Rasmus Andersson has moved on from Calgary, but he hasn't stopped caring about the people he left behind.
As the Flames stumble through the early stages of a rebuild, the former Calgary defenceman has a message for fans: have faith.
Andersson spent nine seasons with the Flames before joining the Vegas Golden Knights, giving him plenty of firsthand experience with the expectations that come with playing in Calgary. He knows how much the team means to the city, which is why watching it struggle isn't easy.
But speaking with Sportsnet’s Eric Francis, Andersson pointed to a reality that can get lost when losses start piling up. Calgary made the decision to rebuild, and that process was never going to be pretty from the start.
“You just can't have it both ways,” Andersson said, addressing fans calling for changes amid the team's disastrous opening stretch.
The Flames have stumbled out of the gate, going 1-6 through their first seven games. They’ve scored just 14 goals, the second-fewest in the league ahead of only the Los Angeles Kings (11), while their 35 goals against are also the second-most, trailing only the Vancouver Canucks (41).
The 29-year-old isn't dismissing the frustration. He's simply reminding supporters that building a contender takes more than a few good weeks, particularly when a roster is going through significant changes.
Andersson still keeps tabs on his old club, even if he doesn't follow the day-to-day conversation as closely as he did while playing there. Seeing familiar faces in a very different lineup has been an adjustment, but his feelings toward the organization haven't changed.
He remains in touch with his former teammates and the coaching staff, while hoping to see Calgary’s younger players develop into established NHL talents. The bonds he formed during his nine years with the Flames haven’t faded just because he’s moved on.
“They’re all gonna be friends for the rest of my life,” Andersson said.
Life in Las Vegas has treated him and his family well. He signed a seven-year, $59.5-million contract this summer and is settling into his new surroundings, but Calgary hasn't become just another stop in his career.
The Scotiabank Saddledome, where his son took his first strides on skates, still holds plenty of memories. With the Flames nearing the end of their time in the building, Andersson is looking forward to returning in February.
He may be on the other side now, but there's no hard feeling toward Calgary. If anything, he wants to see the rebuild work — and give the fans who supported him for nine years a reason to celebrate again.
DENVER — Sports are largely the theatre of the unexpected.
We’ve seen it throughout history, from Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson to the Arizona Diamondbacks beating the New York Yankees in the World Series. More recently, the Milwaukee Brewers reminded us that money doesn’t guarantee success, spending $146.2 million less than the two-time reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers before sweeping them out of the National League Championship Series.
The Colorado Avalanche are coming off a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ball Arena. T.J. Hughes scored his first goal, Nathan MacKinnon had a four-point night, Artturi Lehkonen is off to the best start of his professional career, and Mackenzie Blackwood is making his critics look foolish.
Things are going well for Colorado. But Monday’s matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers is the kind of game the Avalanche cannot afford to take lightly.
Philadelphia has yet to win through its first nine games. Suggesting that a winless team could pose a serious threat might sound ridiculous, but I’ve covered sports long enough, particularly boxing, to know that records don’t always tell the whole story.
Just ask Anthony Joshua.
When Andy Ruiz Shocked the Boxing World
In 2019, Joshua was widely considered the king of the heavyweight division. The British fighter and 2012 Olympic gold medalist held three of boxing’s four major world titles, with Deontay Wilder holding the fourth. Despite years of anticipation, Joshua and Wilder never fought.
Joshua was preparing to make his American debut against undefeated contender Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller in New York. Miller, who was promoted by Greg Cohen Promotions, was supposed to be Joshua’s opponent for a major world title defense.
I had a personal connection to the promotion through my friend Clifford Mass, an investor in the company who also served as its vice president of business development.
On April 16, 2019, I received information from multiple sources that Miller had scored a pair of hat-tricks—but not the kind celebrated on the ice.
Miller failed three separate drug tests, testing positive for three different performance-enhancing substances: EPO, human growth hormone, and GW1516. He had previously failed a drug test as a kickboxer and had refused testing on another occasion.
I texted Mass what I knew to be true. His response, following a string of profanities, was memorable: “You just delivered the worst news I’ve gotten in a long time. Oh well.”
Miller was pulled from the card, leaving promoters scrambling for a replacement.
Enter Andy Ruiz Jr.
Ruiz was undefeated and had remarkably fast hands, but his physique didn't fit the typical image of a heavyweight champion. Some observers made jokes about his build, comparing it to a stack of jelly rolls. Few expected him to beat Joshua.
