Goals Against - 23 - 12th in the NHL
Maple LeafsStats
Power Play - 27.6% - 7th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 96.4% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 29 - 10th in the NHL
Goals Against - 31 - 25th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheMaple Leafs
The Blue Jackets are 23-20-1-1 overall, and 10-11-0-1 at home vs. Toronto.
The Jackets have earned points in seven of their last nine matchups against the Maple Leafs (6-2-1).
The Blue Jackets have won three of the last four matchups at Nationwide Arena in the series, out-scoring the Maple Leafs by six goals (19-12).
CBJ have scored five-plus goals in five of their past six victories over the past 3 campaigns, including four instances of six-plus goals.
CBJ has gone 100 percent on the penalty kill percentage in the last six games between clubs (13-of-13).
Columbus has won the past three season series, taking two wins in each season.
Who To Watch For TheMaple Leafs
Auston Matthews leads the team in goals(6), assists(7), and points(13)
Kirill Marchenko has 4 goals and 9 points.
Goalie Anthony Stolarz is 2-1-0 with a SV% of .875
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 7 Games Missed
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 7 Games Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 7 Games Missed
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 25
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)
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at 7:00 PM.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have snapped their three-game losing streak on Monday with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Scotiabank Arena. It was a tight contest throughout the night, but Gavin McKenna scoring Toronto's second goal of the game was the breakthrough for the home team and led to the two points in the Leafs' favor.
"Yeah, that's a huge night for the group," McKenna said after the game. "I thought San Jose played a good game, but I thought we played a full sixty minutes, which you know, something we wanted to do all season. And I thought guys were working from the first line to the fourth line, so it was a huge night."
McKenna's power-play tally early in the third period turned out to be the game-winning goal, and the rookie's third of the season.
"I think that whole shift, puck was kind of bouncing around a little bit, and then a lot of battle wins from the guys," McKenna said of his goal. "Saw Auston (Matthews) won that puck battle, and then had a little bit of time and space in front, and then yeah, shot low glove, and lucky went in."
Though he believes his goal was lucky, what can't be argued is that it came at a significant moment in the hockey game for the Maple Leafs. Given their losing streak and the strength of the Atlantic Division, they couldn't afford to fall behind in the standings early, and McKenna's goal did just that.
"Even his first goal, talked about Gavin a lot, but he's just not afraid of the moment," Toronto's head coach Jim Hiller said post-game. "He enjoys the moment. You know, you saw his celebration, and you could say, 'yeah, well, shouldn't everybody do that?' There's lots there, and you have to want to be that big-time player, and that's what he has in spades."
"He's not shy at the moment at all," Matthews echoed, who had a goal and three points on the night himself. "I think, you give him a little bit of time and space like he had there, he's going to make something happen, and he did. So he's been fine his last couple games, and even what happened a couple nights ago, that stuff doesn't shake him. He keeps churning away, and it's impressive."
McKenna was asked about his ability to come through in big moments and delicate situations.
"I think it's just a confidence thing," the 18-year-old said. "For me, you want to be a guy who's known for those big moments, and when you get that time and an opportunity to be out there on the ice, you want to make the most out of it. So, I think you're playing with guys like Auston, (William Nylander) and those guys. I think it just brings confidence in itself. So, for me, that's something I've taken a lot of passion in, trying to be known as a guy who's able to perform in those situations."
The Maple Leafs' rookie now has three goals and six points in 10 games this season. Among rookies, that makes him tied for second in scoring, with only Trevor Connelly of the Vegas Golden Knights ahead with seven points.
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On Saturday afternoon, the Devils faced off against the Capitals for the first time this season. Things seemed to start positively for the Devils, at least on the scoreboard. Areseny Gritsyuk scored his 3rd goal of the season halfway through the period, giving the Devils the first goal of the game for the 3rd game in a row. Playing from behind has recently been the kiss of death for the Devils and on the flip side, their record when scoring first has been stellar. Between their expected “high” from their victory over the Rangers and scoring first yet again, no one would have blamed you for having a good feeling about the rest of this game. Well, have I got some bad news for you.
Before the end of the first period, Ryan Leonard would score a power play goal for the Capitals. It was an amazing individual effort, similar to the 2nd goal of the night scored by Luke against the Rangers. Another way to put it would be that the Devils let Leonard basically skate his way through their penalty kill in a horrible show of “defense.” Either way you wish to view it, the teams headed into the second period tied at 1.
Similar again to the Rangers game, the second period is where the wheels fell off of this game. Only this time, it was the Devils falling apart in the second. The Capitals scored less than 2 minutes into the period, and again a little over 3 minutes later to take a quick 3-1 lead. Boone Jenner scored about halfway into the period, giving the Capitals a 4-1 lead and 4 unanswered goals.
