The Buffalo Sabres did what they needed to do on the California leg of their four-game road swing. After an overtime loss to Washington, Buffalo swept the Golden State, shutting out the San Jose Sharks, winning a wild 7-6 affair in Anaheim, and breaking out the broom with a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings Saturday.
Buffalo’s top two snipers accounted for all three tallies, with Jack Quinn notching his eighth of the season, and Tage Thompson scoring his club-leading ninth and 10th goals of the year; the latter snapping a 2-2 tie late in the third. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves for his first win in over two weeks, and the victory moved the Sabres to 7-4-3 (17 points) on the season.
“(It was) a good road trip, we played some good hockey. There’s areas we still want to improve, but there were a lot of good things. The power play got a couple big goals.” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game. “You look at the power play. the zone time, our entries. The loose-puck recovery by Östlund on the goal tonight was huge. The play that Quinn made to find (Tage). You put the work in, and we’re starting to see results.”
Earning seven of a possible eight points helped the Sabres rebound at the end of a mediocre first month. Buffalo has 17 points, just four behind first place Boston in the Atlantic Division and two behind third place Ottawa. With the exception of the Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes, who are 11-2-2 (24 points), there are a dozen teams in the East within six points of each other.
That fact puts more importance on the Sabres compiling points when they return home for a four game homestand, starting with the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
Over the last couple of days, more reports have emerged from around the hockey world on the state of the trade situation with Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin.
The most notable came this past Saturday on Rogers Saturday Night Hockey, during his Saturday Headlines segment, when Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman explained that with some teams showing little interest, Larkin's ten-team trade list may be altered, with some teams removed in favor of other interested parties.
Reports have suggested that a large number of the teams on the list are either not interested in Larkin or not believed to be in range to get him, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights. That could open the door for other reportedly interested teams, like the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens and St. Louis Blues, to get their offers in front of Larkin.
"Some teams like Florida and Vegas, even Colorado, it's very hard to see anything like that happening if not impossible, I do think it's possible [he] may take some teams off or possibly even add some," Friedman explained.
"He has a 10 team trade list; I think over the next 24 to 48 hours, it's possible we see that trade list altered."
"I think over the next 24-48 hours it's possible we see that trade list altered."
On Saturday Headlines, @FriedgeHNIC reports that Dylan Larkin's current list of teams he would approve a trade with could change. pic.twitter.com/NmQZw6g9xi
The changes could put further pressure on the teams reportedly most interested in the 30-year-old forward to improve their offers, like the Minnesota Wild and the Washington Capitals.
According to reports from both Friedman and The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, the Capitals have started to push for Larkin, with former 2024 third-round pick Ilya Protas expected to be the main piece in the return package. The Belarusian winger isn't a center like Detroit is reportedly looking for, but he has shown promise, with nine points through his first 16 NHL games.
Friedman also reported last Friday on Sportsnet that the Wild have an offer on the table that Minnesota believes is its best, one that "beats...any other team Larkin is willing to go to."
The offer is reportedly centered around young forward and former first-round pick Danila Yurov, along with multiple first-round picks. Friedman said he believes Larkin is aware of some of the offers, and his working theory is that Larkin is sitting out of the Red Wings lineup because he believes acceptable offers are on the table and interim general manager Shawn Horcoff has yet to pull the trigger.
With pressure continuing to mount and potential changes coming to Larkin's trade list, the end of the trade saga may be within reach, allowing the Red Wings to start turning their attention elsewhere.
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The Ottawa Senators will look to keep their offence rolling on Sunday night when they face the Anaheim Ducks in the fourth game of their five-game road trip.
After opening with a loss in Vegas, the Senators have taken three of a possible four points in their last two games, scoring 10 goals in the process.
Prior to the Sens game in San Jose, Shane Pinto discussed what the Sens needed to improve on (Senators on YouTube).
Sens Sniping
The Senators' offence has come alive over the past two games, beginning with Thursday's wild comeback in Los Angeles. Trailing 5-1 with less than 13 minutes remaining, the Sens scored four unanswered goals to force overtime before falling 6-5 to the Kings.
They followed that up with another five-goal performance in San Jose, breaking open a 1-1 game with three goals in a seven-minute span during the second period. Dylan Cozens, Tim Stützle and Shane Pinto each had a goal and an assist in the game.
The offensive spike has been encouraging, especially when you consider the injuries that have forced head coach Travis Green to juggle his lineup throughout this trip.
Warren Foegele and Andre Burakovsky were both injured during the Western swing, while Hayden Hodgson is serving a two-game suspension. The absences prompted the club to recall Philip Tomasino and Xavier Bourgault from Belleville on Friday.
Both suited up against San Jose, with Tomasino picking up an assist and making a positive first impression. It's not a stretch to suggest that the 25-year-old former first-rounder had more impact in his Sens debut than Burakovsky or Hodgson have had in any game this season.
Stützle enters Sunday's matchup tied for 7th in the NHL in points (21). He and Drake Batherson are tied for 9th in the league in goals (9).
Ducks' Hunt For Defence
The Sens are in a position to keep the good times rolling offensively, because Anaheim has been struggling to keep the puck out of their net.
The Ducks have lost seven of their last eight games (1-6-1), surrendering 37 goals during that stretch, including 13 in their last two outings.