What happened in the ring, however, was nothing short of stunning
Joshua scored an early knockdown, and it looked as though the fight might go according to plan. But he became reckless, at times appearing to admire his own work rather than remain focused on Ruiz. The challenger took advantage, dropping Joshua four times before stopping him in the seventh round in one of the biggest upsets in modern sports history.
Ruiz became an instant celebrity. Credit: USA Today
That's what makes this story relevant to Colorado.
The Flyers Have Already Burned Colorado Once
On paper, the Avalanche have a significant advantage over Philadelphia. Colorado's 36 goals are tied for the NHL lead with the Vegas Golden Knights, the same team that swept the Avalanche out of the Western Conference Final this season.
The Flyers, meanwhile, have scored just 11 goals through nine games, the fewest in the league. Their 33 goals allowed also ranked third-worst in the NHL as of publication, behind only the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
But a struggling team can still have players capable of changing a game in a hurry. And the Flyers have already shown Colorado what that looks like.
On January 23 at Ball Arena, Philadelphia handed the Avalanche a 7-3 loss. Owen Tippett recorded a hat trick and an assist, while Matvei Michkov had two goals and an assist. Denver Barkey and then-Flyer Bobby Brink also scored.
Colorado fell behind 2-0 in the first period but fought back, scoring three times in the second to tie the game at 3-3. Then everything fell apart. Philadelphia scored four times in the final period, turning a competitive game into a blowout that head coach Jared Bednar described as “horrible.”
The Flyers were 23-17-9 at the time, so they weren't the winless team we're seeing now. Still, the result should serve as a reminder that Philadelphia can hurt Colorado when the Avalanche make mistakes.
And that's been a concern for Colorado at times. The Avalanche have occasionally played down to their opposition, leading to costly turnovers and defensive breakdowns. Against a team desperate for its first win, those mistakes could be all the encouragement Philadelphia needs.
The last thing Colorado wants is to hand the Flyers their first victory of the season. A 7-3 loss to a winless opponent would be an ugly result, especially for a team with championship aspirations.
No Game Is Won on Paper
The Avalanche have more than enough talent to win this matchup. MacKinnon and the offense are producing, Hughes is finding his footing, Lehkonen is playing some of the best hockey of his career, and Blackwood has been answering his critics.
But none of that matters if Colorado takes its foot off the gas.
Joshua was the heavyweight champion, and Ruiz was the replacement almost nobody expected to win. Yet Ruiz seized his opportunity, and Joshua never recovered.
Colorado doesn't need to fear Philadelphia, but it does need to respect the matchup. The Flyers have struggled badly, yet they've beaten the Avalanche convincingly before. That alone should be enough to get Colorado's attention.
Monday should be a game the Avalanche expect to win. The challenge is making sure they don't start playing as though they've already won it.
Because sports have a funny way of punishing teams that underestimate their opponents. And the Avalanche have already seen what can happen when the unexpected becomes reality.
Before heading out for a four-game road trip to the Tri-State area, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Boston Bruins on Friday night at Honda Center.
The Ducks are coming off a disappointing 4-2 loss to the basement-dwelling Calgary Flames on Tuesday, while the Bruins came into this game on a three-game winning streak, outscoring opponents by a total of 17-5.
Anaheim was without their captain, Mikael Granlund, for this game, who is listed as “day-to-day” with an upper-body injury. With both Granlund and center Ryan Poehling unavailable for this game, head coach Joel Quenneville inserted Cutter Gauthier, who had missed the Ducks’ previous game with his own upper-body injury, at second-line center and dressed talented rookie winger Nikita Klepov.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Killorn-Carlsson-Klepov
Nesterenko-Gauthier-Sennecke
Vatrano-McQueen-Caulfield
Greer-Washe-Malott
LaCombe-Warren
Mintyukov-Luneau
Hinds-Helleson
Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks for the sixth time in seven games to open the season and stopped 18 of 22 shots. He was opposed by Michael DiPietro in the Boston crease, who stopped 25 of 27.
“A little bit of our details we lost towards the end of the second and the third,” defenseman Jackson LaCombe said after the game. “Then we couldn’t score on the power play. That definitely hurt us. So, we just got to be more disciplined and sharper in our execution.”