Timo Meier scored a power play goal, his first of the season, with less than a minute left in the 3rd period to make the score and game look closer than it actually was. The game mercifully ended right after, with the Capitals skating away with a 4-2 win and the win/loss see-saw that is the Devils “consistency” continued yet again.
Last Avalanche Game
On Monday night the Avalanche faced off against the Flyers in Philadelphia. Matvei Michkov got the scoring started for the Flyers with a power play goal in the first period, scoring against our old buddy, Mackenzie Blackwood. Michkov would score again for the Flyers in the second period to put his team up 2-0 before Martin Necas scored for the Avalanche to send the teams to the 3rd period with a score of 2-1 Flyers.
The teams would trade goals in the 3rd period, however the Avalanche would end their night with a 3-2 loss. Blackwood took the L as the kids say these days, however he does have a 4-2-0 record on the season along with a decent 2.86 GAA and a not so decent .890 SV%. One thing is for sure. Either way you slice it, the Devils will be facing an ex-Devil in net tonight.
Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.
Per Amanda Stein on 10/19, there were no lines or pairings for practice. Instead the team worked on drills and “forcing players to be aggressive on pucks, ending plays quickly and taking out bodies in the corner.”
No lines or pairings today for #NJDevils. There was a ton of drills and plays forcing players to be aggressive on pucks, ending plays quickly and taking out bodies in the corners.
All the things HC Keefe said were severely lacking in Washington.
On the injury/illness front, Bratt, Glass, and Mantha missed practice today. However, Keefe noted that he expects Bratt, Glass, and Evangelista back for the game tonight while Mantha might be a game time decision.
Expectation is both Bratt and Glass will be available tomorrow for #NJDevils against Colorado.
Bratt has had something nagging him, he was kept out of formal practice but did skate earlier on his own.
Glass, similar to last practice, has been dealing with an issue where…
One final update that will surely make some fans happy and some upset, is that Brenden Dillon will not be playing tonight.
Keefe pointed to the return of Kovacevic and getting him “up and running” while also wanting to give Chisholm some runway to being an every day player.
Dillon will be out vs Avs.
"I don't know how many more we're going to have him on the sidelines, but he won't play tomorrow,"… https://t.co/rr6JCr0hSA
Last season (like the Devils), Grimace started the season off hot, winning the majority of his predictions early in the year. This year, not so much. He hasn’t quite turned to drink yet, like he did last year, but I am starting to notice the changes in his mood. Whether it is his mood, the changing weather, or some other sign from above, he has unfortunately predicted a loss against Colorado tonight.
Grimace’s 2026-2027 Season Prediction record currently stands at 1-2.
Your Take
What can you say about the game against the Capitals (or this team) after their last game? The victory against the Rangers produced amazing feelings of joy and positive vibes among the fan base, myself included. The game against the Capitals produced an effect 180 degrees away from the Rangers game. How can a team absolutely demolish and run a team out of the arena in one game, and then mail it in their next game? Well folks, if anyone on here knew the answer to that question, they would probably be in charge of the team. At this point, I will continue my belief that if he doesn’t know it yet, that Sunny is well on his way to figuring out what the deal is with this team.
I continue to believe that as constructed (that includes the players and Sheldon Keefe), that this team is exactly what we have seen over their first 8 games. Win some, lose some. They are the purest definition of an average (results wise) .500 hockey club. I think they have tons of talent and many great pieces. I do not think those pieces fit together and I don’t think they play nice together. We, as fans, have been asking for years not for an 84-0 record, but consistency. It is quite early in the season, but the infamous consistently inconsistent Devils are in peak form, sadly, as always.
In a shameless bit of non hockey related self promotion (approved by Chris – thanks Chris), I wanted to plug my podcast on here, if any of you are interested in listening. We have a light hearted, fun discussion about any movies, music, or video games mostly from the 1980s and 1990s. Please feel free to listen to us on any of the formats below and any feedback is welcome (positive and negative). Also, please follow us and subscribe, even if you think we stink. :).
Blue and orange meets orange and orange. | NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders begin their life — well, technically it began late in the first period in Toronto Saturday — with two more regulars out as they host the Ducks and Tough Negotiator Pat Verbeek on Long Island Tuesday.
The prognosis for the two newest injuries is not as bad as it could’ve been, but opposite what I at least expected. Center Cal Ritchie, who skated off on his own power, is expected to miss four to six weeks, while winger Matias Maccelli, who needed help off the ice and down the hall, is listed as two to four weeks.
Of course, with Mat Barzal still out despite “maybe being ready by opening weekend,” we’ll view all prognoses with even more suspicion than usual.