With the way they're scoring (11 goals scored in those two losses), the Ducks just need to be average defensively to start winning hockey games.
To that end, the Sens would be well-advised to stay out of the box. The Ducks' power play is currently clicking at an impressive 28.6 percent. The Sens are struggling in that area at only 12.9.
Who Starts in Goal?
The Senators have an interesting goaltending decision to make.
Samuel Ersson earned his first victory as a Senator on Saturday, providing some welcome stability while Linus Ullmark is out.
Standard practice would suggest Jonas Johansson gets the call in the second half of a back-to-back.
But Ersson hasn't exactly been overworked this season, and with the Senators not playing again until Wednesday in Buffalo, there's less need to worry about rest in this case.
With Ersson giving up just one goal on Saturday, he has to be feeling better about his game, so there's some merit to the idea of giving him another go on Sunday. But we'll find out later in the day.
Ullmark was placed on injured reserve on Oct. 22 and was expected to miss one-to-two weeks, so his return could be imminent after the Sens end their western swing tonight.
A victory Sunday would give the Sens five of a possible eight points through four games of their Western trip and there aren't many teams in the league that wouldn't be happy with that.
But it won't come easy.
The Sens are playing on short rest at the end of a week-long western road trip. The Ducks, on the other hand, have had plenty of rest. They've been home all week and haven't played a game since Thursday.
So despite the Ducks' recent struggles, closing out this trip on a winning note will be a major challenge.
The other trend is struggling goalies. Kevin Lankinen (.812), Jordan Binnington (.846), Dustin Wolf (.847), Jakub Dobes (.853), Brandon Bussi (.865), Andrei Vasilevkiy (.877), Darcy Kuemper (.878) and Sergei Bobrovsky (.885) are among goalies with substandard save percentages.
The Bruins were staring at a three-game losing streak before Morgan Geekie helped them rally to beat the Blackhawks on Oct. 31. That win kept them atop the Atlantic Division despite only two goals from Geekie, who totaled 72 the past two seasons.
Tage Thompson has willed the Sabres to a three-game winning streak with five goals and three assists.
Calgary Flames grade – D
Goalie Devin Cooley has outplayed Dustin Wolf and has had great interviews. But Wolf is back in net after Cooley was hurt during a collision in the crease.
Carolina Hurricanes grade – A
The defending champions are getting balanced scoring, and goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is 9-0 while Brandon Bussi is off to a slow start.
They're heading toward another lottery pick. Connor Bedard and defenseman Bowen Byram have played only one game together because of injuries.
Colorado Avalanche grade – B
Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are dominating as usual. Add Artturi Lehkonen (12 goals) to that list.
Columbus Blue Jackets grade – C-
The Blue Jackets have been wildly inconsistent. Newcomer Matthew Knies has only one point in his last nine games after getting four points in his first two.
The Stars have the league's best penalty kill at 93.6 percent. They have allowed only three goals while a man down and have scored a short-handed goal.
Detroit Red Wings grade – D+
The Red Wings get a poor grade over the Dylan Larkin trade request saga and Simon Edvinsson contract dispute. But the players bump that up by putting aside the distractions with a decent start.
Edmonton Oilers grade – A-
Connor McDavid has 37 points in a season-opening 14-game point streak and coach Mike Babcock has straightened out the defensive play after some early wild games. He benched defenseman Jake Walman.
Florida Panthers grade – B+
Brady Tkachuk's surge alongside brother Matthew has drawn the attention, but Seth Jones is on fire with 18 points. That was helped the Panthers survive injuries to Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand and Jacob Markstrom.
Los Angeles Kings grade – C-
The Kings were the last team to pick up its first win. A 1-4 record at home and a league-worst penalty kill have hurt them.
Minnesota Wild grade – A-
The Wild are on top of the Central Divison as Kirill Kaprizov leads the league with 14 goals. Quinn Hughes is dominating, too, as everyone parses words to determine whether and when he'll sign a contract extension.
Montreal Canadiens grade – B+
The Canadiens have won five in a row without injured captain Nick Suzuki, and goalie Jacob Fowler is generating Calder Trophy buzz. They've been mentioned in Larkin and Kucherov rumors, though they're not on Larkin's trade list.
Nashville Predators grade – C
Could coach Andrew Brunette be on the hot seat after a middling start? "I think we've had this conversation the last three years," he told The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network. "I understand what the game is and where the game's at. I'm just focused on being the best coach I can every day."
Goaltending was considered an issue heading into the season. No longer after their blockbuster trade for Connor Hellebuyck. Throw in scoring up and down the deeper forward group and the Devils seem likely to return to the playoffs after missing last season.
New York Islanders grade – B-
Rookie of the year defenseman Matthew Schaefer is off to another strong season. They're still waiting for injured Mathew Barzal to make his season debut.
New York Rangers grade – B-
Igor Shesterkin's season-ending injury disrupted a solid start and the Rangers are still trying to figure out a good fit for offseason acquisition Pavel Dorofeyev.
Ottawa Senators grade – B
No Brady Tkachuk. No problem. Tim Stutzle's strong start has helped drive the Senators into third place in the Atlantic.
