Los Angeles Kings (0-2-1, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (4-1, in the Pacific Division)

Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Los Angeles Kings after the Golden Knights took down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shootout.

Vegas had a 39-26-17 record overall while going 19-7-6 against opponents from the Pacific Division last season. The Golden Knights gave up 3.0 goals per game while scoring 3.2 last season.

Los Angeles has gone 0-2-1 overall with a 0-0-1 record in Pacific Division games. The Kings have given up 15 goals while scoring nine for a -6 scoring differential.

The teams meet Saturday for the first time this season.

INJURIES: Golden Knights: Raphael Lavoie: day to day (undisclosed), Ben Hemmerling: out (undisclosed), Lukas Cormier: out (undisclosed), Victor Olofsson: out (undisclosed), Kai Uchacz: out (undisclosed).

Kings: Jakub Dvorak: out (upper-body), Kevin Fiala: out (leg), Jan Jenik: out (undisclosed).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Carolina Hurricanes (3-1-1, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (1-4, in the Central Division)

Chicago; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes aim to keep their three-game win streak alive when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks.

Chicago has a 1-4 record overall and a 1-0-0 record on its home ice. The Blackhawks are eighth in NHL play serving 11.0 penalty minutes per game.

Carolina is 3-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 on the road. The Hurricanes rank fifth in NHL play with 18 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).

The matchup Saturday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

INJURIES: Blackhawks: Andrew Mangiapane: out (lower-body), Teuvo Teravainen: day to day (undisclosed), Ryan Ellis: out for season (back), Connor Bedard: out (shoulder).

Hurricanes: Seth Jarvis: out (shoulder).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

LAS VEGAS -- A three-goal deficit gave way to a rookie's shootout winner and a veteran goaltender's recovery Thursday night.

Trevor Connelly scored in the fifth round of the shootout, and Adin Hill stopped John Tavares to complete the Vegas Golden Knights' 4-3 comeback victory over the Toronto Maple Leafsat T-Mobile Arena.

Vegas improved to 4-1-0 with its third consecutive win.

The kids are alright 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/GrI3uxCeub

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 9, 2026

"I think as a group, we just came together and kind of took over the game by our style of hockey," Connelly said.

Toronto built a 3-0 lead in the opening 8:37 before Mark Stone scored late in the first period. Brett Howden converted Mitch Marner's gem early in the second, and Jack Eichel tied it on a penalty shot at 3:58.

Jack Eichel ties the game for the @GoldenKnights on the penalty shot! ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/HUnDNo1BbT

— NHL (@NHL) October 9, 2026

Eichel added an assist, extending his point-and-assist streak to five games and bringing his season total to 12 points.

Hill made 21 saves and denied four of five shootout attempts. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 40 shots for Toronto.

Braeden Bowman also scored for Vegas in the shootout, while Kirill Marchenko provided Toronto's lone conversion.

KEY MOMENT: Connelly's Game Winner

With the shootout tied after four rounds, Connelly delivered the breakthrough, beating Bobrovsky with a backhand-forehand move in the fifth round. The rookie leaned on a finish he had rehearsed rather than changing his approach under pressure.

"That's a move that I've kind of been doing in practice a bit, and it's seemed to work a lot," Connelly said. "So kind of just trusted what's been working in practice."

Hill then stopped Tavares to secure Vegas' third straight victory and complete the comeback.

KEY STAT: Shots Aplenty, But No PP

Vegas outshot Toronto 36-15 after the first period, including a 21-8 advantage in the second as the Knights erased the remaining two-goal deficit. They maintained that pressure with an 11-4 edge in the third and finished ahead 43-24 overall, forcing Bobrovsky to make 40 saves.

The comeback also came without a power-play goal: Vegas went 0-for-4 after converting in each of its first four games. Howden's even-strength goal and Eichel's penalty-shot finish supplied the second-period scoring that brought Vegas level.

WHAT A KNIGHT: Adin Hill.

After surrendering three goals in the opening 8:37, Hill held Toronto scoreless for the rest of regulation and overtime. His shootout stops included a glove save on William Nylander and a game-ending stop on Tavares. Marner praised Hill's composure after the early goals and emphasized his teammates' confidence in him.

"I feel like Hilly's so calm and confident himself, regardless of what happens before, so you see that tonight," Marner said. "Just stayed with it. We have a lot of trust in either of those boys in net. So, when we needed him massively, he made some big saves."

UP NEXT

Vegas hosts the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at 7 p.m. PT.

PHOTO CAPTION

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) stops a shot from Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (91) during a shootout at T-Mobile Arena.

ST. LOUIS – You hear the term that pucks eventually start to go into the net when you’re doing other good things on the ice.

The St. Louis Blues are doing a lot of good things; they just aren’t completing the finished product. That finished product is scoring, and in the early part of the NHL season when goals seem to be going in by the bushel, the Blues can’t buy goals.

It cost them again on Thursday when they created plenty of scoring opportunities, led twice but ultimately fell to the San Jose Sharks, 3-2 in overtime, at Enterprise Center on Thursday.

The Blues fell to 1-2-1 on the season and are off to the kind of slower start that they were looking to avoid, losing their third in a row after a season-opening 4-0 win against the Dallas Stars.

To the game and the pivotal points …

* Blues’ top line is doing them no favors right now – Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway and Jimmy Snuggerud created ample opportunities, probably more so than they have in the previous four games this season.

The puck is simply not going into the net for them. No better examples were when Thomas pulled a puck into the slot and rang the post in a 2-2 game, and then he had the winning goal on his stick – also in the slot – and a yawning, empty cage staring at him, only to see San Jose’s Kiefer Sherwood get a stick on the shot attempt and push it over the bar.

So when they’re not scoring, they sure as heck better be good defensively, but that wasn’t the case on San Jose’s tying goal by Collin Graf at 6:05 of the third period that tied the game 2-2.

In the shift, Thomas lost the puck twice, Pavel Buchnevich – who had taken Snuggerud’s spot on the shift – lost it a third time, Holloway wasn’t hard enough on a puck in the righthand corner that Sam Dickinson threw into the crease area before it caromed off Adam Jiricek right to Graf in the slot.