Regardless, Mitchell Chaffee gets the emergency recall and Kyle MacLean gets a turn in the lineup.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 19: The Utah Mammoth celebrate a win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Delta Center on October 19, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Eli Rehmer/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
In hopes of salvaging something positive from an otherwise rotten road trip, the Pittsburgh Penguins headed to Salt Lake City on Monday evening to take on the Utah Mammoth. Proceedings could not have started better for the Penguins, scoring just over a minute into the game on an Erik Karlsson power play goal. That lead, only their second of the entire road trip, lasted all of five minutes before the Mammoth drew even then eventually pulled away in the end for a 5-4 victory, sending the Penguins back to Pittsburgh on a four game skid. [Pensburgh]
Pens Points…
Good news for the Penguins? Last week was tough but now it’s behind them and this week is a fresh slate with a return home on the horizon. Bad news? That fresh slate will present another gauntlet of challenges that will test the Penguins. Don’t worry, I’m sure next week will be easier (it won’t). [Pensburgh]
If the Penguins can’t rebound from this slow start to the season and they are in a hole they don’t think they can recover from, it could put them in selling mode. There are several veterans who could be trade targets, but any return they get won’t provide immediate help to the lineup. [The Hockey News]
Declan Carlile signed with the Penguins this offseason as an under the radar player who was waiting to prove himself and stick in the NHL. His small sample size with the Penguins through nine games has brought good and bad moments, but he looks the part of an every game blue liner. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
It’s been a difficult few weeks between the Winnipeg Jets and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. After requesting a trade, Hellebuyck was suspended and has yet to join the team for any hockey activities this season. With no end in sight, everything remains in a holding pattern between the two sides. [NHL]
The aforementioned suspension for Hellebuyck that was issued by the Jets is set to expire on Friday. That means they will have to start paying him, but could ask him to remain away from the team, and there is no guarantee any trade gets done before that deadline hits. [ESPN]
Connor McDavid has been the best hockey player in the world for some time now. In case you forgot how good he was over the offseason, he’s been reminding you every time he steps on the ice season as his torrid pace has him sitting among the greatest players in hockey history. [Sportsnet]
San Jose Sharks (4-4-1, in the Pacific Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (4-3-1, in the Atlantic Division)
Montreal, Quebec; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Canadiens -211, Sharks +171; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the San Jose Sharks after Cole Caufield scored two goals in the Canadiens' 4-3 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Montreal is 4-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 at home. The Canadiens have committed 43 total penalties (5.4 per game) to rank fifth in league play.
San Jose has gone 2-2-1 on the road and 4-4-1 overall. The Sharks have given up 31 goals while scoring 22 for a -9 scoring differential.
The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.
INJURIES: Canadiens: Florian Xhekaj: 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).
Sharks: Kyle Keyser: out (upper body), Quentin Musty: out (upper body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins had one more opportunity to salvage points from a four-game Western road swing that, so far, had not gone their way.
Unfortunately, they came up empty.
Despite a late push that nearly tied the game, the Penguins dropped their fourth-straight game, this time at the hands of the Utah Mammoth, 5-4. The loss ended their road trip at 0-4, and they dropped to 3-6-1 on the season.
Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Declan Carlile found the back of the net for the Penguins, while goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 Utah shots. The Penguins had a late push in the final minute during 6-on-5 play, but it wasn't enough to overcome what was yet another deep-dug hole.
Pittsburgh actually opened up the scoring in this one when Erik Karlsson, just a minute and 11 seconds in, threw a puck toward the net on the power play that hit Mackenzie Weegar on the way in and trickled past Mammoth netminder Sebastian Cossa to make it 1-0.
However, the lead didn't last too long, as Lawson Crouse connected on a nice pass from down low to Clayton Keller breaking through the slot with his speed, and he put it past Silovs to tie the game six minutes in. Kevin Stenlund gave the Mammoth the lead just past the midway point.
The Penguins got another power play opportunity just before the seven-minute mark of the second period, and just eight seconds into the power play opportunity, Rakell got the puck down low around the net. He used his reach on a stuff attempt, and it was a success, giving him his long-awaited first goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
But Utah hit back with some momentum of their own. Nate Schmidt potted one from the point a few minutes later to retake the lead for the Mammoth, and a few minutes after that, Kailer Yamamoto beat Chinakhov on a play to make it 4-2.
A minute and a half into the third, Utah added to their lead with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, who scored his team-leading fifth man-advantage goal of the season. But the Penguins did respond in the form of Chinakhov's second goal of the season less than a minute and a half later, which also marked the first points for Andrei Kuzmenko and Spencer Stastney as Penguins on the assists.
After a long stretch without a shot, the Penguins grabbed momentum in the second half of the final frame. To cap off a nice cycle by the first line, Declan Carlile broke down the left side and finished a play to bring the Penguins to within one at 5-4.
And, at the end of the game, they came very close to tying it. Pittsburgh was getting some sustained pressure with the goaltender pulled, and they even forced a few icing calls to keep tired Utah players on the ice. After a few blasts by Karlsson and Rakell missed the net, Karlsson finally did put one on net, and Cossa let a rebound squirt to Ben Kindel on the doorstep.