Game Notes
After 40 minutes, the Ducks were seemingly in control of this game and dictating 5v5 play. Special teams had been the Ducks’ driving factor toward their early success this season, but this game flipped that script entirely, as their power play didn’t convert on any of their five opportunities and their penalty kill allowed three goals on four attempts.
Cutter Gauthier: Gauthier hadn’t played center for an entire game since he debuted in the NHL in the spring of 2024. He didn’t miss a beat in this game, proving to be the true goal line to goal line centerman that Quenneville’s systems require. His skating ability in defensive zone coverage rapidly eliminated time and space for attackers, and he did well to recover from broken exits and fill lanes while backtracking to the top of the crease.
He translated his off-puck prowess to breakouts, where he put himself in positions to receive second passes out of the zone while at full speed, and when he was transporting in neutral ice, he did well to navigate sticks and bodies while maintaining possession. If Gauthier can stick as the second-line center or fill in for spurts, he will solve a lot of the Ducks’ roster construction question marks early in the year.
Power Play: Perhaps they missed Mikael Granlund’s detailed presence. Perhaps Boston’s PK and coaching staff found some flaws in Anaheim’s tactics. Perhaps a combination of the two, compounded with a foreign (to this season) lack of execution, but Anaheim had difficulty gaining clean entries and finding time and space along the perimeter.
Regardless of the entry wrinkle they attempted, the Ducks struggled to keep pucks moving down the wall and into a setup after the trailer dished to the outside after gaining blue. They lacked the decisiveness to which we’d become accustomed within their structure and reverted to rimming pucks behind the net to incite battles elsewhere in the zone, battles they often lost before Boston cleared the zone.
Nikita Klepov: On the Ducks top line for the first time in his two-game career, Klepov was afforded the time and space to operate that he wasn’t in his debut, as in this game, he played alongside Leo Carlsson, who garners ample attention, and Alex Killorn, who provides veteran details to maintain possession and keeps pucks moving north by finding linemates in space.
Klepov was able to display aspects of why the Ducks decided to make the trade to draft him and eventually decide to have him start the season in the NHL. He was smart, tenacious, and manipulative with the puck on his stick and cycling. He found Carlsson in space multiple times, unlocking a bit of Carlsson’s cycle potential, and seemed to generate quality opportunities at will, especially from below the dots. His composure and dictation were far beyond what is expected from a young rookie in his second career game.
Breakouts: At 5v5, the area where the Ducks had struggled most coming into this one was on their breakout and exit sequences. Though they deploy a blueline consisting of six players 25 years old and younger, they showed more composure and confidence in corners and behind their net on retrievals.
Their ability to draw forecheckers low, thwart them, and buy time for their outlets to gain position or find open ice led to cleaner exits than displayed through the first six games, an encouraging sign moving forward.
Next, the Ducks will head to the New York metropolitan area to start their four-game road trip, beginning on Monday against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden at 4 pm PST.
The Pittsburgh Penguins came out like a house on fire against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night, but couldn't sustain it for a full 60 minutes.
They played a strong 20 minutes and took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission, then allowed four more goals to lose 5-2. The Penguins had no answer for the Avalanche's pushback to start the second period, and their defensive zone woes continued in a second straight loss.
Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins. Malkin made a beautiful move to the slot to score his fourth goal of the season, and Rust scored 29 seconds later off a great pass from Sidney Crosby.
- Let's get some of the positives out of the way. Sidney Crosby played his best game of the season on Friday, and it wasn't close. His pass for Rust's goal was great, and it felt like he had eyes in the back of his head all game.
He was threading the needle beautifully and even had some glorious chances of his own. He's very much back after a slow start, which will be a big deal if the Penguins can get out of this rut.
- I didn't mind the Penguins' 5v5 play at all and thought they got plenty of quality chances throughout this game. However, the problem is that nobody outside of Malkin or Rust could finish their chances.
Rickard Rakell had a glorious semi-breakaway in the second period, but Mackenize Blackwood turned it aside. Andrei Kuzmenko was stoned on the doorstep during a third-period power play. Tommy Novak was denied twice. Ville Koivunen had a ridiculous tip earlier in the game when it was still 2-1, but it hit the post.
It simply wasn't their night.
- Speaking of Koivunen, this was his best game since opening night against the Flyers. He fit well on the Malkin line in place of injured Egor Chinakhov and made a beautiful play to start the rush that led to Malkin's goal. He was engaged all game long and, as mentioned above, almost had a highlight-reel goal, but it hit the post.
