The OHL has handed out a necessary punishment on Kitchener Rangers defenseman Jacob Xu, who made a reckless and careless decision with his stick against his opponent on Halloween night when the Sudbury Wolves were in town.
During the third period last Friday, Xu briefly got tangled up with Los Angeles Kings prospect Jan Chovan on the Wolves. For whatever reason, Xu disengaged and swung his stick over the top of his head, striking the back of Chovan’s head.
Chovan participated in the game and did not miss Sudbury’s next match on Saturday against Owen Sound. As for Xu, the league reviewed the play involving him and handed out supplemental discipline to the defenseman eligible for the 2026 NHL draft.
Xu has been suspended for four games for his dangerous slash. He has already served one game of the suspension and is eligible to return on Nov. 15 against the Guelph Storm.
It was a bizarre incident for a player who isn’t known to have a mean streak.
Xu’s four-game suspension has been met with a lot of questioning and debate online. Many fans argue that four games are not enough and he should’ve received more games. What do you think? Did the league get this one right?
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Wednesday night could feature a historic moment at Rogers Arena. With a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks would set a franchise record for most consecutive wins over a single opponent. The record is currently held at 11 straight wins and is shared by Chicago, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the San Jose Sharks.
Vancouver's win streak started on January 31, 2022. On that night, the Canucks departed the United Center with an impressive 3-1 victory. Some notable performances from that game include Brock Boeser scoring the game-winning goal, while Jaroslav Halák made 20 saves in the win.
Close to four years later, the streak continues. Over the past 11 games, Vancouver has outscored the Blackhawks 43-18, with only one game going beyond regulation. That game actually happened this season when the Canucks left Chicago with a 3-2 shootout win back in October, setting the franchise record for consective road wins against a single opponent.
As for the all-time consecutive wins record against an opponent, Vancouver still has a ways to go. That record is held by the Montréal Canadiens who defeated the Washington Capitals 23 times from 1974-1978. Washington was finally able to halt the losing streak thanks to a 4-4 tie April 2, 1978.
The Canucks return to Rogers Arena for a four-game homestand, which kicks off with a match against the Blackhawks on Wednesday night. This will be the second time Vancouver faces Chicago this season, as they won their last outing 3–2 in the shootout. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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The perfect NHL backup goaltender can be a real unsung hero.
But what makes an effective backup?
First of all, you want an experienced goalie who will push for playing time while also accepting their status as the second option between the pipes. You also need them to be able to play at a moment’s notice, and for long stretches if necessary. And you need them to be affordable and a calming influence in the dressing room.
These are all things we see in New Jersey Devils veteran netminder Jake Allen.
“When you talk about being the best backup, (Allen is) going to give you everything you want out of a backup,” former NHL netminder Devan Dubnyk said on The Hockey News Big Show. “Whether it’s (playing) a game every two weeks or five games in a row…I think that’s an important part of a backup goalie – being in the dressing room, having energy, being involved, whether you’re playing or not.”
Allen, 35, has appeared in eight games with the Devils this season, posting a 5-2-0 record, a 2.48 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage. Starter Jacob Markstrom, meanwhile, is 4-3-2 with an .875 SP and 4.17 GAA while being injured during part of October.
Allen can handle a larger workload, having played in 42 games with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2022-23 season. And of course, Allen is a Stanley Cup champion from his days with the St. Louis Blues when Jordan Binnington took over starting duties. His $1.8-million cap hit makes him a bargain, and the Devils will hope he can continue to fit in his role for the full five-year contract.
“It’s being comfortable with that role and not getting upset, not having higher expectations than you should,” Dubnyk said. “With Jake Allen, you look at him, and he’s ready to perform, however that is. He’s going to contribute in practice – he’s going to contribute in the dressing room.
“And if he hasn’t played in two weeks, he’s going to come in and win you a game. If Markstrom’s not playing well, you need (Allen) to come in and win a game, win two games, three games…and then if Markstrom gets hurt, he’s able to come in and be your starting goalie. And not just kind of a keep-your-head-above water starting goalie – a good starting goalie.”
Dubnyk pointed to veteran goaltender Alex Stalock, his teammate during their time with the Minnesota Wild, as an example of a goalie who thrived as a secondary option.