“You’re up 2-1 and you’re towards the end of a shift, pucks go deep and you just keep grinding them down,” Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. ‘You keep your shifts short, you keep staying on top of them. I use the term when you’re up by a goal in the third period, you skate ‘em into the ground, and that means you never stop checking. You can only do that if you’re maintaining short shifts and you’re playing north.”

The line on Thursday generated 15 shot attempts (five on net) but Thomas (three) and Snuggerud (five) missed the net a combined eight times.

You’d be concerned if they weren’t generating, but when you’re paid to score and you’re not, then other areas of the game need to be up to par and when you’re giving up without putting away, then it continues to be a concern.

“In this league, they want to be putting the puck in the back of the net and I thought they did a lot of great things really well, and as long as they’re creating chances, they’re eventually going to drop,” said Blues forward Connor McMichael. ‘I’ve seen it many times from them.”

* Generating chances plus finishing chances isn’t equaling out – For all the chances the Blues are generating, the finished product just isn’t equating.

When they led early in the hockey game on a beautiful give-and-go sequence between McMichael and Mason McTavish (more on them below), there were ample opportunities to extend that lead with several quality scoring chances.

The Blues outshot the Sharks, who were thoroughly beaten 5-0 on Monday against the Dallas Stars, 11-3 in the first period but led by just one goal thanks to a lack of finishing again.

“I thought for the majority of the game, our process was really good,” Montgomery said. ‘Right now, if we fell out of a boat and we were trying to score a goal, we would not hit the ocean, and it’s causing problems. There’s frustration coming because we’re not scoring, and it’s hard to stick with the process when you’re getting frustrated. We just have to keep working. I thought in the third period we came out and again we started to dictate play really well, and we were dictating play and even though we ended up shorthanded, we get that great goal shorthanded; our penalty kill’s been really good so far this year.

“I thought we were in complete control of the game and we need to be comfortable winning 2-1. It’s like we want to try and win 3-, 4-1. It’s mistakes we made that allowed them to score that second goal and you end up in overtime and anything can happen in 3-on-3 hockey. Unfortunately we were on the wrong end of it.”

In a time when scoring is way up because of the shortened training camp and only four preseason games, the Blues have scored a grand total of nine goals (including two empty-netters) in four games.

“I think we were the better team for most of the game,” McMichael said. “We kind of just got up by one and kept falling asleep and let them back into the game and that’s the type of stuff that hurts you in this league. We’ve got to tighten that up.

“… I think we’re generating chances. I think we’d obviously like to see a couple more go into the back of the net, but that’s not really an excuse. We’ve got to find a way to win those 2-1 games when we’re not scoring as many as we would like to. It’s just something where we’re going to have to go to the drawing board and get better from.”

Montgomery said, “In three of our four games, I’m not positive of this one yet, but I’m assuming we have more Grade A chances 5-on-5. This would be three out of four. So our process of what we believe in, getting more Grade A chances of winning the net front battles, which we’re doing consistently again this year; the only game that we haven’t done those things is the Colorado game and as you would have guessed, but besides that, there’s a lot of positives that are coming. The fact that we’re not scoring is causing the results to be magnified in the wrong direction. If we are a process-oriented team, we look at what the numbers are telling us, and in practice, our players need to bear down and score goals. Scoring’s a habit just like skating fast and stopping and starting and creating good habits, screening the goalie. Those are things we’ve got to bury. I think we missed a couple open nets tonight and you think, ‘Oh jeez, they just got their stick on it,’ but if you do it in practice, then it just becomes natural. You try to bury the puck right through the net, make a hole in the net like Brett Hull would.”

In that case, if you're the better team in three of four games, you can't be losing to the woeful Chicago Blackhawks (4-2 on Tuesday) without Connor Bedard, and you can't be losing Thursday when the Sharks were playing without their rising star and captain, Macklin Celebrini.

* Moral victories don’t count – Montgomery saying the Blues have been the better team in three of their first four games, he isn’t off one iota. But the bottom line is they have three of a possible eight points. If you’re the better team in three of the first four games, that’s not good enough then.

“It was a hard-fought game I think by both teams,” said Blues defenseman Cam Fowler, who had a had strong game playing 22:43. “I certainly think we gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game. Only coming away with one point is disappointing, but there’s a lot that we can build off of as well, some points that we can work on moving forward and getting ready for Saturday.”

* McMichael-McTavish-Berggren line continues to flourish – One of the biggest questions coming in was would the Blues have ample enough support from the second line this season to balance out the scoring.

Who would have thought that just four games in, there would be no worry regarding the McTavish line and plenty to worry about with the Thomas line?

McMichael’s goal came as a result of Berggren disrupting the play in the neutral zone near the Blues’ bench, McMichael skating in with speed, and he and McTavish doing the rest for a backdoor tap-in:

St. Louis goal!

Scored by Connor McMichael with 16:08 left in the 1st. Assisted by Mason McTavish and Jonatan Berggren.

STL: 1 | SJS: 0#SJSvsSTL#StlBlues#TurnItAllTealpic.twitter.com/zTdDJfHLyz

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 9, 2026

“Yes and Berggren. Berggren’s playing really well,” Montgomery said. ‘Ever since we put Berggren up with those two, that line’s been our best line for two games in a row, generating the most chances, controlling the game, making solid plays coming out of the D-zone and leading to really good O-zone play. Very happy with that chemistry on that line right now.”

McMichael said, “I think (the chemistry’s) been really good. It’s been easy for me, to be honest. Coming to the Blues at the same time as (McTavish), it’s been like a breath of fresh air having another guy in the same scenario as me. We’ve been bouncing a lot of things off of each other and just looking to keep that rolling.”

McMichael is a point-per-game player (two goals, two assists) so far, and McTavish has two goals and an assist, and Berggren picked up his first point Thursday.

* Penalty kill continues to shine, leads to a shorthanded goal – At the start of the third period, the Blues had 1:56 to kill off a Brandon Carlo delay of game minor.

It came at a crucial time in a 1-1 game. Kill it, then settle in and try to win the game.

Who would have imagined a shorthanded goal to put the Blues ahead? But that’s what Dillon Dube did when he made it 2-1 at 1:39 of the third period off a 2-on-1 rush with Buchnevich, then keeping the puck and beating Alex Nedeljkovic into the top right corner:

Short-handed goal for St. Louis!

Scored by Dillon Dube with 18:21 left in the 3rd.