Philadelphia Flyers grade – D
The Flyers' playoff hopes took a massive hit with an 0-6-3 start. A bright spot has been Matvei Michkov, who ended the month with seven goals in his last seven games.
Pittsburgh Penguins grade – C
Sidney Crosby is below his usual point-per-game pace, but he had his best game on Oct. 31. He set an NHL record for most career assists with one franchise (1,113), passing Ray Bourque. He also tied Marcel Dionne (1,771) for sixth in all-time points.
St. Louis Blues grade – B
Goalie Jordan Binnington has a 4.11 goals-against average in the final year of his contract. Joel Hofer has received 10 of the 14 starts and sports a 2.42 GAA.
San Jose Sharks grade – C
GM Mike Grier beefed up the defense but it has still been a problem this season. They've allowed 31 shots per game, second worst in the league.
Seattle Kraken grade – B
The Kraken came up short in recent bids for Artemi Panarin and Jason Robertson. They've been boosted internally by second-year forward Berkly Catton, whose 11 points are six shy of his rookie total.
Tampa Bay Lightning grade – A-
Nikita Kucherov is playing through his trade request and had three assists in his first game after it become public. GM Julien BriseBois says he won't trade Kucherov.
Toronto Maple Leafs grade – B
The Maple Leafs took a while to gel after all of their offseason moves. One of their newcomers, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, remains off to a slow start.
The Mammoth are second in the Central Division, boosted by the league-best power play (34 percent). Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is on pace for a career best with 16 points in 14 games.
Vancouver Canucks grade – D
The Canucks are getting scoring, led by rejuvenated forward Elias Pettersson, but they have allowed a league-worst 4.5 goals per game.
Vegas Golden Knights grade – B
The Golden Knights mixed up their top power play unit, giving rookie Trevor Connelly a shot there and bumping Ivan Barbashev to the second unit.
For Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Gavin McKenna, he won't really get to have a true homecoming game in the NHL, being from Whitehorse, Yukon.
However, playing against the Vancouver Canucks in British Columbia on Saturday is the closest he'll get to that sort of experience. He's spent a large portion of his life on that side of the country, including in the off-season when he trained with San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini.
Against the Canucks, McKenna had family in the building for what could be labelled as his pseudo home.
"Yeah, it was cool," McKenna said after playing his first NHL game in Vancouver. "Obviously, a lot of Leafs fans here as well. So, yeah, to play in front of my family. Came to a couple Canucks games growing up, so to play in that barn and play against that team was pretty cool."
As the 18-year-old continues to go through the thrill of playing in the NHL for the first time in his rookie season, he's also still learning to be a reliable player for the Maple Leafs in all situations, specifically holding on to a lead and closing out a contest.
In the midst of all that, McKenna has been thrown into several different line combinations in his young NHL career, and that requires some adapting.
"You've got to learn how to play in different situations," McKenna said. "So for me, I think, yeah, being moved around with guys, you've got to learn how to play with different guys. So when you're on one line, you could have a different role, and when you're on the next, it might be a whole different change. So for me, it's been just trying to stay simple, no matter whose line I'm on, it's just sticking with it and trying not to turn over the puck too much."
Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller spoke on McKenna's utilization in the closing moments of tight games. But also, the key aspect of the youngster growing into a true professional is balancing out his play, with his high-flying skill and being able to lock it down.
McKenna finished the game with 13:01 of ice time, and his last shift in the game ended at the 12:03 mark of the third period.
"We don't have to want him to be one or the other," Hiller said of McKenna. "Just got to learn to be what an NHL player does typically. And those players with so much skill, in the end, they get a little bit more rope. We all know that. But, you still have to just find your way as an NHL player.
"He's tremendously skilled, but he's finding his way as an NHL player. And then you learn when to manage it and when not to. And that's what he's going through right now"
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The Islanders’ misfortunes were self-inflicted, Pete DeBoer said, but perhaps exacerbated by fatigue concluding a busy travel-heavy week. [Isles | Newsday | Post]
This a deep biomechanical (and even psychological) dive into what might be keeping Mat Barzal out. [Reconditioning Hub]
Isaiah George was recalled from Hamilton with Ryan Pulock out. [Isles]
The Wild are trying to put Max Shabanov in a position to succeed. [Athletic]
The Oilers did not like that knee-on-knee against Isaac Howard that got Emil Heineman tossed. [TSN]
Elsewhere
The Lightning say Nikita Kucherov is committed to being there this season, and they have zero intention of trading him. [Post | Sportsnet]
His teammates say all that is Kucherov’s business. [NHL]
And his former teammates in Toronto are wondering what’s up with all this. [Sportsnet]
Elliotte Friedman, who broke the Kucherov news, also says Dylan Larkin might further alter his 22-team no trade list. [Sportsnet]
Jeremy Roenick likes Keith Tkachuk and says he should be a Hall of Famer. I’m unmoved by the HOF case, but it is true he took care of trainers and staff, and he’s clearly taught his sons to do the same. [NHL]
Tkachuk did play an old-school game, and was just the 13th American to be drafted out of high school in the first round. [NHL]
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 31: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche battles for the puck against Morgan Frost #16 of the Calgary Flames during the first period at Ball Arena on October 31, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It was a night where there were more treats than tricks as the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Calgary Flames on Halloween night. The game began well after the candy was handed out but Colorado tasted the sweet 5-2 victory at the end of the night. Artturi Lehkonen continued his hot streak with two goals and Cale Makar finished with four assists.