“There were long stretches where he didn’t play,” Dubnyk said of Stalock, who last played in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022-23. “But every single day, he contributed to the team. He worked his butt off in practice, he was funny in the dressing room, he always had energy, he was always joking. He brought something to the group every single day, even when he wasn’t playing.
“And then when he did go out and play, (Stalock) worked his butt off and he gave the team a good effort. These are all pieces that make a good backup goalie, and then with Allen, you have the bonus side of it, where we’ve having a conversation of who is the starter (in New Jersey) right now.”
Allen now has 14 NHL seasons under his belt, so there isn’t much he hasn’t seen. He’s been a starter, an understudy and a winner at the game’s highest level.
Take it from another goalie who’s been an elite performer – Allen deserves a lot of credit for excelling in a role that many goalies have failed at.
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Two days after Rick Tocchet pleaded for more from his team and pretty much apologized to fans, the Flyers answered their coach’s call in roller-coaster fashion.
They raced out to a 3-0 lead Tuesday night and then rallied from a 4-3 third-period deficit to beat the Canadiens, 5-4, in a shootout at Bell Centre.
Trevor Zegras scored the lone tally in the skills competition, putting him at a blistering 15 for 23 lifetime. He added two assists in regulation.
Tocchet’s club went off for three goals in the opening 7:50 minutes of the game. But Montreal sent the building into a frenzy with four second-period goals to erase a dominant first period by the Flyers.
Nikita Grebenkin, though, tied things up in the final stanza with his first career NHL goal.
The Flyers’ breakthrough offensively came after the team scored just three goals in a back-to-back set last weekend on home ice, resulting in two disappointing losses and some boos at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
“The fans pay a lot of money here to watch games,” Tocchet said Sunday night. “I don’t think we gave them a half-decent product the last two games. I think it was kind of a boring game. It falls on myself, I’ve got to get these guys to start to show some will. The Flyer fans, if they see some will, they’ll cheer you on. If they don’t, you’re going to get booed.”
In the first period Tuesday night, the Flyers (7-5-1) got a pair of goals from Bobby Brink and one from Cam York.
The club improved to 3-0 in the shootout and handed the Canadiens (9-3-1) their first loss after regulation. The Flyers lead the NHL with nine shootout wins over the last two seasons.
They picked up their first victory at Bell Centre since April 21, 2022. They were 0-3-1 in their previous four trips to Montreal and had been outscored 20-10.
• The Flyers were desperate for an offensive jolt.
They came in allowing the NHL’s fifth-fewest goals per game at 2.58. But they also came in scoring just 2.58, tied for the league’s fifth-fewest per game.
Brink’s second goal was on the power play and so was York’s marker.
Grebenkin gave the Flyers a huge lift a little over midway through the third period when it was starting to look like the team’s big start was going to be totally wasted.
York (one goal, one assist) and Travis Konecny (two assists) joined Brink and Zegras with multi-point efforts.
He made a pair of big stops in overtime and the Canadiens couldn’t crack him in the skills competition.
Montreal flipped the game in the second period. Their second and fourth goals came on the power play.
Lane Hutson made a brilliant move to set up Kirby Dach’s game-tying 3-3 goal. Ivan Demidov gave the Canadiens the lead with an absolute rip on the man advantage.
The Flyers put 42 shots on Montreal netminder Sam Montembeault, who stopped 38 of them.
• For the first time since signing with the Flyers in the offseason, Christian Dvorak faced his old club. The 29-year-old center played in all 82 games for the Canadiens last season, helping Montreal reach the playoffs.
Dvorak played the most minutes of any Flyers forward with 23:56.
• The Flyers are back in action Thursday when they visit the Predators (8 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
The Calgary Flames are giving one of their top young blueliners another look at the big stage. The team announced Tuesday that defenceman Yan Kuznetsov has been recalled from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
Kuznetsov, 22, has quietly put together a solid start to his season in the minors, notching two goals — including a game-winner — and a plus-5 rating in 10 games. He’s been a steady force on the Wranglers’ back end, showing the kind of two-way maturity that’s been steadily building since he turned pro.