STL: 2 | SJS: 1#SJSvsSTL#StlBlues#TurnItAllTealpic.twitter.com/A2fqfJK7Wa

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 9, 2026

* Were there enough saves? – One would say yes, especially when Joel Hofer made this amazing save on Luca Cagnoni in the second period:

HOLY JOEL HOFER! 🧱

What a save by the @StLouisBlues netminder! pic.twitter.com/CUSEK1BPx8

— NHL (@NHL) October 9, 2026

But I'd like to see saves on the first Sharks goal scored by Tyler Toffoli and you could make the case that even on Darnell Nurse's overtime goal, it wasn't an overly aggressive or pinpoint accuracy shot, more so right through Hofer. 

It's hard to put much on the goaltending, but in those moments, one could make the case for a little more.

* Individual standouts – Including Fowler, who we mentioned, Colton Parayko looks really confident right now jumping into the offense and looking to create havoc in the O-zone.

Parayko, who passed Barret Jackman into sole possession of second place for all-time games played in Blues history (804), played 23:23.

Philip Broberg (24:25) had a really solid game as well, also jumping into the rush and attacking when the situations arose.

Pius Suter, who had a really solid shorthanded shift who finished with 11:13 of ice time, played well, as did Carlo (18:38 ice time).

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

It was a night to remember for Jonathan Costagna, even if the Calgary Flames would rather forget the final result.

The Flames fell 7-3 to the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, but the game marked a significant milestone for the 21-year-old forward, who made his NHL debut against a lineup featuring some of the league’s biggest stars, including Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

Recently recalled from the Calgary Wranglers, Costagna took his rookie lap during warmups before getting his first taste of NHL action. It was a moment he had been encouraged to appreciate, knowing there would only be one first game.

“Before the game everyone was telling me to soak it in, you can only do it once, and I tried to do that as much as possible,” said Costagna. “When you get into the game it gets pretty intense out there and I can look back on it and say I’m really grateful for it and (I’m) just looking forward to what’s next.”

Rookie lap for Jonathan Costagna! 🔥#NHLdebut#Flames@TheHockeyNewspic.twitter.com/dOC5VF6KtX

— Bryan Wilson (@BryanWilsonHKY) October 9, 2026

Seeing the opposition up close for the first time brought its own challenges, but Costagna felt he handled the moment well.

“Warmups is the first time where you look across from you and you see these guys and it could get a little intimidating, but I feel like I did a pretty good job handling that stress, because at the end of the day I want to win, and that’s what I tried to contribute (to) out there tonight.”

Costagna also found himself in the middle of some tough matchups. Playing down the middle, he faced experienced NHL centres, including MacKinnon and former Flame Nazem Kadri.

"I can look back on it and say I'm really grateful for it. Just looking forward to what's next."

Jonathan Castagna reflects on his NHL debut at the 'Dome. pic.twitter.com/m7WwP5l99Y

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 9, 2026

Rather than letting the names across from him become a distraction, the rookie focused on competing and trusting his game.

“I was taking it out there against some veterans today,” said Costagna. “You try to go into it with an ‘I’m going to beat you’ mindset and I feel like I did that pretty well all night, considering a lot of the guys I’m playing against were in the league for a long time now.”

The night also brought Costagna his first NHL point, coming on a play that showcased the speed and finishing ability of fellow forward Adam Klapka.

Atta boy, George 👏 pic.twitter.com/GprldDzWzz

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 9, 2026

Costagna chipped the puck out of the defensive zone and onto Klapka’s stick. The 6-foot-8 forward took over from there, driving into the offensive zone, toe-dragging around a defenceman and firing a wrist shot past the goaltender.

Watching the play develop, Costagna could barely hide his excitement as Klapka finished the sequence.

“That was crazy,” he chuckled, reminiscing about watching Klapka. “Really happy that he did that, obviously, I didn’t have to do much for it, to get that off my back is really cool, but kudos to him that was unbelievable.”

While the result wasn’t what Calgary wanted, Costagna now has his first NHL game - and point - behind him. The experience should provide something to build on as he looks to establish himself at the highest level.

With his debut out of the way, the next question is what comes next for the young forward. The Flames are back in action Saturday, when we’ll see whether Costagna gets another opportunity to build on his NHL debut.

The Colorado Avalanche didn’t exactly come flying out of the gate Thursday night, but once they found their game, the Calgary Flames had a tough time keeping up.

Coming off a frustrating 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, the Avs responded with a 7-3 win in Calgary, using a big second period to take control and hand the Flames their fourth straight loss to start the season.

Devon Toews, Cale Makar and Jaden Schwartz each scored twice, while Nathan MacKinnon put up three points. Brett Kulak added two assists, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 26 shots to pick up the win despite some shaky defensive play in front of him.

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Avs found their offense when they needed it.

First Period

The first period was a bit of a mess for Colorado.

A couple of turnovers in their own zone gave Calgary some dangerous chances, and Wedgewood had to bail his teammates out more than once. One of his biggest saves came on a shorthanded breakaway by Joel Farabee after Colorado’s power play got off to a rough start.

The Flames were generating more pressure early, outshooting Colorado 5-2 midway through the period. The Avs weren’t doing themselves any favors with the puck, either, struggling to put together much of anything offensively.

Eventually, though, they found a breakthrough.

With just over five minutes left in the period, Cale Makar found Toews in the low slot, and the defenseman redirected the puck past Flames netminder Devin Cooley to give Colorado a 1-0 lead.

That was a nice change of pace for Toews, who didn’t score his first goal last season until Colorado’s 25th game. This time, he got on the board in Game 4.

Calgary answered before the period was over. Adam Klapka made a slick move around Josh Manson before firing a wrist shot off the post and into the net to tie things up at 1-1.

Toews took a penalty late in the period, sending the Avs into the intermission with some penalty-killing work ahead of them and plenty to clean up.

Second Period

Colorado came out looking like a much different team in the second period.

After killing off the carryover penalty, the Avs got right back to work, and Toews struck again. This time, he fired from just inside the blue line, sending the puck through traffic and past Cooley to put Colorado back in front.

Then Makar got in on the fun.

MacKinnon sprung him with a pass, and Makar used his speed to blow past the Calgary defense before beating Cooley with a shot to make it 3-1.