It was a much-needed performance from him.
- Alright, let's get to the negative. Just like Tuesday, special teams killed the Penguins in this one. They were way too passive on the penalty kill, allowing the Avalanche to do whatever they wanted on the power play.
T.J. Hughes's goal won't be scored as an official power-play goal, but it may as well be one since he scored it immediately after the penalty expired. Declan Carlile was too slow and didn't get to Hughes in time, giving him an easy goal.
- As for the power play, what more is there to say? The first unit is an absolute disaster right now and needs to be broken up. The zone entries are pitiful, and even when the unit gains the zone, the players fold under pressure, leading to easy clears. If you ask me, they need to experiment with Rakell and Malkin on PP2. They look lost on the first unit.
- Declan Carlile was a mess on the top pair again. This has been a theme over the last week: he looks out of his depth. He's trying to do way too much and isn't opting for the simple plays.
He was out to lunch in his own zone and didn't look comfortable. It'll be interesting to see whether Muse moves him away from Karlsson so he can face some lesser competition and regain some confidence
- I also didn't like Karlsson's game tonight. He was making some strange decisions with the puck in the offensive zone and wasn't winning his assignments in his own end. I know he has seven points (all assists) in eight games, but the Penguins need more from him if they want to get to where they want to be this year.
- The schedule doesn't get any easier for the Penguins since they have a matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. Like the Avalanche, the Golden Knights are one of the best teams in the NHL and have been steamrolling teams since the season began.
It would behoove the Penguins to take two points in that game and split the back-to-back before they close out this four-game trip with the Utah Mammoth, who are also red-hot, on Monday.
DENVER — Artturi Lehkonen isn't one to make a big deal out of himself. He'd rather do his job, score his goals and move on to the next game.
That's part of what makes him so good. It's also why the Colorado Avalanche shouldn't wait much longer to get a contract extension done.
Lehkonen scored twice in Thursday night's 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ball Arena, giving him six goals through eight games. His previous best through eight games was three, set during the 2024-25 season.
He's never started an NHL season like this, and he's doing it in the final year of his contract.
Lehkonen signed a five-year, $22.5 million deal with Colorado in July 2022, just after helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup. He hasn't signed an extension, and if he keeps scoring at this pace, his next contract could get a lot more expensive.
The funny thing is, Lehkonen probably wouldn't give himself much credit for any of it.
Earlier this month, I asked him how he prepares for those moments when a game is on the line. His answer was about as humble as you'd expect.
“I don't know, it's... Just trying to find that being in the right place at the right time, I guess.”
That's Lehkonen. Six goals in eight games, a history of scoring huge playoff goals, and he makes it sound like he's just getting lucky.
But there's a reason he's always around when the Avalanche need a goal.
Lehkonen goes to the net. He fights for loose pucks. He does the work in the corners and isn't afraid to take a hit to make a play. He's not waiting for the perfect opportunity to score. He works until one comes his way.
We've seen what that looks like in the playoffs. Lehkonen scored the overtime winner against Edmonton in the 2022 Western Conference Final before scoring the goal that clinched the Stanley Cup against Tampa Bay. A year earlier, he scored in overtime to send Montreal to the Final.
He has a knack for showing up when it matters. That's not luck. That's who he is as a player.
And now he's putting up career-best numbers to go with everything else he brings to Colorado.
The Avalanche have plenty of stars, but players like Lehkonen are a big part of what makes a team successful. He can score, defend and play the hard minutes. He doesn't need the spotlight, and he doesn't need to be the best player on the ice to make a difference.
Even his teammates know how much he brings to the team.
Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 29 saves in Thursday night's win, summed it up perfectly when talking about Lehkonen after the game.
"Art is like the unsung hero... He doesn't get enough credit."
It's a fitting description of a player whose value goes well beyond the scoresheet. The goals are just making his impact harder to ignore.
Colorado still has to manage its salary cap, and there's a long way to go this season. But the Avalanche know what Lehkonen brings. He's already helped them win a championship, and he's showing again why he's such a good fit.
The longer they wait, the more expensive he could potentially become.
Lehkonen will probably keep doing what he's always done. He'll shrug off the goals, give credit to his teammates and get ready for the next game. He isn't going to make a public fuss about his contract or tell anyone how much he's worth.
That's fine. He shouldn't have to.