This marks Kuznetsov’s sixth year in the Flames organization, split between his time with the Stockton Heat and now the Wranglers. He made his NHL debut last January against the Ottawa Senators, where he held his own in limited action — a short but promising glimpse at a player many see as being next in line for a bigger defensive role.
Last season, Kuznetsov put together one of his best AHL campaigns, finishing with a plus-21 rating — the best on the team — and 21 points (6 goals, 15 assists) in 72 games. That mix of defensive reliability and growing offensive confidence earned him a two-year contract extension over the summer, with the deal turning into a one-way contract in its second year. It’s a clear sign the organization expects him to stick at the NHL level sooner rather than later.
A second-round pick in 2020, Kuznetsov has now suited up for 226 AHL games, logging heavy minutes against top competition and establishing himself as a key piece of Calgary’s defensive depth.
In a recent report from the New York Post, Arthur Kaliyev’s ex-girlfriend has accused the former Los Angeles Kings right winger of multiple scandals.
According to his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Mochen, Kaliyev had an alleged “gambling addiction” that led to trouble within the Kings organization, including former teammates, the team’s staff, as well as the front office.
Mochen tells the story of Kaliyev’s off-ice lifestyle, revealing the factors that led to him being waived by Los Angeles in January of last season.
This alleged gambling addiction of Kaliyev’s is the root of Mochen’s story. Not only did it create tension in their relationship, which ultimately ended, but it also apparently caused friction between Kaliyev and members of the Kings when he played there from 2021 to 2024.
Mochen told the New York Post that Kaliyev claimed his family “controlled his NHL income,” and other stories that tied into the 24-year-old ultimately asking for her to cover his expenses.
In addition to Mochen constantly aiding Kaliyev financially, she believes that part of it was a cover-up of an alleged “gambling problem.”
“He did some strange things,” Mochen told the New York Post. “If the TV was on, and it wasn’t a sporting game, the TV had to be off. He refused to watch anything besides sports. He behaved as if he had bets placed on every single game that was on my TV. He would sit there checking his phone, checking and flipping back and forth between games.”
She said that it got to the point where Kaliyev owed money to teammates on the Kings, as well as tips to the training staff in Los Angeles.
Former Kings GM Rob Blake took matters into his own hands, consulting with Kaliyev’s agent Ian Pulver, that the player needed to right his wrongs within the team.
Eventually, on Jan. 5, 2025, Kaliyev was waived and claimed by the New York Rangers 24 hours later. Up to that point in the 2024-25 season, the 24-year-old did not feature in a single game for Los Angeles.
Mochen said she intends to press further charges against Kaliyev, as he allegedly “scammed her out of more than $50,000.”
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It's been multiple weeks since the Detroit Red Wings had Patrick Kane in the lineup after he was injured during their 2-1 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 17.
During that time, the Red Wings have won five of eight games, including three of their last four away from Little Caesars Arena. Thanks to their strong start to their centennial campaign, Detroit is in second place in the Atlantic Division and third overall in the Eastern Conference.
While it was recently confirmed that Kane would miss the entirety of the road trip which concludes on Tuesday evening against the Vegas Golden Knights, there was an optimistic outlook from head coach Todd McLellan about his potential timeline for a return.
After the Red Wings announced that forward Austin Watson had been re-assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins, McLellan acknowledged that it meant Kane could potentially skate with the club on Thursday.
"That is a sign that there's a really good chance he could skate with us on Thursday," McLellan said.
"Again, we're not there yet, but we're getting feedback from some really important people, including Patrick, and we're hoping that he can practice with us and we'll see where it goes from there," he continued.
Kane had been on a scoring pace reminiscent of his Hall of Fame career, having tallied two goals while adding three assists for five points in the five games he played before going down.
For the second straight offseason he signed a one-year contract on June 30 to remain with the Red Wings. This December will mark two full years since he chose to join Detroit following his hip resurfacing surgery in 2023.
Following Tuesday's road finale against the Golden Knights, the Red Wings return home for a tilt against the New York Rangers on Friday evening, followed by a Sunday matinee matchup against Kane's former club, the Chicago Blackhawks.