MacKinnon got one of his own shortly afterward, finishing a feed from Zachary L’Heureux to stretch Colorado’s lead to three. The Avs kept the pressure on, turning what had been a tight game into a much more comfortable one.

L’Heureux also brought some extra energy to the night, dropping the gloves with Matt Coronato late in the period. The forward was playing in just his second straight game after missing Colorado’s first two contests with a lower-body injury.

The Avs headed into the third with a 4-1 lead, having found their offensive rhythm and put Calgary on its heels.

Third Period

Any thoughts of a Calgary comeback took a hit pretty quickly in the third.

Makar scored again early in the period, pouncing on a loose puck after a pass from Nazem Kadri deflected off MacKinnon. He made no mistake, burying it to give Colorado a 5-1 advantage.

Schwartz followed less than a minute later, getting to a loose puck in the slot and firing it past Cooley to make it 6-1.

Calgary managed to respond with goals from Mikael Backlund and Kevin Bahl, cutting the deficit to 6-3 and briefly making things a little more interesting.

But the Avs had an answer of their own.

Schwartz scored his second of the night just over a minute after Bahl’s goal, taking a backhand feed from Fedor Svechkov and beating Cooley from a sharp angle. It was Schwartz’s third goal in the span of about 24 hours, following his goal in Wednesday’s loss to Winnipeg.

That pretty much wrapped things up.

Colorado scored six times over the final 40 minutes, turning an uneven start into a convincing 7-3 road win.

A Much-Needed Response

After letting a winnable game slip away against Winnipeg, the Avs got the offensive bounce-back they needed. Toews and Makar each had two-goal nights, MacKinnon continued to produce, and Schwartz made an immediate impact with another pair of goals.

There are still some defensive issues to sort out. The early turnovers and Calgary’s three goals are reminders that Colorado can’t afford to get quite so loose against tougher opponents.

Still, putting seven goals on the board on the road is a pretty good way to respond to a disappointing loss.

Upcoming

The Avalanche will look to carry that momentum home when they face Gavin McKenna and the Toronto Maple Leafs at Ball Arena on Saturday, October 10. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. local time.

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Cale Makar had two goals and an assist, Devon Toews and Jaden Schwartz also each scored twice and the Colorado Avalanche beat the winless Calgary Flames 7-3 on Thursday night.

Nathan MacKinnon scored and had two assists as Colorado (3-1-0) bounced back from a 3-2 loss in Winnipeg on Wednesday night.

Scott Wedgewood, making his season debut, had 26 saves to win in his 200th career NHL game.

Adam Klapka, Mikael Backlund and Kevin Bahl scored for Calgary (0-4-0), the only NHL team yet to record a point this season. The Flames have been outscored 23-6 for a league-worst minus-17 goal differential.

Flames goalie Devin Cooley made 23 stops.

Tied 1-1 after the first period, Colorado scored three times in less than five minutes in the second. The Avalanche tacked on two more goals early in the third period.

Up next

Avalanche: Host Toronto on Saturday night.

Flames: Host Anaheim on Saturday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The Senators improved to 3-1-0 on the young season thanks to a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in their home opener on Thursday night. Carter Yakemchuk's power-play one-timer in the third period stood up as the game-winning goal.

Once again, as has been the case in all three of their wins this season, the victory was bittersweet thanks to another injury.

This time, it was newcomer William Eklund who went down with a lower-body injury in the first period and did not return. Eklund took a clean hit from Flyers defenceman Simon Benoit and had to be helped off the ice, unable to put any weight on his left leg.

Eklund appeared to jam his skate awkwardly into the base of the boards, with the toe of his skate moving upward as if the skate had come off. That makes you think right away that something very bad happened to the ankle or achilles.

William Eklund leaves the game with a lower-body injury after taking a hit from Simon Benoit. pic.twitter.com/i6P9Fj164E

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 8, 2026

But Travis Green had no update on Eklund after the game.

The Senators also lost key players to injury in their first two wins of the season. Jake Sanderson was hurt in Toronto and still isn't skating with the team, while Linus Ullmark was injured in Boston on Monday.

Fortunately, Ullmark was able to return to action Thursday night against the Flyers, stopping 28 of 29 shots. The one goal he allowed was an absolute stinker, but nobody in Ottawa is going to complain about a .966 save percentage on the night.

The Senators opened the scoring midway through the first period when Nick Cousins tipped home a shot from Tyler Kleven.

That lead held up until early in the second, when Matvei Michkov scored one of the easiest goals he'll ever get.

On a Philadelphia power play, Trevor Zegras fired a shot from the top of the circle that Ullmark appeared to see all the way. Somehow, the puck trickled right through him and sat in the crease, fat and juicy, waiting for Michkov to swat it home.

That set the stage for Yakemchuk, who delivered the biggest goal of the night with under seven minutes remaining in regulation.

Claude Giroux made a pass to the rookie defenceman that was perfectly paced and placed for a one-timer. Yakemchuk absolutely blasted it past Joseph Woll for what proved to be the game-winner. While there are certainly still defensive warts that will improve with time, Yakemchuk's cannon of a shot makes him a nice new weapon on the power play.

The Flyers then had the Senators under siege in the final couple of minutes. But the Sens held them off, surviving the late pressure and hanging on for the win.

“You knew Philly was going to play a hell of a game tonight,” Green said. “I thought they did. It was just a greasy, greasy game that had a lot of intensity to it, and we wanted to win that.”

Hoyt Stanley was just happy to be there, making his NHL debut for the Senators as a last-minute call-up from Belleville. Cam Crotty took the morning skate but was under the weather and did not dress.

The Senators officially went 1-for-5 on the power play, although you could make the argument it was more like 2-for-5. Cousins' first-period goal came just four seconds after Travis Sanheim's tripping penalty expired, before the Flyers defenceman had a chance to get back into the play.

Through five games, the Flyers are now 0-3-2 on the year and have scored a grand total of six goals.

After playing their first three games on the road, the Senators can look forward to a little more home cooking. Including Thursday, they're now in a stretch where they play seven of nine games at Canadian Tire Centre, with their next game coming Saturday night at 7 p.m. against the Nashville Predators.

Nashville will arrive in Ottawa fresh off a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night, despite being badly outshot 34-20.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

On Aug. 6, the Pittsburgh Penguins made a move that no one really saw coming.