The Game
To start this game, the Avalanche generated many shots but no goals until Nathan MacKinnon broke through with just over five minutes remaining in the first period. A rebound found it’s way right to MacKinnon in his favorite spot on the left side and he nailed the post and it bounced into the net behind Arsenii Sergeev making his second career NHL start for the Flames. Calgary got a few good looks on Mackenzie Blackwood but he shut the door especially on Matt Coronato by making a sprawling save with eight seconds to go to preserve the 1-0 lead.
On this Halloween night things got scary as the Avalanche received a power play early in the second period. As the first unit remained on the ice for nearly the full duration, Martin Nečas finally scored from the left circle and continued his hot streak of scoring on Halloween.
Martin Necas can add to his Halloween point total tomorrow when the @Avalanche host the @NHLFlames, who have the League’s best points percentage on Oct. 31 (.833 P%). 🎃 #HockeyHalloween
Minutes later, Arturri Lehkonen continued his own hot streak scoring his 11th goal on the season and Brock Nelson soon after. At that point the game entered garbage time as the clock began approaching midnight both on the evening and this game. Calgary tried to make it interesting when Joel Farabee made a spin move at the net front and finally got on the board to make it 4-1. Nothing much else happened in the period except for Brock Nelson got hit in the head on a Cale Makar shot but he returned to the bench by the start of the third period.
Speaking of the final frame, Colorado was feeling generous when a Brent Burns turnover behind the net led to a Martin Pospisil goal. Two minutes later, however, the Avalanche got it back as a Cale Makar shot was deflected by Lehkonen for his 12th goal of the season. Not much else happened other than Fedor Svechkov got chopped in the face and had to leave the ice for repairs and the Avalanche got a four-minute power play but they couldn’t cash in. Therefore the 5-2 score stood at the final horn and Colorado secured their victory.
Takeaways
Lehkonen is on pace for 72 goals this season after scoring his 12th in 14 games. Never mind that it’s on 28 shots on goal or what the ramifications of this will be but the Avalanche will take a hot streak to help them in the standings right now.
The four points he generated tonight is a sesson-high for Cale Makar. His high mark previous to this was a three-point effort when the Avalanche visited the Flames earlier in the month. That’s nearly half of the 15 points Makar has on the year courtesy of Calgary. The Avalanche don’t see the Flames again until April so Cale will have to find a new favorite team to play against.
Upcoming
The start of another quick road trip featuring a back-to-back. The fun begins on Monday, November 2nd at the Chicago Blackhawks. Puck drop is at 6 p.m. MT.
The Calgary Flames couldn’t carry their momentum from Friday night’s win into Colorado, falling 5-2 to the Avalanche on Saturday night.
Calgary was coming off a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken and had won six of its previous eight games heading into the second half of a back-to-back.
Recently recalled goaltender Arsenii Sergeev got the start between the pipes for the Flames, but faced an early deficit against one of the league’s top offensive teams.
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Colorado opened the scoring at the 14:13 mark of the first period. After picking up a loose puck in the high slot, Nathan MacKinnon fired a shot upstairs past Sergeev to make it 1-0.
The Avalanche added to their lead early in the second period on the power play. At 2:37, MacKinnon sent the puck to former Flame Nazem Kadri, who found Martin Necas with a perfect cross-seam pass. Necas made no mistake, beating Sergeev with a one-timer to make it 2-0.
Just over three minutes later, Colorado struck again. Cale Makar dangled around a Flames defender before sliding the puck to Artturi Lehkonen, who quickly fired it past Sergeev to extend the lead to 3-0.
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Avalanche weren’t finished. On a two-on-one rush, Gabriel Landeskog flipped a pass across to Brock Nelson, who chipped the puck out of the air and into the net to give Colorado a commanding 4-0 advantage.
Calgary finally got on the board before the end of the second period. Mikael Backlund won a battle along the boards and sent the puck out to Joel Farabee. Farabee kicked it to his stick before sliding a shot past Mackenzie Blackwood to make it 4-1.
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
The Flames carried some momentum into the third period, with Martin Pospisil cutting the deficit to two early in the frame.
After a strong forecheck and a turnover forced on Ryan Strome, Pospisil found himself with the puck in front of the net and buried his opportunity past Blackwood to make it 4-2.
However, any hopes of a Calgary comeback were quickly answered by Colorado.
Moments later, Makar sent a shot toward the net that Lehkonen redirected past Sergeev for his second goal of the night, restoring the Avalanche’s three-goal lead at 5-2.
Three Takeaways
1. Farabee continues to deliver offensively
Joel Farabee has been one of Calgary’s most productive forwards lately. His goal against Colorado gives him 12 points in his last seven games, with five goals and seven assists during that stretch. He’s providing consistent offence and becoming an important part of the Flames’ attack.
2. Calgary connections make an impact for Colorado
There were a couple of familiar connections on the Avalanche scoresheet. Calgary-born defenceman Cale Makar recorded four assists, while Nazem Kadri added an assist against his former team. Both played important roles in Colorado’s offensive performance.