Joe Sakic needs to make sure the business side gets taken care of.
DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had three assists and a power-play goal, Artturi Lehkonen scored twice and the Colorado Avalanche rallied to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Friday night.
T.J. Hughes scored his first NHL goal, while Mackenzie Blackwood settled in after a shaky start to stop 29 shots.
Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust gave Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead after scoring 29 seconds apart midway through the first period. The Avalanche erupted for five straight tallies, including three in the second period.
Colorado finished 1 of 4 on the power play in the Avalanche debut of assistant coach Brett McLean. He’s in charge of the unit after Dave Hakstol left to take over as head coach of the men’s hockey program at Arizona State.
Lehkonen’s second goal tied it 25 seconds into the second period. Captain Gabriel Landeskog had a goal nearly four minutes later for his 83rd career go-ahead score. He’s tied with Mikko Rantanen for sixth-most in Avalanche history. Hall of Famer Joe Sakic tops the list with 210.
Hughes got free down low and poked in a pass from MacKinnon. He was hugged by Cale Makar and then playfully squirted with water by Landeskog as Hughes made his way past the bench.
Sidney Crosby notched his 1,110th career assist to move into sole possession of seventh place in NHL history. He’s also one assist shy of matching Ray Bourque (1,111 with Boston) for the most in league history with a one franchise.
BRUINS 4, DUCKS 2
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Elias Lindholm assisted on the tying goal and scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, leading Boston past Anaheim for its fourth straight victory.
David Pastrnak scored a tying power-play goal and Frederic Brunet got his first NHL goal for the Bruins, who roared back from an early two-goal deficit and improved to 6-2-0.
Less than five minutes after Pastrnak converted a give-and-go with Lindholm, the Ducks failed to mark Lindholm during a power play and allowed him to tap in a pass from Pavel Zacha with 11:39 to play. Matthew Poitras added another goal with 3:40 left on James Hagens’ second assist of the night.
Michael DiPietro made 25 saves in his second start of the season for the Bruins.
Beckett Sennecke got his fifth goal and Tim Washe also scored for the Ducks, who have lost three straight home games while giving up 13 goals. Lukas Dostal stopped 18 shots.
Ducks captain Mikael Granlund sat out with an upper-body injury, and goal-scoring winger Cutter Gauthier filled in by moving to center for the first time in his NHL career.
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 16: Goaltender Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins defends against Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche during the second period at Ball Arena on October 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It’s a rare occasion when Sidney Crosby plays in Denver and this season the intriguing matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Pittsburgh Penguins came early in the season. It was an interesting tug-of-war in the early stages but settled into a 5-2 blowout in Colorado’s favor on two Artturi Lehkonen goals, a first career goal for TJ Hughes and a Nathan MacKinnon power play goal.
The Game
It was a fairly even start but the Penguins exploded for two goals near the halfway mark of the opening period. First, Pittsburgh executed a nifty passing play in the neutral zone and Evgeni Malkin finished it off on a somewhat screened Mackenzie Blackwood. Then, just 29 seconds later the Eastern Conference squad found room behind a lax Avalanche defense and finished off a textbook 2-on-1 with Bryan Rust receiving the pass from Sidney Crosby.
Suddenly down two Colorado found a little life scoring on their third shot of the evening as the top line executed their own transition passing play finished off by Artturi Lehkonen. The teams got to finish out by trading power plays and Colorado’s didn’t inspire much confidence so the period ended with Pittsburgh up 2-1 and a more troubling 14-5 shot advantage.
Second periods always seen to be an Avalanche favorite and they got what they needed a minute after the first intermission as Lehkonen got his second of the game on a greasy net front deflection. Shortly after Nathan MacKinnon received a penalty shot and couldn’t convert, amazingly going 0/5 in his career with the opportunity. But, it took just a minute later for Colorado to find the back of the net when Gabe Landeskog got a tap-in chance after Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs was found lying face forward in the crease. To finish out the period there was another trading of power play chances. The Avalanche technically didn’t cash in on theirs but right after it expired TJ Hughes potted his first NHL goal to give Colorado a 4-2 lead.
There wasn’t much mystery as to who would win the game by the third period but Pittsburgh got a few chances on the board anyway, though no goals. Colorado finally found that elusive power play goal when Nathan MacKinnon scored on it with five minutes to go. At 5-2 the game was officially over in Colorado’s favor.