No, they didn't land a superstar winger who was the subject of rumors all summer long. No, they didn't re-sign their 39-year-old captain and NHL legend. And, no, they didn't make a splash. But they did take a big gamble on a young player with little NHL experience and not a ton to show for that experience up to that point. 

And, in the earlygoing of the 2026-27 season, that gamble has begun to show early signs of positivity.

On that day in August, the Penguins signed young forward Ville Koivunen to an eight-year, $32 million contract. Many in Pittsburgh reacted to the news with some degree of shock, as Koivunen had played in only 47 NHL games with two goals and 14 points. 

Sure, the average annual value of $4 million isn't seismic - especially with the salary cap going up substantially - but the term was a head-scratcher for some. That said, Koivunen already has a goal and two points in three games this season and has remained in the NHL lineup despite the vast forward depth the Penguins possess, which is a testament to his play up to this point.

"I feel like [I'm making] good plays with the puck and making some plays," Koivunen said. "Maybe last game wasn't too good, but wasn't too bad, either. So, I feel pretty good right now."

It's been well-documented how hard Koivunen worked this summer to add weight and get stronger. The Penguins wanted to see him be tougher to knock off of pucks and better along the walls, which are both areas of his game that have seen some noticeable improvement in the first three games he's played this season. 

Penguins Re-sign Ville Koivunen To Eight-Year ContractThe Pittsburgh Penguins re-signed Ville Koivunen to a huge contract on Thursday.

He's no longer getting rid of pucks to avoid contact or to make plays hastily. He knows he has the ability and the physical attributes to be able to carry and protect the puck with authority.

"I feel like I'm stronger and I can keep the puck, hold onto pucks more," Koivunen said. "So, yeah, it feels like it's translated to the ice.

"I think I feel more confident. I'm more confident on the boards, and I don't have to get rid of the puck if I have it there and I feel the pressure. So, that's a thing where, right now, I feel better on the walls."

The 23-year-old isn't the only one who has a higher degree of belief in his play at the NHL level.

Going into a shortened training camp this season, young players, in particular, got the short end of the stick because they had far less runway to prove themselves and stand out to the coaching staff. Koivunen's play in the pre-season games - as well as some injuries to NHL regulars - earned him a spot on the opening night roster.

What a disgusting goal by Ville Koivunen. Totally deked Vladar out of his jockstrap.

THAT is the player the Pens are expecting. Love to see it pic.twitter.com/F2KtsES1Xp

— ryan 🛸 (@OTCellyy) October 1, 2026

He played in the season opener against the Philadelphia Flyers and scored an impressive breakaway goal in a 7-0 rout that night. He was scratched in the second game of the season but has played in the last two, registering an assist.

Prior to Wednesday's game against the Washington Capitals, a tough roster decision had to be made in order to activate Bryan Rust from injured reserve, as the roster was at full capacity. While many were quick to point out that Koivunen's eight-year term likely makes him waivers-proof, there is always a small risk of an NHL GM taking a gamble as big as the one Kyle Dubas took when he signed Koivunen. 

As it turns out, the Penguins dealt forward Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defenseman Spencer Stastney prior to that game, and forward Andrei Kuzmenko - who suddenly lost his father a few weeks ago - was granted non-roster designation by the league. 

Andrei Kuzmenko Granted Non-roster Leave By NHLThe NHL has granted Pittsburgh Penguins forward Andrei Kuzmenko non-roster leave.

From the vantage point of head coach Dan Muse, who had Koivunen remain in line rushes and on the power play during practice Tuesday when talk was rampant, the young forward has earned a stay in the lineup through performance. 

"He's played well," Muse said. "Honestly, I think, for him, coming off of that Philly game, I can't really think of a harder conversation that I've had to have, in recent memory, at least.

"Ville put in the work this summer. I mean, you go back to that last exhibition game, he scores a breakaway goal there in Philly, he has an assist [against Winnipeg], he's making plays, he's stronger, he's done the things that were asked of him, and he's produced on the ice. So, it's a credit to him and the work he's put in. It's good to see."

Penguins Acquire Spencer Stastney From Edmonton Oilers for Filip HallanderThe Pittsburgh Penguins cleared up their forward logjam Wednesday by sending Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers

Koivunen is cognizant of an entirely new set of expectations now that he has already broken through to the NHL level and signed a long-term commitment with the Penguins. At this point, it's not just about making the NHL and simply sticking at this level, it's about how he can be a difference-maker and show that the team's investment in him was worth the gamble.

He knows that he has been given a chance to show what he is capable of and how he can help the NHL team moving forward, and he plans to continue taking advantage of that opportunity.

"Everyone wants to play well, everyone wants to stay up and play here and play your game in the NHL. I think that's what everyone wants to do," Koivunen said. "I do feel like you get chances here for young guys, and that's good.

"I think it's just work hard and play my game. I know my strengths, use them, and that's pretty much what it is. Just work hard and try to be a better version of yourself every day. It makes you go a long way."

Takeaways: Mistakes Difference In Penguins' 5-3 Loss To CapitalsA turnover-heavy effort ultimately doomed the Pittsburgh Penguins Wednesday as they fell to 2-2 on the season.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

The Calgary Flames showed signs of improvement Thursday night but couldn’t keep pace with the Colorado Avalanche, falling 7-3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

The game featured a pair of familiar faces returning to Calgary in Nazem Kadri and Cale Makar. Makar grew up in Calgary, while Kadri spent multiple seasons with the Flames before being traded to Colorado.

Calgary also welcomed two new faces to the lineup. Jonathan Costagna made his NHL debut, while Aydar Suniev appeared in his first game of the season after being recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Devin Cooley got the start in net.

Colorado opened the scoring late in the first period when Makar found Devon Toews beside the crease. Toews redirected the puck past Cooley to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead.

Adam Klapka provided an immediate response for Calgary at 17:30 with an impressive individual effort. The forward carried the puck into Colorado’s zone, toe-dragged around Josh Manson and fired a wrist shot past Scott Wedgewood to tie the game 1-1.

It was Klapka’s first goal of the season, while Costagna picked up his first NHL point with the secondary assist.

The Avalanche took control in the second period, starting with Toews’ second goal of the night at 6:45. His point shot found its way through traffic and past a screened Cooley to restore Colorado’s lead.