3. Frost closing in on career milestone
Morgan Frost is now just one point away from reaching 200 career NHL points. The Flames forward is approaching another personal milestone as he continues to establish himself in Calgary’s lineup.
Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov did his part in his first game after telling his teammates he had requested a trade from the team he led to two championships.
The NHL's reigning MVP set up the first three Lightning goals for a 3-2 lead against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, Oct. 31. Nashville, however, rallied to win the game 5-4 in a shootout.
"He's going to play hard and we can't look into the future," teammate Brayden Point told reporters. "Right now, he's a Bolt."
When NHL insider Pierre LeBrun wondered on social media whether Kucherov eventually would sit out to pressure the team, agent Dan Milstein replied, "Unlikely."
Kucherov is the final year of a contract that has a $9.5 million cap hit. After some negotiations for an extension, the Lightning were informed that he wouldn't re-sign with the team and wanted to be traded. According to puckpedia.com, he has a modified trade clause in which he submits 10 teams.
General manager Julien BriseBois said in a statement on Oct. 30 that the Lightning "unequivocally" have no intention to trade the franchise's all-time leading scorer.
What Lightning said about Nikita Kucherov's trade request
Lightning captain Victor Hedman: "It was a tough day."
Point: "That's his business. He's my teammate. He's my friend. That's how I'll treat him."
Lightning defenseman John Carlson: "I think it was surprising to everyone."
He added that the trade request wasn't a distraction.
"Once you get on the ice, there's only so many things you can worry about," he said. "I think we're focused on what I can do on the ice."
Jon Cooper on the Nikita Kucherov situation: "I will sit here and tell you nothing has changed in what our goals are this year just, maybe, the context of how it is going to go about. Kuch is 100% a part of this team. He wants to be a part of this team for this season and he is…
Lightning coach Jon Cooper on Kucherov's night: “He's a proud Bolt and he came in tonight to help us win a hockey game as he’s done his whole career here and he gave us a hell of a chance. It's too bad we couldn't pull that one out."
Kucherov did not talk to media after the game.
Dylan Larkin trade request update
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman said he believes that Larkin's camp could make revisions to his current 10-team trade list.
"I think over the next 24-48 hours it's possible we see that trade list altered."
Emil Heineman (51) of the New York Islanders handles the puck against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Dallas.
And now the Islanders will hold their breath, hoping there is no hearing and subsequent suspension for Emil Heineman following his knee-on-knee hit to Isaac Howard that got him kicked out of Saturday’s match just 2:22 into the proceedings.
Though the Islanders did have a fair gripe that the hit was not initially whistled on the ice, the penalty itself was textbook. It was the second time in as many games that the Islanders lost a player in the opening minutes after Ryan Pulock exited Thursday’s win in Minnesota with injury, but this time, the Islanders never found an offensive rhythm in a 4-0 defeat to the Oilers at UBS Arena.
“I was surprised it was upheld as a major, yeah,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “But again, I haven’t looked at it that closely.”
Emil Heineman (51) of the New York Islanders handles the puck against the Dallas Stars on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026, in Dallas. NHLI via Getty Images
Heineman didn’t speak in the dressing room postgame — the Islanders, and most other teams, generally don’t have players speak after they get tossed from games — and his teammates mostly said variations of what DeBoer did.
“We haven’t had a chance to really see the hit,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. “Obviously we hope the other guy’s all right. I know there’s no intention behind that. Heiny’s someone that plays hard and he’s always clean. To start like that, it’s obviously hard to create some momentum, but I thought we did a good job killing [the major penalty].”
The good news is that Howard, who left the game and did not return, might be all right, per Oilers coach Mike Babcock.
“We don’t think, Howard, it’s as serious as it looked,” Babcock said. “We’re hoping for a real good kind of recovery day for him tomorrow, and if he doesn’t [feel better], then we’ll get on with the medical part of looking into it. But they think it’s favorable.”
The bad news for the Islanders is that in addition to losing Heineman for essentially all of Saturday’s game, there is not an obvious replacement should he be suspended for Thursday’s match against Carolina.
Emil Heineman (51) of the New York Islanders handles the puck against the Dallas Stars in Dallas, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
They are carrying just 12 healthy forwards on their roster, and the group in AHL Hamilton is nearly as battered as the one in the NHL. Liam Foudy could be in line for a spot call-up, but none of the forward prospects — Quinn Finley, Cole Eiserman, Daniil Prokhorov — are believed to be ready.
Otherwise, the Islanders’ injuries are status quo, with Matias Maccelli (lower body) skating, Calum Ritchie (lower body) yet to begin skating and Mathew Barzal (left kneecap inflammation) still skating, but without any timeline.
And, unlike their Mammoth counterparts on Thursday, they were unable to play late-game heroics.
Despite a commendable effort in the third period by the Penguins, they were unable to muster enough to tie the game in the final minutes, losing by a score of 5-4. Sergei Murashov, who got his first start between the pipes in two weeks, surrendered five goals on 27 shots, while the Penguins put 29 shots on young Habs' netminder Jacob Fowler - most of which came in the final frame.
The Penguins were actually the first to get on the board in this one, as they cashed in on an early power play opportunity. Sidney Crosby set up Erik Karlsson for a one-time shot, and he buried it, giving Crosby his 1,112th career helper to break the NHL record for most assists with a single franchise.