Takeaways
This game was not a defensive masterpiece despite Colorado holding the Penguins to their two first period goals. Pittsburgh won the analytic matchup at 55% expected goals and Corsi for, which matched the eye test of several extended Pittsburgh shifts in the Avalanche zone. High danger shots favored Pittsburgh 18-10 as well. Tonight, Colorado clearly found enough offense and counterattack to turn the game in their favor but it is a trend to keep an eye on moving forward.
With all three of Logan O’Connor, Zach LHeureux and Nic Roy currently unavailable, Jared Bednar has been running his lineup with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. It wasn’t a particularly great night for defenseman Noah Juulsen who played just over seven minutes and a 20% share of the expected goals. Heading into an east coast road trip, the Avalanche might want to bring a full roster of players.
Upcoming
A weekend off and then the start of a quick two-game road trip in Philadelphia on Monday, October 19th. Puck drop is at 5 p.m. MT.
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 16: Goaltender Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins defends against Nathan MacKinnon #29 of the Colorado Avalanche during the second period at Ball Arena on October 16, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Pregame
Egor Chinakhov apparently got injured in Thursday’s practice and doesn’t take warmups. His loss is Ville Koivunen’s gain to slot back into the lineup in a nice spot. Elmer Soderblom gets back in the mix too and Arturs Silovs starts for the Penguins.
Tonight's lineup in Colorado 🐧
Egor Chinakhov is being evaluated for a lower-body injury and will not play tonight. pic.twitter.com/80q5IPIeg3
The Pens start the game strong, controlling the shots early and looking very good. They turn that into a goal, Koivunen makes a cheeky little pass to Evgeni Malkin and then the old boy shows off his tricks, cutting into the middle of the ice and throwing a shot that beats Mackenzie Blackwood. 1-0 Pens.
Just 29 seconds later, Pittsburgh strikes again on the rush. Sidney Crosby has the puck on what looks to be a developing 2-on-1. Josh Manson stumbles in his transition to essentially make it a 2-on-0. You already know what happens next, Crosby puts a lot of mustard on a pass that Bryan Rust only needs to lift over the pad of the goalie moving laterally. 2-0.
87 keeps climbing 🍎
Sidney Crosby moves into sole possession of 7th place in NHL history with his 1,110th career assist. pic.twitter.com/kKpnF2nWhj
The Avalanche respond, Nathan MacKinnon drives down the ice and matches his buddy Crosby with a great cross-ice pass for Arturri Lehkonen to score on. 2-1.
The Penguins get a power play, let’s just not talk about it.
Shots are 14-5 Pens, one of their best periods since the season opener.
Second period
Colorado scores early in the period. MacKinnon shoots hard, the puck hits Silovs and goes skyward. When it comes down, Lehkonen gloves it down from in close and smacks a backhand along the ice before any Penguin can quite catch up. 2-2 game.
That nice play aside, Colorado stays on the gas. Silovs finally crumbles a little giving up a big rebound on a shot. The puck goes to Brock Nelson and he makes a pass over to the backdoor for Gabriel Landeskog to guide it home. 3-2 Colorado takes their first lead of the night.
The Pens get another power play, it goes so well Ben Kindel slashes Nelson (after he shoots on the rush, even) and takes a penalty himself. Colorado’s short power play ends just as MacKinnon nabs his third point of the night when he centers a puck for TJ Hughes in front of the net. 4-2.
Collecting every angle of the T.J. Hughes goal like they're infinity stones 🧤 pic.twitter.com/WOtJvt4chM
Pittsburgh pulls the goalie, because hey why not? Kris Letang takes a penalty late. Pittsburgh kills it off but the clock expires soon after to leave Colorado with a comforable win.
Some thoughts
Rough last 40 minutes but it does the heart good to see Malkin cut to the middle with authority and score. He did that when he was 20 years old, and when he was 30 and now when he did it at 40. Naturally, age effects mean it’s become a rarity to see such flashes of brilliance these days, but hey – there’s not many skilled and bold enough to pull that move off at any age. Always awesome to witness a great player remind why he was, and still can be, in fact be great.
Another feel good moment was Crosby on the Rust goal. You see Sid coming down the left side, a right-handed player in Rust bearing down on the right. It instantly screamed pass and goal, even before it happened. Then, of course, it happened just like you knew it would from 21 seasons of watching Crosby do exactly that. Happening the shift after the Malkin goal made it all the more special.