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DENVER — Coach Jared Bednar confirmed Tuesday morning that Mackenzie Blackwood’s rehabilitation from offseason surgery to repair a lower-body injury progressed more slowly than the organization initially anticipated.
As detailed in my earlier coverage for Mile High Hockey, Blackwood was seen taking shots on September 5 at Family Sports Center during the final minutes of an optional skate. He participated in the following sessions in a limited capacity, with Scott Wedgewood absorbing the bulk of the reps, a disparity that prompted some rinkside observers to question Blackwood’s health. Roughly a week later, he appeared in an injured-skate group, and the Vegas Golden Knights’ broadcast of a preseason game against Colorado on September 30 confirmed he had undergone surgery. However, those who witnessed Blackwood’s prior skates had already noticed he was struggling and appeared to be in pain while trying to push off his right leg. He rejoined the main group on October 6 but ultimately missed the entirety of training camp and the preseason.
Bednar told The Hockey News after morning skate that Blackwood did have a setback in his initial recovery.
“He was slow moving with his rehab throughout the whole course of the summer,” he stated. “He got on the ice in early August, and things weren’t feeling as good as what they probably should’ve been.
“So we reevaluated him; he got looked at by a couple of different people and changed his rehab and gave us a new timeline on his return. No real complications since that point.”
Blackwood Rusty, But Improving
Blackwood made his season debut Saturday, turning aside 20 shots in a 3–2 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks. The 28-year-old, who was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, also served as backup to Scott Wedgewood in Friday’s 4–2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Wedgewood, however, will get the start against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7:30 p.m. MT on Altitude+, TNT, HBO Max, truTV).
Bednar acknowledged that Blackwood is still shaking off some rust but noted that this week of practice should help him regain his timing and sharpness ahead of a road series against the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.
“He missed most of training camp; he’s been working kind of on his own and lacking team practice time at this point, so that’s why I think this week will be very good for him, practice yesterday; he got some work in today, we’re practicing again tomorrow and Friday, so it’s the most practices we’ve had all year, so I think that will help him get sort of used to game situations and he’ll be ready to go for the weekend.”
In 37 starts for the Avalanche last season, following his acquisition in a trade from the San Jose Sharks, Blackwood posted a career-best 2.33 goals against average and a .913 save percentage, compiling a 22-12-3 record.
Tonight's Game
As aforementioned, Wedgewood will get the start. In 11 starts this season, he's compiled a record of 7-1-2 with a 2.55 GAA and a .900 save percentage. We'll see if the 33-year-old is able to regain his form from the first couple of games of the season.
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Tuesday’s NHL slate features ten games packed with marquee matchups, promising high-energy action, dramatic finishes, and highlight-reel moments. One of the night’s most intriguing contests pits the rising Detroit Red Wings against one of the Western Conference’s elite, the Vegas Golden Knights, with a familiar face from Detroit’s past, former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner, adding extra intrigue.
For those new to our betting challenge, here’s the deal. We start with a modest bankroll and aim to grow it through smart, data-driven picks. In previous runs, we’ve turned just $10 into triple-digit returns. Tonight, our same-game parlay centers on the Detroit-Vegas matchup, offering a prime opportunity to build on our current bankroll of $264.60. With our first major milestone of $1,000 within reach, a mark we’ve hit before, we’re looking to ride this hot streak all the way back.
All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
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Picks: Golden Knights ML + Mitch Marner Anytime Goal (+240)
The Red Wings have managed to edge out two wins in their last three games, both in shootouts against the Sharks and Kings. However, their luck may run out when they face a Golden Knights team coming off three days of rest and led by superstar winger Mitch Marner, who has historically given Detroit trouble.
For those looking to play it safe tonight, a bet on Marner recording a point and a Golden Knights win would be ideal. Unfortunately, BetMGM currently doesn’t offer that option, so the focus shifts to Marner’s goal-scoring prowess, which has been on full display against Detroit. In 28 career games versus the Red Wings, Marner has 18 goals and 19 assists (37 points), including 11 multi-point performances and a streak of five straight games with points heading into Tuesday’s matchup. Over his last 12 games against Detroit alone, he’s tallied 12 goals and 11 assists (23 points), scoring in nine of his last 14 contests.