However, the Penguins' only lead in this game didn't last long because, just 33 seconds later, Canadiens' forward Oliver Kapanen put one past Murashov for a bit of a shaky goal to tie the game. Then, only 24 seconds after that, yet another egregious defensive zone giveaway by the Penguins - this time, by forward Hendrix Lapierre - led directly to a goal against by Josh Anderson to make it 2-1.
A few minutes later, the Penguins' first line broke into the offensive zone on a 3-on-2. Crosby came down the right side and dropped it Rickard Rakell down the middle, and Rakell quickly put the puck on the tape of Tommy Novak coming down the left side. Novak cut across the net-front and went five-hole to beat Fowler and tie the game at 2-2.
Shortly after that goal, Montreal appeared to have scored again, but as it turns out, Penguins' head coach Dan Muse challenged the play for goaltender interference and won to keep things knotted up.
But the Habs still managed to take the lead early in the third period on a goal by Alexandre Texier. And, once again, the Penguins surrendered another goal within the span of a minute - this one, 27 seconds later to Chris Kreider - to make the score 4-2.
Less than a minute and a half later, Karlsson made an outstanding play at the offensive blue line to keep the puck onside, and he cut across the slot. He made a no-look backhand pass to Rakell, who was cycling into the high slot area, and Rakell beat Fowler to once again cut the Penguins' deficit to one.
Unfortunately, with a little less than seven minutes to go in the second period, Anderson netted his second of the game off a fluke play. Murashov made the initial save, but the puck hit off Kris Letang's leg and went into the back of the net, giving Montreal the two-goal lead.
The Penguins pushed hard in the third period, registering 15 shots and coming to within one after Crosby scored with the extra attacker and a little more than three minutes left in regulation. However, they could not muster another tally before the clock ran out, giving them their sixth loss in the last eight games.
Here are a few takeaways from this one:
- It's easy to say Murashov had a bad night, especially after the first goal he surrendered. And, yes, he could have made a save or two extra.
But the Penguins are absolutely leaving him out to dry in every single one of his starts. And it has been that way since the beginning of the season.
Another bad defensive zone turnover led to the second goal. The third and fourth goals from the Habs were results of poor defensive zone coverage. Say all you want about Murashov needing to be better, but it's not a particularly easy ask or reasonable expectation for your 22-year-old rookie goaltender with 10 games NHL experience under his belt to have to stand on his head each and every outing.
No, the AHL won't do anything to help Murashov. He's beyond that. The Penguins having only four games in two weeks didn't help, either, especially with Arturs Silovs performing the way he is. He has to ride it out and figure it out.
And that's just something that is going to come along with the youth movement in the NHL. Folks ask for young players. Young players are not going to have it figured out right away. Murashov needs time and NHL reps, and if the expectation is for him to semi-regularly steal games for the Penguins right from the start like he stole a point for them in Columbus, that expectation needs to be taken down a few notches.
- The giveaway by Lapierre on the second goal was, again, egregious. But It's a mystery what Declan Carlile was trying to accomplish on the next two goals against.
On the third goal, he committed to coverage higher in the zone, where Egor Chinakhov was already covering his man, leaving Texier exposed. On the fourth goal, he was all the way up near the blue line in defensive zone coverage, leaving Lapierre to defend the net front.
Carlile positions himself in the defensive zone like a forward, and stuff like this simply cannot happen at the NHL level. As a general rule of thumb, it is a defenseman's job to defend the net-front and defend down low as a whole. Leaving your forwards to carry that load in those situations, especially when there was already coverage higher in the zone, is not something that should happen.
The 26-year-old has some offensive talent, but he is a minus-9. Normally, that stat is a bit arbitrary, but in this case, that minus-9 is entirely indicative of his play in his own zone. At this point, it's nearly a nightly occurrence that he makes a defensive zone gaffe that leads to a goal, or multiple goals, against.
That slight offensive upside, in no way right now, outweighs his defensive zone liability. I'm not sure how much longer a leash the Penguins can have with him.
- On a positive note, Crosby sure looked like himself Saturday.
He was affecting the game everywhere. He was cycling and turning on the jets down low in the offensive zone. He broke an NHL record and also tied Marcel Dionne for sixth all-time in scoring by the end of the night. His chemistry with Rakell was on display. And Rakell himself scored his fourth goal in the last five games.
His line was, by far, the best line for the Penguins in that game. Novak looked far more comfortable Saturday, too, than he had in the previous games. If they can begin to gel - and the second line can continue to build - the Penguins should have no trouble scoring.
It was good to see the version of 87 that everyone knows and loves.
- Karlsson now has three goals and 16 points in 14 games. He was very, very good for the Penguins Saturday, and he was particularly good when they put Sam Girard on his left in the third period.
This pace for Karlsson is a big deal for a great many reasons. If the Penguins cannot stop the ship from sinking in the next couple of weeks, I would reasonably expect his name to pop up like crazy in trade rumors.
If he can't help the Penguins win, he could sure help another contending team win. And his value would be far higher earlier in the season at a point-per-game pace than it would be at the trade deadline, when he would be a pure rental.