Makar extended the advantage moments later, beating Cooley with a quick wrist shot between the goaltender’s glove and body. The Colorado defenceman’s second point of the night made it 3-1.

The Flames continued to struggle defensively as Colorado maintained pressure in the offensive zone. Nathan MacKinnon capitalized at 11:39, blasting a one-timer past Cooley off a feed from Zachary L’Heureux to push the lead to 4-1.

Frustration began to show as Matt Coronato and L’Heureux exchanged words before dropping the gloves for a brief but spirited fight along the boards.

Colorado continued to pull away in the third period. Makar completed his two-goal night with a shot from the high slot that found the top of the net, making it 5-1. MacKinnon and Kadri picked up the assists.

The Avalanche added another when T.J. Hughes found Jaden Schwartz in front of the net. Schwartz finished the play by roofing the puck past Cooley to make it 6-1.

Calgary responded with a pair of goals of its own. Mikael Backlund finished a give-and-go with Ryan Strome at 7:17, cutting the deficit to four.

Kevin Bahl followed at 8:28, putting a shot toward the net that deflected past Wedgewood off a body in front. Suddenly, the Flames had scored twice in just over a minute to make it 6-3.

Any hopes of building further momentum were short-lived. On the next shift, Schwartz sent the puck toward the net, where it deflected off Jake Middleton and past Cooley to restore Colorado’s four-goal advantage.

The Avalanche held on for the 7-3 win, leaving Calgary with another difficult result despite a more competitive start and a late offensive push.

Three Takeaways

1. A better response, but defensive issues remain

The Flames showed more life against a difficult opponent and found ways to generate offence, particularly in the first and third periods. However, Colorado took advantage of defensive breakdowns and sustained offensive-zone pressure to create separation. Calgary’s late push was encouraging, but it came after the game had largely been decided.

2. Adam Klapka makes his presence felt

Klapka was one of Calgary’s most effective players on the night. His first goal of the season was a highlight-reel effort, showcasing his speed, puck control and finishing ability. He also brought a physical presence and remained engaged throughout the game. His performance made a strong case for a larger role as the night progressed.

3. Costagna gets his first NHL point

Costagna’s NHL debut was a milestone in an otherwise difficult night for the Flames. After taking part in his rookie lap during warmups, the rookie forward recorded his first career NHL point by assisting on Klapka’s first-period goal.

The Islanders dispatched the Blackhawks, as well they should, to even their record at 2-2 on the young season.

The 4-1 final turned in the second period when the Isles got two goals in quick succession, converting some counterattacks against a loose Blackhawks team defense.

Bo Horvat had two goals, a power play one to open scoring and an empty netter to finish it, while Emil Heineman scored with a rifle aided by a Horvat screen, and Anthony Duclair got on the board after a snuffed partial breakaway led to an amusingly insightful setup from Logan Stanley, who paired with Matthew Schaefer in the wake of Alex Romanov’s season-ending injury.

Stanley has four assists in four games after signing at the conclusion of preseason; things can be weird this early in the year.

[Game center | Game summary | Event summary | Natural Stat Trick]

The run of play wasn’t that lopsided overall, but the Isles’ quick pair in the middle period put things fairly out of reach. Ilya Sorokin was there when needed, and the Blackhawks don’t have many guns to ever make you too nervous that the Isles might blow it.

Shenanigans began on the final goal, when Frank Nazar bizarrely went for a shoulder check to the head of Horvat as the Islanders captain released his empty net shot from the Isles zone. After the dust settled with a match penalty to Nazar — and an enraged J-G Pageau taking on Tyler Bertuzzi — more theater erupted when someone by the ethnically confused name of Wyatt Kaiser took a shot at Emil Heineman, which drew objection from Duclair.

Kaiser and Duclair drew matching roughing penalties, and the rest of the game was a formality.

Horvat was sent to the dressing room for evaluation, but I (not a doctor) thought he looked fine and it was just a spotter precaution.

Up Next

The Islanders host the Lightning on Saturday, a 7:30 EDT start.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Logan Stankoven had a natural hat trick for his first career three-goal game, and the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes won at home in their third try this season, 7-2 over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.

Stankoven scored twice in the second period and again in the third to extend Carolina’s lead from 4-1 to 7-1. His goals came short-handed, on a power play and at even strength, giving him 100 career points. He secured the hat trick with 8:24 remaining.

Andrei Svechnikov had two first-period goals on power plays and K’Andre Miller and Mark Jankowski also scored for the Hurricanes, who have a three-game winning streak. Walker had four assists, while Shayne Gostisbehere, Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall added two assists apiece. Pyotr Kochetkov made 18 saves.

Jake DeBrusk scored both goals for the Canucks in their first stop of a six-game trip. Elias Pettersson had two assists. Vancouver goalie Kevin Lankinen stopped 12 of 18 shots in two periods before Leevi Merilainen played the third, making 14 saves.

The Hurricanes never led in either of their first two home games last week before posting three goals in the opening 10 minutes Thursday.

STARS 4, SABRES 0

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jake Oettinger made 26 saves for his second straight shutout, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists and Dallas beat Buffalo.

Oettinger has 18 career shutouts. He stopped 13 shots Monday night in a 5-0 home victory over San Jose.

Jason Robertson, Sam Steel and Roope Hintz also scored to help Dallas win its second in a row after two opening losses. Wyatt Johnston had three assists.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 14 shots for Buffalo. The Sabres had won the first two games of a five-game homestand.

Robertson scored at 9:03 of the first period and the Stars added three more in the second. Sam Steel connected on a snap shot at 9:36, Rantanen scored on a backhander with 6:03 left and Roope put in a snapper on a power play with 4:26 remaining.

LIGHTNING 3, WILD 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Defenseman John Carlson scored twice for his 11th career multi-goal game, Nikita Kucherov had two assists and Dennis Hildeby made 34 saves in Tampa Bay's victory over Minnesota.

Anthony Cirelli also scored to help Tampa Bay win its third straight game.

Quinn Hughes scored and assisted on Blake Coleman’s power-play goal for Minnesota. Jesper Wallstedt finished with 32 saves.

Cirelli opened the scoring for the Lightning, getting his stick on Erik Cernak’s shot for a deflection past Wallstedt at 5:26 of the first period. Carlson scored 36 seconds later with a wrist shot from the right point.