This season, Marner has only scored in two games, totaling three goals, but he’ll look to take advantage of a familiar foe. Detroit, while winning games, has struggled defensively, allowing 27 goals over its last seven contests, the second-most in the league over that span.
The Red Wings will likely keep this game competitive, riding the momentum from winning four of their last five, including a remarkable six-goal comeback against the St. Louis Blues after trailing 4-0 in the second period. With an 8-5 record against the spread this season, Detroit could cover again, but Vegas is expected to eke out a narrow victory, fueled by Marner’s offensive firepower.
A $264.60 wager on the Golden Knights and Marner to score at +240 odds cashed for a $635.04 profit, pushing the total payout to $899.64 in return. With a loaded NHL slate ahead, it’s the perfect time to ride the momentum and keep stacking that bankroll.
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It's been a long time since the Detroit Red Wings had won eight games in the month of October. In fact, the last time it happened was 18 years ago in 2007, which was the beginning of their most recent Stanley Cup-winning season.
In fact, before this October, the Red Wings had won eight games during that month only four times in their century-long history. Three of those occasions resulted in a Stanley Cup win.
Currently, the Red Wings are 4-3 away from Little Caesars Arena through their first seven road games. The last time they had a winning record on the road was the 2015-16 campaign, which was both the rookie season for Dylan Larkin and also the last time the Red Wings played beyond the 82nd game of the regular season.
Their ongoing road trip has been a success, having won three of four games with one last tilt on deck on Tuesday evening at T-Mobile Arena against the Vegas Golden Knights (10:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+).
Just because they're assured a winning record during the five-game trip regardless of Tuesday's result doesn't mean they're already looking ahead, however.
“The trip’s not over, it’s like we’re putting a bow on it, and there’s nothing worse than that," head coach Todd McLellan said.
“You classify it as a successful trip to this point, but there’s a lot of teams in the league that will go 3-2 on a five-game road trip and you just become average if you just blend in.”
The Red Wings have been determined not to be a team that simply just blends in this time around. They were directly challenged by McLellan following their disappointing 5-1 loss in their Home Opener, and they responded with five straight wins.
While it hasn't been completely smooth sailing since then, their 9-4 mark through 13 games is good for second overall in the Atlantic Division. They have the same number of points (18) as the Montreal Canadiens, who have a game in hand.
Nothing is a sure thing in the NHL these days. The Red Wings proved that last month against the St. Louis Blues, who held a 4-0 lead on Oct. 25 before Detroit stormed back with six unanswered goals, just the fifth time in their history that they claimed victory after initially trailing by four goals.
But the fact that the Red Wings have now twice accomplished something that had previously occurred only four previous times in their history bodes well for what they could potentially accomplish in their centennial campaign.
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The 25-year-old right winger didn't crack the Canucks' lineup out of training camp, instead playing 10 games for their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, B.C. He put up a goal and three assists for four points and a minus-7 rating.
The ninth overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft has bounced between Russia and the NHL over the years, but just hasn't replicated his scoring from overseas in North America.
In his draft year, Kravtsov cracked Chelyabinsk's KHL lineup after producing well in the junior and second-tier levels. In the following campaign, he had 21 points in 50 KHL games, as well as six points in seven matches at the 2019 world juniors for bronze-winning Team Russia.
Fast forward to 2020-21, and after playing most of the season in the KHL, recording 24 points in 49 games, he got his first shot in the NHL with the New York Rangers in April 2021.
In his rookie NHL campaign, however, the former top prospect had only two goals and two assists for four points and a minus-6 rating in 20 games while logging 12:24 of ice time per game.
In 2021-22, Kravtsov returned to the KHL, recording 13 points in 19 games. But he got another shot in the NHL in 2022-23, appearing in 28 matches for the Blueshirts.
On Feb. 25, 2023, the Rangers traded Kravtsov to the Canucks in exchange for William Lockwood and a seventh-round draft pick. Kravtsov had three goals and six points in 28 games by that point in the season.
But in Vancouver, Kravtsov's ice time fell from 11:25 to 10:50 per game, and he had a goal and an assist in 16 games.