There is a lot at stake for the Penguins in the next few games, even if it is early in the season. They will have some tough decisions to make regarding personnel this season, but depending on which direction their season goes quickly, that could make some decisions a whole lot easier.
DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Thomas Harley scored with 0.2 seconds left in the first period and Arttu Hyry added an empty-netter with 0.3 left in the game as the Dallas Stars beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 on Saturday night.
Mikko Rantanen also scored for the Stars, who broke a two-game losing streak during which they never led to finish a season-long six-game homestand 4-2-0.
Defenseman Damon Severson scored and Jet Greaves stopped 14 shots for the Blue Jackets, who dropped the last two games of a three-game road trip.
Jake Oettinger, fifth in the NHL with a 1.69 goals-against average going into play, stopped 25 of 26 shots to bounce back after allowing seven goals in his two previous outings.
Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen had two assists.
Harley whistled a shot from the left half wall into a sliver of space between Greaves’ right skate and the post for his first goal of the season to give the Stars a 2-0 lead.
Rantanen had opened the scoring 33 seconds into a power play at 2:16 of the first period after Greaves was called for delay of game. Rantanen tapped in a cross-crease, backhand pass from Wyatt Johnston for his team-high seventh goal.
Severson scored at 6:21 of the third, about four minutes after the Stars successfully challenged a Jackets goal by Valeri Nichushkin for offside.
Dallas killed Columbus’ one power play, running its top-ranked penalty kill to 28 straight successful dating to Oct. 13.
Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov made his season debut after being placed on injured reserve on Oct. 1. Columbus used 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
Two of Dallas’ wins on the homestand came against the Stars’ two previous coaches — Columbus’ Rick Bowness and Pete DeBoer of the New York Islanders.
The teams will play their other inter-conference game next Thursday at Columbus.
DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche turned a strong start into a statement performance Friday night at Ball Arena, overwhelming the Calgary Flames 5-2 behind two goals from Artturi Lehkonen, a four-assist performance from Cale Makar and a balanced offensive attack.
The victory came with one anxious moment, as Brock Nelson left the ice after taking a puck to the ear in the second period before returning to the bench ahead of the third.
Lehkonen scored twice to extend his team-leading goal total to 12, while Makar recorded four assists and Devon Toews added two. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Nelson also scored for Colorado. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots to earn the victory. For Calgary, Joel Farabee and Martin Pospisil provided the goals, while Arsenii Sergeev made 29 saves.
Artturi Lehkonen speaks to the media following another incredible performance.
First Period
The opening period featured a measured pace as both teams looked to establish their offensive rhythm.
Cale Makar, affectionately known as “Slim Shimmy” here at The Hockey News, put his signature moves on display early, dancing across the ice before unleashing a wrist shot that Calgary goaltender Arsenii Sergeev gloved down.
Just past the midway point, T.J. Hughes was taken down by Calgary defenseman Yan Kuznetsov on a breakaway. Avalanche fans were left frustrated when no penalty was called. The reaction intensified after the replay showed Kuznetsov wrapping his left arm around Hughes and grabbing him before bringing him to the ice.
Nathan MacKinnon opens the scoring with his ninth of the year 🐕
About a minute later, Colorado defenseman Noah Juulsen, filling in for the injured Josh Manson, delivered a thunderous hit on Calgary forward Aydar Suniev along the boards. Suniev struggled to get back to his feet and fell again while attempting to regain his balance.
Nathan MacKinnon broke the scoreless tie with 5:47 remaining in the period. After Makar and Martin Necas attempted to connect on an offensive opportunity, the puck found its way to MacKinnon, who wasted little time snapping it past Sergeev to give Colorado a 1-0 lead.
The goal was MacKinnon’s ninth of the season, his 21st career tally against Calgary and his eighth in his last eight games against the Flames.
Mackenzie Blackwood then delivered a highlight-reel save of his own. Facing a 2-on-1 rush, Blackwood sprawled across the crease, split his pads and flashed the leather to rob Matt Coronato with a spectacular glove save.
Colorado carried its 1-0 advantage into the first intermission while holding a 9-6 edge in shots on goal.
Second Period
Calgary forward Ryan Strome was penalized for high-sticking less than a minute into the second period, giving Colorado its first power play of the night.
The Avalanche wasted little time capitalizing.
At 2:37, Martin Necas blasted a one-timer from the slot off a perfectly placed pass from Nazem Kadri, doubling Colorado’s advantage to 2-0.
Just over three minutes later, Lehkonen extended the lead. After evading a stick check, he received a pass from Makar at the bumper position and fired a wrist shot underneath Sergeev’s pads at 5:48. The goal was Lehkonen’s 11th of the season, moving him into the team lead.
Brock Nelson made it 4-0 with a terrific individual effort. Gabriel Landeskog initially tried to connect with Nelson, but Calgary defenseman Zach Whitecloud deflected the pass. Nelson stayed with the play, tracked the puck and managed to tip it out of midair past Sergeev.
Calgary finally broke through with 9:10 remaining in the period. A defensive-zone turnover by Kadri gave the Flames an opportunity, and Joel Farabee made Colorado pay, one-timing a pass from the bumper position past Blackwood to cut the deficit to 4-1.
The goal was followed by a frightening moment for the Avalanche.