Hughes cut the Wild deficit to 2-1 at the 2:32 mark with a wrist shot through traffic. Jared Spurgeon, who picked up an assist on the goal, and Hughes both matched a franchise record for defensemen by scoring a point in four consecutive games to start the season, tying Ryan Suter, who did it twice.

Carlson regained the two-goal lead with a one-timer off a Kucherov pass at 4:55 to snap an 0-for-14 power-play drought to start the season. Coleman answered with a power-play goal off the rush with 5:59 left in second.

BRUINS 6, MAMMOTH 1

BOSTON (AP) — David Pastrnak scored his first two goals of the season and added two assists as Boston routed Utah.

Matthew Poitras, Casey Mittelstadt, Mason Lohrei and Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins, who led 3-0 after one period and 6-0 after two. Jeremy Swayman made 36 saves.

Pastrnak scored his first goal with 5:38 left in the first period on a power-play wrist shot, assisted by Frederic Brunet and Geekie. He tacked on a power-play slap shot 4:40 into the second period, assisted by Geekie and Hampus Lindholm.

Jack McBain scored for the Mammoth midway through the third period to spoil Swayman’s shutout bid.

Karel Vejmelka stopped 11 of 14 shots he faced before he was replaced by Sebastian Cossa, who made five saves for the Mammoth.

The Bruins scored three power-play goals, while the Mammoth went scoreless on the power play. The Bruins blocked 23 shots in the win.

SENATORS 2, FLYERS 1

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Carter Yakemchuk broke a tie on a power play with 6:59 left and Ottawa held on to beat winless Philadelphia.

Nick Cousins opened the scoring for Ottawa at midway through the first period. Matvei Michkov tied it in a power play at 7:46 of the second.

Linus Ullmark made 29 saves to help the Senators improve to 3-1-0.

Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots for Philadelphia. The Flyers are 0-3-2.

Michael Bunting made his Flyers debut after signing with the team Tuesday and Ottawa defenseman Hoyt Stanley made his NHL debut.

PREDATORS 5, CANADIENS 2

MONTREAL (AP) — Ryan O’Reilly scored the go-ahead goal with 3:16 remaining, and Nashville rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat Montreal.

The veteran redirected a point shot from Roman Josi on the power play, 59 seconds after Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson tripped Steven Stamkos in the neutral zone.

Adam Edstrom added a pair of empty-net goals for Nashville, which was outshot 34-18.

Alexander Kerfoot and Matthew Wood also scored for the Predators, while Juuse Saros made 32 saves. Stamkos had two assists.

Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook scored for Montreal, which extended its winless streak to three games. Jacob Fowler stopped 15 shots in his first start of the season.

Montreal ended a streak of five straight wins against Nashville dating to March 5, 2024.

ISLANDERS 4, BLACKHAWKS 1

NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Horvat scored twice and New York beat Chicago.

Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves as the Islanders won for the second time in three games. Emil Heineman and Anthony Duclair also scored for New York, and defenseman Logan Stanley had two assists.

Frank Nazar scored for Chicago, which lost for the fourth time in five games to begin the season. Arvid Soderblom finished with 15 saves.

Horvat opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the final minute of the first period. Matthew Schaefer fired a slap shot from the point and the Islanders captain buried the rebound.

Heineman wired a wrist shot past Soderblom 6:44 into the second to double the lead.

Stanley found Duclair alone near the back post at 9:38 for his first goal of the season, making it 3-0.

Nazar spoiled Sorokin’s shutout bid with 2:32 remaining in the third.

Horvat added his second goal of the game into an empty net with 1:33 left to complete the scoring.

SHARKS 3, BLUES 2, OT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Darnell Nurse scored 1:03 into overtime and San Jose beat St. Louis.

Tyler Toffoli and Collin Graf also scored, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 24 shots for San Jose (3-1-0), which has secured each of its three wins in overtime.

Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

Connor McMichael and Dillon Dubé each scored and Joel Hofer made 24 saves for St. Louis (1-2-1), which has lost three straight.

Nurse, who was acquired from Edmonton on July 1, deposited a feed from Ivar Stenberg between Hofer’s legs for his first goal with the Sharks.

Graf scored on a one-timer 6:05 into the third period to tie the game at 2-2 after Dubé skated down the left wing from his own blue line along to score a short-handed goal 1:39 into the third to put St. Louis ahead.

It was Dubé’s first goal after missing 2 1/2 seasons since scoring on Nov. 16, 2023 for Calgary against Vancouver.

After Patrick Kane's return to Chicago on Tuesday night, the vibes were high. The team finally won their first of the season, and it was a restart of sorts. After one at home, they had to hit the road, which was a spot for a letdown.

People are going to look at the box score and see that the Chicago Blackhawks lost 4-1 to the New York Islanders and think it was just another ugly loss. However, that doesn't tell the whole story. 

The Blackhawks have had some ugly road losses so far this season, but this wasn't one of them. They actually played the Islanders well, especially being away from the United Center. 

Chicago led in shots on goal, including at even strength, and was simply beaten by Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin. The all-star goalie is off to a tremendous start, and he had another stellar performance on Thursday night against the Blackhawks. 

It would have been a shutout for Sorokin, but Frank Nazar beat him once late in the third period after Patrick Kane found him with a great pass. Normally, if you play the way the Blackhawks did in this one, you win. 

Before Nazar scored the goal to get the Blackhawks on the board, it was a 3-0 lead for the Islanders. Bo Horvat scored with a minute left in the first period, and two goals in roughly three minutes early in the second period put the Blackhawks in a hole they were unable to dig out of. Horvat's second goal of the game was an empty-netter to seal it. 

Arvid Soderblom was in net for Chicago. He would tell you that he needs to be better, but it's hard to place it completely on him. The goalie on the other side was a wall, and that changed the outcome of the game. The Islanders' skaters, in turn, capitalized on their chances when they were there. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

BANG 💥 pic.twitter.com/lwA2M7i4hu

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 9, 2026

Frank Nazar Penalty

Not only did Frank Nazar score a goal, but he found himself at the center of controversy at the end of the game. He earned a five-minute major and a 10-minute misconduct for his hit on Bo Horvat at 18:27 in the third. Only time will tell if he gets a call from the league. 

Frank Nazar delivers a hit on Bo Horvat, and he immediately felt bad about it judging by his reaction.