In 2023-24 and 2024-25, Kravtsov played in the KHL for Chelyabinsk, posting 34 and 58 points, respectively. He even had the KHL's best plus-minus last year, at plus-31.
On Aug. 5 of this year, Kravtsov signed a one-year, two-way contract to return to the Canucks organization. In two pre-season games for Vancouver, he had five shots and a minus-two rating.
Now, it's uncertain whether the 6-foot-3, 186-pound right winger will ever play in the NHL again and expand on his six goals and 12 points in 64 career games.
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The 9-3-0 Winnipeg Jets have hit the ice in Los Angeles for their morning skate in advance of their late-night contest against the 5-4-4 Kings.
Hopefully, sleep isn't something you plan to get much of over the next two weeks, as the Jets have begun their lengthiest road trip of the season, and it is all within the NHL's westernmost cities - meaning much later start (and end) times than are typical of Winnipeg's 7:00 PM central home puck drops.
The Jets will kick things off against Los Angeles at 9:30 PM on Tuesday, before facing the Sharks at 9:00 PM on Friday. They will wrap up their California swing against the Ducks at 9:00 PM on Sunday, before heading further north to Vancouver for a 9:00 PM start on Tuesday. They conclude the six-game heater with 9:00 PM starts against Seattle and Calgary next week on Thursday and Saturday.
Winnipeg will finally return home on November 18 to host the Columbus Blue Jackets before Nikolaj Ehlers returns to Manitoba on Friday the 21st.
The Jets will look a little different on this road trip - maybe even from game to game.
The biggest news on the injury front is that captain Adam Lowry has recovered from offseason hip surgery and is set to make his season debut. Fellowed injured running mates Cole Perfetti and Dylan Samberg are both getting close to their returns, but head coach Scott Arniel says they will still need a bit more time.
Morgan Barron and Gustav Nyquist who are now both injured from incidents during gameplay are each expected to sit out at least the first game or two of the trip.
Winnipeg Jets expected line combinations for Tuesday, November 4 vs. the Los Angeles Kings:
The Winnipeg Jets begin their California road trip on Tuesday with an opening matchup against the LA Kings, who are looking to bounce back after losing three of their last five games. The contest will be particularly notable for Jets fans, as it marks the return of captain Adam Lowry, who has been sidelined since offseason hip surgery. Lowry will look to help the Jets secure two much-needed points as they sit just one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the top spot in the Central Division.
The Kings, meanwhile, are focused on the playoffs. Sitting one point out of a wild card position, they will be eager for a win to get back into the postseason picture. This game will be the 49th all-time meeting between the Jets and Kings. Los Angeles holds the advantage in the series with a 25-14-9 record, strengthened by victories in six of their last nine matchups against Winnipeg.
The most obvious storyline surrounding the Jets organization is the return of Adam Lowry, but beneath that is an interesting subplot involving who will play alongside him. His signature third-line trio is no longer intact, as longtime Jet Mason Appleton departed in free agency, leaving a vacancy on the right wing. Lowry will continue to center Nino Niederreiter on the left, and for the first game, it appears Tanner Pearson will take over the right side.
Pearson is not the same physical, net-front presence that Appleton was, but he should complement the line’s puck movement more effectively. The previous unit was successful because of its ability to shut down opponents’ top lines while also contributing timely offense. One memorable example came when Lowry scored the game-winning goal in Winnipeg’s Game 7 victory over the St. Louis Blues in last year’s first round.
This new version of the line may lean more toward generating offense. Lowry will continue to provide his steady and defensively responsible play down the middle, a quality that remains underrated across the league. Pearson’s experience and puck-handling ability should help improve puck possession and flow alongside Niederreiter, even if the group loses some of the grit and forechecking intensity that defined the old trio.
The bottom line was also be a point of focus as the rookie duo of Parker Ford and Brad Lambert recreated a moment out of their days with the Manitoba Moose in the AHL as the duo combined on the Jets' second goal in their 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday for Lambert's first goal of his career. The hope is they can continue to quietly produce together in clutch spots like they did on Saturday.