Kindel shot it toward the net with the seconds ticking off the clock, and Cossa made a pad save in desperation to preserve the Mammoth lead and send the Penguins home pointless.
Here are a few takeaways from the Penguins' most recent loss:
- The result wasn't what the Penguins wanted. But there are some good things that happened in this game that the team can build on, especially after some pretty drastic lineup changes.
It's no small thing that Rakell and Chinakhov both scored in this game. And not only did they score, they were two of the game's best players, with Chinakhov flanking Crosby's left and Rakell on Kindel's right. If those two - the Penguins' two best pure goal-scorers - can get going, they will be much better for it.
The power play also stayed hot and scored on both of its opportunities in this game. It's three for its last three opportunities, and if that unit can get hot, the Penguins will - again - be much better for it.
Karlsson, who did record his first goal of the season, registered his team-leading 10th and 11th points of the season to give him 11 points in 10 games. His 11 points is tied for third in the NHL among defensemen, as he only trails Evan Bouchard (16 points) and Quinn Hughes (12 points).
And the push in the back half of the third showed that this team is capable of finding another level. Kindel was so, so close to tying that game, and Cossa made the save. The effort was too little, too late, but it's something to build on.
- As far as the defense? Yeah, it hasn't looked great. The details haven't been there. The own-zone coverage has been atrocious, to put it nicely.
But there is a very large something to be considered here.
The Penguins have five new players on their blue line. Three or four of them are playing on any given night, and every pairing has at least one new face.
Yes, every team in the NHL has been forced to work around a much-shortened preseason and training camp. But no team in hockey has as many new faces on the blue line as the Penguins. It's well-known that it typically takes defensemen a bit more time to adjust to new teams, new partners, and new systems.
The defense has been a letdown, but if there can be a neutral take from this, much of the inconsistency and utterly baffling breakdowns can probably trace back to the fact that these guys simply have not had a lot of runway together. It's the same thing on the forward front, but it's even more true on the blue line: It's going to take some time for the coaching staff and the players to figure out the right combinations on the back end.
Maybe this defense is far worse than last season's, maybe it isn't. The simple fact of the matter is that it's game 10, they have four of those five new defensemen on the NHL roster and playing, and more time and experimentation is needed to truly determine what things are probably going to look like for the remainder of the season.
If the same issues and breakdowns persist with this frequency two or three weeks from now, yes, that's a different conversation. But, for now, the blue line needs more time to figure out what works and what doesn't. The shortened camp did not afford the opportunity for any runway whatsoever, especially with prospect-heavy preseason action.
Even if it's not entirely an excuse, it has certainly been a factor.
- That said, yes, Carlile did score a goal, and a big one.
But he has displayed some problematic defense for several games now.
In a few previous games, defensive zone turnovers were the culprit. It was clear that he and Karlsson were not meshing as a pairing, so he was put on a second pairing with Kaedan Korczak in this one, while Stastney was stapled to Karlsson.
The culprits in this one for Carlile? Two blown net-front coverages. He failed to win a net-front battle against Stenlund on his goal, and his failure to box out Jack McBain at the net-front resulted in him screening Silovs on Schmidt's goal.
Then, on the power play goal, Schmaltz was left completely uncovered at the net-front prior to his goal, and Carlile was all the way up at the point like a forward. On the surface, this isn't a problem because of the Penguins' rotating PK, but Carlile is in this position frequently on the PK. He should probably have stayed down low with Karlsson prior to that sequence.
There is far too much risk in Carlile's game right now, and both Spencer Stastney and Ilya Solovyov, the latter playing his first NHL action of the season, were serviceable in this game. If Sam Girard is ready to go Thursday - or Trevor van Riemsdyk - I'm not sure that Carlile has been playing well enough to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis.
- Bryan Rust was injured sometime during the second period in this game, and he did not return. The only thing known up to this point is that it's a lower-body injury.
If he isn't good to go for Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers - and if he goes to injured reserve - I'd expect Avery Hayes or Rutger McGroarty to get the call, as they are lighting up the AHL right now with nine points each in six games.
In any case, that's a tough break for Rust, who was injured out of camp to start the season. This guy's biggest knock in the last decade has been his inability to stay healthy, and it's a shame because the Penguins are a better team when he's in the lineup.
- The Penguins are now 3-6-1 after 10 games. The Philadelphia Flyers - who took 10 games to win a hockey game - are now tied with them points-wise and have just one less win. And the Columbus Blue Jackets are just one point behind them in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
That said, the Penguins are still only four points removed from a playoff spot in the early going.
They take on Florida Thursday. Last season, they were 3-0 against the Panthers and outscored them, 19-9.
This is not last year's Florida team by any means, but it's also a depleted team. Brad Marchand is out for six weeks. Aleksander Barkov is out for a couple of months. Jacob Markstrom and Radko Gudas are both out day-to-day, with their statuses for Thursday uncertain.