The officials reviewed it and called it a major penalty. #Blackhawkspic.twitter.com/QYw46hJVcb

— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) October 9, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks are headed back home after this one-off in New York. They will face the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes at the United Center on Saturday night. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The San Jose Sharks were on national broadcast for the first time this season on Thursday as they visited the St. Louis Blues. Much to the chagrin of the Sharks, and likely ESPN, Macklin Celebrini was unavailable for the second straight game as he continues to recover from a lower-body injury.

The Blues got out to an early lead as Connor McMichael continued his hot start to the season, scoring his second goal of the season for his fourth point in his four games. St. Louis continued applying considerable pressure on Alex Nedeljkovic following the goal. 

Michael Kesselring took the first penalty of the night at 7:28 in the first period when he cross-checked Blues forward Jimmy Snuggerud. The Sharks penalty kill held strong, holding the Blues without a shot during their first power play opportunity. 

The Sharks got their first chance on the power play at 10:30 in the period, as Adam Jiricek tripped up Collin Graf. The Blues killed off the penalty.

Cam Fowler nearly doubled the Blues' lead with a wrist shot from the point, but his shot was just off-target as it hit the post after a Dylan Holloway deflection.

The game would remain 1-0 heading into the first intermission, but the Sharks were being outshot 11-3 which showed how one-sided the first 20 minutes were. 

The Sharks got another man advantage at 6:39 in the second period, when Blues netminder Joel Hofer took down Michael Misa along the side of the Blues net. The penalty was served by Snuggerud.

Shortly after the penalty expired, Tyler Toffoli scored his second of the season, while being cross-checked by Colton Parayko, to make it 1-1 right before the halfway point in the game.

Joel Hofer denied Luca Cagnoni on what seemed like a sure-fire goal 14 minutes into the period, keeping things deadlocked. Moments after that, Alexander Wennberg drew a slashing penalty that caused Fowler to go to the penalty box as the Sharks got another opportunity on the power play. 

The Blues nearly scored a short-handed goal late in the power play, but Dillon Dube wasn't able to control the puck. The Sharks' man advantage ended early as Ivar Stenberg was called for a slashing penalty of his own with seven seconds remaining. The Sharks were once again able to kill off the Blues' shortened power play.

Former Anaheim Duck Mason McTavish nearly restored the Blues' lead late in the period, but his one-handed shot attempt was denied by Michael Kesselring. Seconds later, the Blues were awarded a delay of game penalty, as Brandon Carlo shot the puck out of play.

Dube got his short-handed goal in the third period, giving the Blues their second lead of the night while Carlo sat in the penalty box. 

Collin Graf's first goal of the season tied things up once again, off of a nice feed by a pinching Sam Dickinson. 

Kiefer Sherwood kept the game tied by deflecting the puck over the net with just over a minute remaining in regulation, denying a clear-cut goal. 60 seconds later, the game went into overtime. 

Ivar Stenberg found Darnell Nurse in quite a bit of space just over a minute into overtime and the veteran defenseman scored his first goal in teal to secure a 3-2 win.

The regular-season marathon that extends this year to 84 games calls for a whole lot of otherwise forgettable nights when anything less than consistently taking care of business can get teams in trouble come crunch time. 

Thursday at UBS Arena was one of them, and so credit the Islanders for a straightforward and businesslike 4-1 win over the Connor Bedard-less Blackhawks in which Alexander Romanov’s absence was blunted by a clean defensive effort. 

The revamped pairs, with Logan Stanley to Matthew Schaefer’s left, Scott Mayfield inserted into the lineup on Tony DeAngelo’s right and the Adam Pelech-Ryan Pulock duo reunited for the first time since last November, put in a good night of work against a Chicago side that is now 1-4-0 as its long rebuild trudges on. It wasn’t the most entertaining 60 minutes, but in lieu of high-event hockey it was the second win of two for Ilya Sorokin in which the netminder could credit his defense without it feeling forced. 

“I liked how we defended,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “Maysy came in, gave us some solid minutes. I thought it was Tony DeAngelo’s best game he played [so far] this year. I thought it was Pulock’s best game so far. I thought Stan was excellent. Schaefer and Pelly are consistently excellent every night.” 

At this early stage of the year, the Islanders look like a team whose ability to prevent goals or not will be its defining factor on most nights. There have been stretches of every game so far when the breakouts aren’t going and two or more forward lines have looked disconnected. When the Islanders can make those minutes just as frustrating for the opposition as for themselves, they’re in good shape. 

That’s what they did to the Blackhawks for much of Thursday. 

“With this team, obviously a younger team but very hungry, young legs,” Anthony Duclair said, “gotta make sure we take away time and space, especially in the neutral zone. We clogged up the neutral zone pretty good.” 

Bo Horvat put the Islanders on the board with a power-play goal in the last minute of the first, but it was Pelech, turning over Oliver Moore at the defensive blue line, who started the game’s decisive sequence. 

Emil Heineman, the trailer on the Islanders’ ensuing rush, buried one past Arvid Soderblom to double the lead. Another quick breakout sequence in the form of Schaefer’s chip off the wall to Duclair led to their third less than three minutes later after Stanley’s no-look pass found Duclair below the right circle. 

Just 22 seconds before the night’s halfway mark, that made it 3-0, and while the Blackhawks might have stopped the rest of it from becoming academic — 3-0 with 30 minutes to go hardly spells game over — that was not within the visitor’s remit. By the time Frank Nazar’s blast broke Sorokin’s shutout at six-on-five, there was just 2:32 to go, rendering it too little and too late. 

The closest thing to a snag came from Nazar a minute later on a play that ended in Bo Horvat’s empty-net goal, as the winger drove his shoulder into Horvat’s head as the puck was released, prompting a scrum that ended in major penalties on both sides. 

Horvat was still being evaluated, most likely for a concussion, after the game, DeBoer said. Heineman went as far as to call the hit “a cheap shot.” 

“You don’t like that hit,” DeBoer said. “Especially at that time of the game and who it’s on.” 

Still, this wasn’t much harder than it needed to be, and you would have to stretch back to before the current building was open to find an Islanders team that didn’t trend towards the opposite. 

“I told the group after, we’re getting a little bit better every night out,” DeBoer said. “That’s the goal.”