Nelson took a shot to the ear and immediately went down to the ice. He remained on one knee for several minutes before eventually making his way off the ice and heading down the tunnel. His status was initially uncertain, leaving Colorado fans concerned about the veteran forward.
The Avalanche entered the second intermission with a commanding 4-1 lead and a 24-14 advantage in shots on goal.
Third Period
Nelson’s return to the bench before the start of the third period provided a welcome sight for Colorado. Although his status remained a concern, seeing him back with his teammates offered some reassurance.
Calgary wasted little time trying to make things interesting.
Martin Pospisil scored from the doorstep at 1:58 after receiving a pass from Strome, who found him alone in front of Blackwood. The goal cut Colorado’s lead to 4-2 and briefly shifted the momentum toward the Flames.
Lehkonen quickly restored order.
Just 2:10 after Pospisil’s goal, the Finnish forward redirected a point-blank shot from Makar past Sergeev to make it 5-2. It was Lehkonen’s second goal of the night and his 12th of the season, extending his team lead.
Colorado had an opportunity to add to its advantage with approximately six minutes remaining when Kuznetsov was assessed a four-minute double minor for high-sticking Fedor Svechkov. The infraction drew blood, resulting in the extended penalty.
Despite having four minutes with the man advantage, the Avalanche could not convert on the power play. Calgary successfully killed off the penalty, preventing Colorado from adding to its lead.
Blackwood and the Colorado defense held firm the rest of the way, preserving the three-goal cushion.
Another night, another loss for the Vancouver Canucks as they fell 4-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Brock Boeser scored on the power play while Max Sasson picked up his fourth goal of the campaign in the loss. In net was Leevi Meriläinen, who stopped 24 of the 27 shots he faced.
The Canucks once again struggled to put forth a full 60-minute effort. While Vancouver had a strong first period, their play in the second was the difference as Toronto outshot them 13-6 and outscored the team 2-0. With the defeat, the Canucks are now 1-11-1 over their last 13 games and have been outscored 57-30.
"I thought the first period, we played great, and second period we defensively weren't as sharp as the first period," said Brock Boeser post-game. "They have too many good players over there. You could see them get their chances, their looks, and they tilted the ice, and they had momentum. We were kind of just sitting back and couldn't find our way out of it, and gave up a couple that cost us."
Unlike some losses this season, this game can't be blamed on a lack of effort. While Vancouver struggled in the second, they played a strong game but couldn't find a way to equalize in the third. Post-game, Head Coach Manny Malhotra spoke about where his team is in terms of playing the style of game he wants.
"Getting closer," said Malhotra. "It's not close to where we need to be or need to get to, but there is progress. And it's frustrating as we talk about these games after loss after loss. But we do see improvement in different areas of our game, and it's just tough to see those when there's no correlation to wins."
Saturday's matchup was also Jacob Quillan's first in a Canucks uniform. The 24-year-old was acquired earlier this month from the Maple Leafs and called up on Friday after Filip Chytil was placed on IR. In the end, Quillan logged 11:58 of ice time, recording one shot, one hit, and winning four of his nine faceoffs.
"It was good to get the first opportunity against them, said Quillan post-game. "Not really playing for revenge or anything. Just fresh start with this organization, and glad to be here as they wanted me here. So I'm thankful to play for them."
Finally, the biggest positive of the night was arguably the penalty kill. Vancouver went a perfect two for two and killed off 1:08 of five-on-three time. Considering all the issues the penalty kill has had this year, tonight should be viewed as a step in the right direction.
Ultimately, this loss was similar to others suffered this season. The Canucks played well for a good portion of the game, but eventually lost due to a lack of execution and a poor stretch of play. In the end, Saturday was yet another tank-friendly game at Rogers Arena as Vancouver came close, yet still skated away with a loss.
Stats and Facts:
Elias Pettersson's six-game point streak comes to an end
Filip Hronek led all players in ice time with 26:57
Paul Cotter led the Canucks with four hits
Vancouver won just 39% of the faceoffs
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
1:23- TOR: William Nylander (10) from Nick Paul and Jake McCabe
10:30- VAN: Brock Boeser (5) from Filip Hronek and Jonathan Lekkerimäki (PPG)
2nd Period:
3:47- TOR: Auston Matthews (11) from Darren Raddysh and Jack Roslovic
12:34- TOR: Zack MacEwen (2) from Morgan Rielly and Teddy Blueger
3rd Period:
9:27- VAN: Max Sasson (4) from Brendan Gallagher
18:23- TOR: Teddy Blueger (2) from William Nylander and Anthony Stolarz (ENG)
Up Next:
Vancouver Canucks vs Anaheim Ducks, November 3, 7:00 pm PCT
Oct 31, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser (6) stick checks Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (34) in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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MONTREAL, CANADA- OCTOBER 31: Arber Xhekaj #72 of the Montreal Canadiens skates against Hendrix Lapierre #22 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period of the NHL regular season game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Bell Centre on October 31, 2026 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Matt Garies/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Penguins fell 5-4 in regulation in Montreal on Saturday night. Sidney Crosby scored a late goal, his third point of the night, late in the third period to bring the Penguins within one goal but the team couldn’t find one more goal to tie the game and fell in regulation.