I'm not quite as high on this Florida team as some others, but it will be a real test for the Penguins to see if they can put together a full 60-minute effort back in front of their home fans. Their last showing at home was a clinical 2-1 winning effort that ended in a shootout win against one of the league's best two-way teams in the Dallas Stars.
It's early. But they need to right the ship soon. They took some encouraging steps against Utah, but Thursday, in some respects, feels as near to a must-win as a game in October possibly can.
Going into the 2026-27 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins began with the most players on injured reserve and/or designated non-roster with 10.
They've slowly been crawling back to full health. But they may have been dealt another blow Monday, and it involves one of those players who were injured to start the season.
Forward Bryan Rust, who began 2026-27 on IR with an upper-body injury and missed the opening three games of the season, left the second period of Monday's game against the Utah Mammoth with a lower-body injury and did not return.
Rust, 34, has three goals in six games on the season.
The Penguins have dealt with several injuries to their forward unit so far this season, as Rust, Justin Brazeau, Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov have all missed games. In addition to the NHL squad, forwards Tristan Broz, Oliver Okuliar, and Melvin Fernstrom were also on IR to begin the season, although all have since returned.
On the blue line, Sam Girard was injured during Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and Trevor van Riemsdyk is still on IR with a lower-body injury and rehabbing in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins next play Thursday at home, when they host the Florida Panthers. No further update on Rust has been provided.
The Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils matchup will make a hockey fan from a certain generation nostalgic. For Devils fans, it’s a bit of bitterness from the 2001 Final, where they had a 3-2 series lead and couldn’t seal the deal in the dynasty run. For Avalanche fans and hockey fans at large, it provided one of the most iconic hockey moments of the 2000s, with Ray Bourque hoisting the Cup to put a bow on a Hall of Fame career.
Fast forward 25 years, and the Avalanche and Devils play both of their season series matchups in October. On Tuesday night, both teams are looking for a bounce-back, with the Avalanche eager to rebound from a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Devils hoping to shrug off the 4-2 defeat to the Washington Capitals.
The Devils don’t have the star power to go up against the Avalanche. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier are great players, but they aren’t the game-changers that Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are. MacKinnon and Makar have combined for a Hart Trophy, two Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Stanley Cup titles while establishing themselves as two of the top five players in the NHL. That said, the Devils have the depth to beat elite teams like the Avalanche, or at least they should have enough.
The Devils Revamped Their Depth This Summer
All the moves that general manager Sunny Mehta made this offseason give the Devils a complete roster. Specifically, the forward unit has improved, with multiple new faces making an impact, whether it’s Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha, or Evan Rodrigues.
Through eight games, it’s clear that the Devils have the depth to go up against the best teams in the league. Sure, the loss to the Capitals showed the gap between a good and great team, but the 7-1 win over the New York Rangers put their ability to come at teams in waves on full display.
Even the defense and goaltending have new faces. Declan Chisholm is the extra piece for the defense, while Rémi Poirier was claimed off waivers to help the goaltending. While they haven’t made much of an impact so far, especially Poirier, who has yet to play for the Devils, both should be valued reinforcements at some point.
Avalanche Are Powered By Stars But Added Depth Of Their Own
The Mikko Rantanen trade halfway through the 2024-25 season was a sliding-doors moment, a defining moment for the Avalanche and how they’d build their roster moving forward. It showed a shift in their team-building process. Yes, they traded away a star, but they focused on depth and now have plenty of it.
The Avalanche also added depth players over the years. Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri were acquired at the 2025 and 2026 trade deadlines, giving the forward unit two centers who can move up in the lineup. Brent Burns was signed in the 2025 offseason to help the defense.
Plus, the handful of players the Avalanche have developed in the American Hockey League with the Colorado Eagles have rounded out the roster. TJ Hughes was a pleasant surprise in training camp and is suddenly a bottom-six forward who adds a scoring touch. By all means, this is a different Avalanche team, not the top-heavy group fans got used to over the years.
Some Keys To Watch In Tuesday’s Game
After missing three games, Evangelista was back at practice and is expected to return for Tuesday’s game. The question is how he’ll look after missing a week of action. Ideally, he’s the difference-maker on the wing that he was in the first five games of the season.
The Devils have also battled a handful of injuries to start the season. Johnathan Kovacevic returned to the defense last week, and it forced Sheldon Keefe to leave Brenden Dillon out of the lineup. With the way Chisholm progresses, Dillon has become the seventh defenseman or the odd one out.
The Avalanche are playing the second of a back-to-back, driving up the New Jersey Turnpike after a 3-2 loss to the Flyers. It helps the Devils, who have three days off and will face a tired Avalanche team. It doesn’t help that they face a team eager to return to the win column.