In Los Angeles, this could be one of the final chances for Winnipeg fans to see veteran center Anze Kopitar in action. The longtime Kings captain is set to retire after this season, closing out a remarkable career highlighted by two Stanley Cup championships. Kopitar is skating alongside several new additions to the Kings’ roster, including seasoned veterans Corey Perry, Joel Armia, Brian Dumoulin, and Cody Ceci, all acquired through free agency. However, the defensive results have been disappointing.
Once known as a defensive powerhouse similar to the Jets, Los Angeles has struggled in its own zone. Dumoulin has been on the ice for 12 goals against, with nine coming at even strength and three on the power play. Ceci has surrendered nine at even strength and two more while short-handed. Another veteran defenseman, Joel Edmundson, has been on for nine goals against as well, split between five on the power play and four at even strength. Even with goals scored while they are on the ice balancing out their plus/minus ratings somewhat, Ceci still holds the worst even-strength goal differential on the team at minus five, with Dumoulin close behind at minus four.
What was once a marquee defensive matchup between two elite teams now looks different, as Winnipeg will try to take advantage of the Kings’ current struggles in their own end.
The Kings are coming off back-to-back losses and will need to bring their intensity on Tuesday to bounce back. Earlier this season, their defense surrendered three goals to the Jets, and over the past ten games, they’ve allowed 29 goals. Much of that total stems from three games in which they gave up four goals each against the Blues, Blackhawks, and Stars. Outside of those matchups, the Kings have still conceded four or more goals in six of the remaining ten games. Vezina finalist Darcy Kuemper has struggled as well, posting a 3-3-3 record with a .891 save percentage this season. If the Jets can capitalize, the Kings will need to respond quickly.
Recent matchups between Winnipeg and Los Angeles have been low-scoring affairs, with under six total goals in four straight meetings. Tuesday’s game, however, feels poised to break that trend. Offensively, the Kings have scored 23 goals in their last eight games, hitting the three-goal mark in six of those contests. Historically, LA has also found ways to penetrate Winnipeg’s stingy defense, outscoring the Jets 36-28 in their last ten encounters.
Much of the Kings’ offensive firepower comes from Adrian Kempe. Although he has just five goals this season, he also has ten assists for 15 points in 13 games. Kempe has consistently torched Winnipeg, tallying four goals and five assists for nine points in his last five matchups, including four consecutive multi-point games with a goal in each.
Winnipeg will counter with the league’s top scorer, center Mark Scheifele, who has nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points in 12 games. The 32-year-old from Kitchener has historically performed well against the Kings, recording eight goals and six assists for 14 points in his last 13 games versus LA.
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In a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers that snapped a seven-game losing streak, rookie Dalibor Dvorsky scored his first NHL goal.
With the Blues trailing the Oilers 2-0 in the second period and possibly on the verge of losing an eighth consecutive game, their top prospect and 2023 10th overall pick stepped up to shift the momentum.
“Obviously, it was awesome,” Dvorsky said. “Nothing else to say. Great pass from Faulk there. Just tried to shoot it, and I'm happy it went in.
The goal came in Dvorsky's third game of the season, and due to his play, the goal always felt near. Whether he was paired with Jordan Kyrou and Mathieu Joseph or Dylan Holloway and Oskar Sundqvist, the 20-year-old was continuously finding ways to affect the game at both ends of the ice.
Despite his time dropping a bit each game this season, coach Jim Montgomery has given Dvorsky opportunities elsewhere, as he did last night by placing him on the flank of the top power play unit. The move clearly paid off.
Although the goal is the main talking point and will probably be the main reason he gets another game in the NHL, Dvorsky's overall effect on the game has been very positive, especially at 5-on-5.
According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blues own 67.14 percent of the expected goals with Dvorsky on the ice, 57.14 percent of the high-danger chances (4-3), and have a Corsi For percentage of 61.40 percent. Although the sample size is small, those stats are among the best on the Blues.
What adds to the intrigue or makes the stats more impressive is that he is doing it while playing center. The Zvolen, SVK, native is a natural center who claims he feels more comfortable playing down the middle. Center is a difficult position to play in the NHL, but so far, Dvorsky has shown he's up for the task and is excelling.
Dvorsky hasn't locked down his role in the NHL quite yet, but if he continues to perform at this level, Montgomery will be pleased to write Dvorsky's name into the lineup each and every night.
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