Speaking of the back-to-back, the Avalanche started MacKenzie Blackwood against the Flyers. So Scott Wedgewood is the expected starter against the Devils. He played three seasons with the Devils, and his .908 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average were underwhelming, but in hindsight, something this team would love to have. Wedgewood has been a much-improved goaltender since joining the Avalanche, with a .920 SV% and a 2.03 GAA in his three seasons with the team. Sometimes, a great defense in front helps.
For, really, the first time since his rookie season, Matvei Michkov mania is back, and the Russian wunderkind helped guide the Philadelphia Flyers to their second straight win, a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, as they begin to reverse the narrative on a dreadful start to their season.
The 21-year-old Michkov was near-dominant against a juggernaut Avalanche team from start to finish, scoring yet another power play goal from his favored spot on the right side of the offensive formation on a rebound, then flicking a shot through heavy traffic after a superb solo effort to give the Flyers one- and two-goal leads, respectively.
Michkov now has goals in each of his last three games, while recording multiple points in the Flyers' wins against Ottawa and Colorado.
With his two-goal effort, Michkov is already up to six goals on the season, with seven total points in 11 games thus far.
"I think now power play a little bit better, but I think we need more goals in power play. This is better for team," Michkov said after the game.
Michkov nearly had his first NHL hat trick late in the third period, but fired wide from his own zone with the Avalanche pulling Mackenzie Blackwood for an extra attacker trailing 3-2.
It's not the first time that's happened to the young Flyers star.
"I don't know. Open net don't like me," Michkov joked in the locker room postgame. "You remember moment, was first season in Montreal, same moment. I don't know. Maybe soon."
On Michkov's second goal, a long-range shot through a sea of bodies in front of the net, center Noah Cates was helping screen Blackwood, but didn't record a touch to get himself a goal.
If Michkov had it his way, it'd be Cates's goal, but he's still happy Cates, with an assist in the buildup, recorded his first point of the season.
“I think this is goal Catesy. Catesy right now have zero goals, and I’m so happy. He told me, ‘No Michy, it’s your goal. I know that.’ I said, ‘Ok.’ But he have assist, but I’m happy for him," Michkov said.
Trevor Zegras drives the bus
Trevor Zegras had a hand in each of the three goals in Monday night's 3-2 win over Colorado. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
While Michkov did the bulk of the work by actually scoring two of the Flyers' three goals, Trevor Zegras was the one who drove the bus, orchestrating all three tallies.
On the power play, Zegras's slap pass was deflected by Denver Barkey in the bumper, and Michkov was on hand to slam home the rebound.
On the second goal, Zegras stayed on the ice for an extended shift with the Flyers establishing offensive zone possession, then dished to Michkov, who did the rest.
Then, on Noel Acciari's goal, the game-winner and dagger, Zegras hounded Gabriel Landeskog all the way back into his own end on the forecheck, which allowed Christian Dvorak to force a turnover along the wall on the other side.
After receiving the puck, Zegras teed up an Oliver Bonk slapshot that was deflected by Acciari past Blackwood, ultimately putting the Avalanche to bed for good.
"I think he's played better the last three, four games. Taking a little pressure off him, putting him on the wing has helped a little bit, and he's got some legs," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said of Zegras after the win.
"There's gonna be some point I'd like to try him back [at center]. I don't know when, but right now, I mean, he's playing good hockey. He's producing, so I'm not gonna do it right now."
With the Flyers beginning to come back to earth, Zegras has two goals, three assists, and five points in his last four games, with the Flyers going 2-1-1 in those four games.
Michkov and Zegras have caught fire, and Joseph Woll and Dan Vladar continue to supply excellent goaltending. If they can continue this run, there's no telling what might happen next.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 19: Matvei Michkov #39 of the Philadelphia Flyers celebrates his goal with teammates during the second period of a game against the Colorado Avalanche at Xfinity Mobile Arena on October 19, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The city of brotherly love was the setting, but the Avalanche didn’t really harness Rocky Balboa’s energy, and we didn’t get a hard-work montage leading to ultimate victory.
Instead, the Flyers played stingily behind a strong netminding performance, and a disjointed Avalanche club dropped a game that looked like a scheduled win. The Flyers had just one win before tonight.
An #Avs loss to this PHI team would be a real head-scratcher.
Unfortunately, the Avalanche are turning slow starts into a bad habit; for the second game in a row, the opposition seemed to bring more effort and focus. Just like their last time out against Pittsburgh, the Avalanche conceded the first goal of the evening to Matvei Michkov off a Trevor Zegras attempt at 07:41.
It just felt like the Avalanche hadn’t woken up, and things would only get worse in the middle frame.
Second Period
Michkov scored again to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead and put himself on the cusp of a hat trick. At 12:21, Matvei took a drop pass from Zegras, held the puck, and rounded the net. As he finally made a full circle back to the point, he fired a shot that was going wide but glanced in behind Blackwood.
Martin Necas got back at Philly with a seeing-eye wrist shot just after a Colorado Avalanche power play expired. Necas’ 5th of the season came on a helper from Artturi Lehkonen, who pushed his point streak to four games at 17:52.
The Avalanche had one more twenty-minute frame to clean up their bad start, but instead let Noel Acciari give the Flyers a 3-1 lead at 06:34 in the final frame.
Ooof. Avs had control, Landeskog went to circle back in the d-zone and lost the puck. His pass around the boards missed everyone and ends up in the Avs net.
Rookie forward T.J. Hughes got a few looks throughout the night and on the power play, but his net-crashing ability ultimately earned him his second NHL goal. Hughes has two goals in his last two games and logged top-six minutes (16:54 TOI) this evening.
The Flyers won 3-2, with Colorado holding Philly in their own end but unable to cash in with the net empty and an extra attacker as time expired.
Takeaways
This game was a serious dud for the Colorado Avalanche, who should have dominated given the talent imbalance. It’s the NHL, and every team can be competitive on any given night, but from my vantage, this was more about Colorado’s problems than the Flyers putting on a show. Jared Bednar felt the same way, calling it “sluggish and sloppy,” according to Corey Masisak of the Denver Post.
You can’t expect to win many games with 16 giveaways on the stat sheet.
Netminder Mackenzie Blackwood was the best Avalanche player this evening. Without a few right-pad and blocker saves, this could have been even uglier. In my opinion, Blackwood provided in the “needed save” department.
Blackwood gonna wear a sub-.900 despite being the only Av to actually show up tonight. Hockey is unfair
I’m not sure what to make of the line combinations and usage in a game like this, but it felt like either Nathan MacKinnon was being punished or T.J. Hughes and Jaden Schwartz were being rewarded. The three players spent time on the same line in a look I hadn’t seen coming into the evening. I’m not saying Hughes and Schwartz aren’t useful linemates, but MacKinnon looked off his game.
Up Next
Colorado’s road trip continues as they head to New Jersey to take on the Devils tomorrow night. Yeah, that’s right, another back-to-back.
Let us know what you thought of tonight’s game in the comments!
NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Durzi scored 78 seconds in, Dylan Garand made 29 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the travel-weary Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Monday night to improve to 6-0-0 at home this fall.
The Rangers did not pick up their sixth victory at Madison Square Garden last season until Jan. 26, their 23rd game there. They lost 27 of 41 at home on the way to missing the playoffs and finishing last in the Eastern Conference.
There is hope of a turnaround given this start, even missing franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the rest of the season. Garand was making a fifth consecutive start since Shesterkin went down, and he has allowed two or fewer goals in nine of 10 NHL appearances dating to his debut last spring.
He got support early and often, with Durzi’s goal making it three home games in a row where the Rangers have a goal in the first two minutes. That has only happened once before for New York, in March 1989.
Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, captain J.T. Miller and Gabe Perreault each had a goal and Alexis Lafrenière recorded two assists. Pavel Dorofeyev, the team’s most notable trade acquisition over the summer, came close on several occasions but remained stuck on two goals for the season.
FLYERS 3, AVALANCHE 2
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matvei Michkov scored two goals and Philadelphia beat Colorado for its second straight victory after opening the season with nine consecutive losses.
Michkov leads the Flyers with six goals this season. Noel Acciari also scored for Philadelphia, which lost six games in regulation and three in overtime or shootouts before breaking through on Saturday with a victory over Ottawa.
Joseph Woll made 24 saves for his first victory with the Flyers. He spent the previous five seasons with Toronto.
Martin Necas and rookie T.J. Hughes scored for the Avalanche (5-3-1), last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 21 shots.
Cole Knuble made his NHL debut for the Flyers, the team he grew up rooting for. His father, Mike, played for Philadelphia from 2005-09 and in 2013. The 22-year-old right wing had 13 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time.
Mitchkov scored on a power play at 7:41 of the first period and made it 2-0 at 12:23 of the second when he skated around the net and fired a long-range wrist shot past several players that beat Blackwood on the glove side.
MAPLE LEAFS 3, SHARKS 1
TORONTO (AP) — Gavin McKenna scored the go-ahead goal on a third-period power play and Toronto snapped a three-game slide with a victory over San Jose.
Auston Matthews added a goal and two assists for Toronto. Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves to pick up his first home win for the Maple Leafs. Nick Paul added an empty-netter.
Mason Marchment scored for San Jose, which got 28 stops from Yaroslav Askarov.
The game featured the first meeting between the No. 1 and 2 picks of the 2026 NHL draft — McKenna and Sharks winger Ivar Stenberg.
Marchment opened the scoring at 13:54 of the first when he was left alone in front of Bobrovsky after Matthews turned the puck over in the defensive zone.
Matthews made up for that mistake and got his team even with 12 seconds left in the second on a power play. Toronto’s captain took a pass from Kirill Marchenko and ripped a shot upstairs on Askarov before McKenna pushed the Leafs in front in the third.
The Rangers were business as usual Monday night back at Madison Square Garden.
On the heels of two frustrating road losses, the Blueshirts handily beat the Ducks 5-2 to remain undefeated on home ice and match the second-longest season-opening home win streak in franchise history at six games.
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At the very least, in a moderately challenging schedule to start the season, the Rangers are taking care of the teams they’re supposed to.
Against the clubs projected to finish near the bottom of the standings — such as the Red Wings, Canucks and Ducks — the Rangers have won by a combined margin of 13-4.
Injuries have forced the Rangers to make recalls and dress a lineup noticeably different from opening night in Boston, but this hasn’t slightly influenced how the team is playing on home ice.
“It’s our fans. It’s an exciting time,” Sean Durzi said. “We heard what was going on tomorrow night [at the Knicks championship banner raising ceremony], so it’s nice to give back-to-back good nights at MSG. They’ve been great.”
New York Rangers goaltender Dylan Garand (33) makes a save during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
The team game that was missing in New Jersey and Columbus returned as soon as the Rangers stepped onto the ice in Manhattan.
Rookie goalie Dylan Garand played his role to the fullest, stopping 29 of the 31 shots he faced.
Scoring within the first two minutes after puck drop for the third time this season, the Rangers controlled the pace of play frequently.
Durzi’s shot through traffic from the top of the zone gave the home team a 1-0 lead just 1:18 into the first period, marking the second time in franchise history the Rangers have scored in the opening two minutes in three consecutive home games.
The Rangers could’ve easily had a multigoal lead by the first intermission had Pavel Dorofeyev put away either one of his two grade A opportunities in the opening 20 minutes. Dorofeyev continues to find scoring opportunities, but the finish hasn’t quite been there thus far.
Not only did he hit the post on a wide-open net during a 5-on-3 power play, but the 25-year-old Russian also missed entirely when on the doorstep later in the first period.
Rangers right winger Oliver Bjorkstrand (28) celebrates with right winger Taylor Raddysh (14) after scoring a goal during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden in New York, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Jason Szenes for NY Post
With one goal through his first 11 games as a Ranger, Dorofeyev is still looking to find his stride with his new team. The reason he was briefly taken off the top power-play unit, however, had more to do with discipline.
“I’ve been asking the power-play [unit] for a number of games now that the first unit — they have to change smarter,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “And when the puck gets dumped down two or three times, and they’ve got to go 200 feet to get it and then work back into the offensive zone, they should change — and Pav didn’t. At some point, there needs to be some accountability around it.”
From the start of the second period, the Rangers absolutely dominated play.
Center Mika Zibanejad (93) of the New York Rangers is checked on by a trainer after taking a hard hit during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Anaheim Ducks at Madison Square Garden. Jason Szenes for NY Post
The top power-play unit converted less than five minutes into the middle frame, after captain J.T. Miller redirected an Adam Fox shot from the top of the zone for his second goal of the season.
Jump-started by Alexis Lafrenière’s cross-ice backhand feed, a Rangers tic-tac-toe passing sequence ended with Gabe Perreault tapping the puck in at the side of the net. The game seemed to get out of hand from there, with the Ducks struggling to maintain possession.
Oliver Bjorkstrand then capped the second period with his third goal of the season before scoring his fourth early in the third.
“I thought we just took what the game gave us,” Sullivan said. “I thought we played well and that we created a fair amount of offense just off our own defense.”
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matvei Michkov scored two goals and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Monday night for their second straight victory after opening the season with nine consecutive losses.
Michkov leads the Flyers with six goals this season. Noel Acciari also scored for Philadelphia, which lost six games in regulation and three in overtime or shootouts before breaking through on Saturday with a victory over Ottawa.
Joseph Woll made 24 saves for his first victory with the Flyers. He spent the previous five seasons with Toronto.
Martin Necas and rookie T.J. Hughes scored for the Avalanche (5-3-1), last season's Presidents' Trophy winners. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 21 shots.
Cole Knuble made his NHL debut for the Flyers, the team he grew up rooting for. His father, Mike, played for Philadelphia from 2005-09 and in 2013. The 22-year-old right wing had 13 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time.
Mitchkov scored on a power play at 7:41 of the first period and made it 2-0 at 12:23 of the second when he skated around the net and fired a long-range wrist shot past several players that beat Blackwood on the glove side.
Necas got the Avalanche on the board with 2:08 left in the second. Acciari restored Philadelphia's two-goal lead at 6:34 of the third, the veteran center's first goal as a Flyer.
Hughes scored at 14:40 of the third, his second straight game with a goal after he found the net for the first time in Friday's win over Pittsburgh.