Not just from the goal but tonight was definitely the first full game of the season where Sidney Crosby looked like *Sidney Crosby*, if you know what I mean. The passes were on point, the jump was there, he held onto pucks in the o-zone, he was going low-to-high. Maybe it just took a little while to get going (as the two goals from last game would suggest getting it into gear), maybe it was the energy boost of turning it up to show out and keep up with his buddy Nate. Either way, my goodness what a night from the captain. Could have easily had three or four assists with the chances he created for teammates.
You think Koivunen was ready to make the most of his chance? Can’t underestimate the hunger, he knew he was on track to be a healthy scratch tonight, only playing because Chinakhov ended up injured, leaving Koivunen to take a spot on a prime line. That type of golden opportunity only comes around once every so often. Koivunen responded with perhaps his best game of the season. He did what he does best, making a skilled, subtle yet crucial play for Malkin’s goal. He then hit the post driving to the net in the first period and very nearly scored. Drew a penalty in the third. If he wasn’t hungry to make the most of this somewhat impromptu chance that would be a problem, good on him for stepping up when opportunity knocked.
Pretty surprised to see MacKinnon get awarded a penalty shot in the second period, judging from his reaction Dan Muse was too. MacKinnon didn’t get the puck until he was at the top of the circles, it wasn’t much of a ‘breakaway’ opportunity, especially as fast as he moves.
Immediately after Colorado took a 3-2 lead, Crosby made a beautiful pass to send Rickard Rakell in alone on the breakaway. Rakell made a move to the backhand but couldn’t finish. Setting aside Rakell has no goals on the season which adds to bigger frustrations, that’s the type of play a team simply has to score on to go punch-for-punch with an elite team like the Avs. They started hitting the Pens, you just have to hit back and keep up. That proved to be the problem of the night.
Another big problem: the Pens’ power play is down to 0-for-19 in the last six games. Whether it’s a change in personnel, mindset, design, tactics, you name it and something has to change. A lot of things even because it’s downright bad right now.
Speaking of that, and not to pile on Rakell- but why in the world is he still on the first power play group and Rust is not? Not to say that would solve all of that group’s issues (they have many more!) but it seems like a very easy first step.
Tonight was Colorado’s third game in four days. It showed early on, they looked slow in the first period, sleepy and not terribly engaged. When they went down 2-0, it was like they realized they needed to wake up and play. Boy, did they ever to score five unanswered goals at that point and leave the Pens in the dust. Led, as always, by MacKinnon and his goal and three primary assists to fuel the majority of it. Turned out the Pens had no answers and couldn’t keep up. That’s a tough pill to swallow in some regards but just where both teams are on the food chain in 2026.
In a lot of ways, I don’t think the Penguins played that poorly tonight, especially compared to some of their other losses this season where they barely looked competent. That wasn’t the case today. Now, it’s certainly true that Pittsburgh was the second best team on the ice and the end result was justified but that says more about Colorado being really good. The result is the result, so no one is or should going to take a lot of solace from that, but sometimes you run into a better foe. Quick turnaround to a pretty formidable opponent on deck with the Vegas Golden Knights tomorrow.
Although the exact design and appearance is still unknown, the Philadelphia Flyers have finally revealed when they will debut their Hometown Remix jerseys this season, along with the rest of the games the team will wear them for.
In just under two weeks, on Nov. 3, the Flyers will debut their new Hometown Remix alternate jersey at home against the Minnesota Wild at 7 p.m.
Overall, the Flyers will play wearing their new threads 13 times this season, 11 of which will be at home at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Here's the Flyers' full Hometown Remix schedule, complete with the 11 home games and four matchups with Metropolitan Division rivals.
Flyers vs. Wild, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.
Flyers vs. Canucks, Nov. 27 at 3 p.m.
Flyers @ Maple Leafs, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m.
Flyers vs. Islanders, Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Flyers vs. Panthers, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m.
Flyers vs. Red Wings, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.
Flyers vs. Blackhawks, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Flyers vs. Devils, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Flyers vs. Rangers, Feb. 20 at 12:30 p.m.
Flyers @ Islanders, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.
Flyers vs. Blues, March 7 at 3:30 p.m.
Flyers vs. Bruins, March 18 at 7 p.m.
Flyers @ Islanders, March 20 at 3 p.m.
All times listed above are in EST.
(Photo: Philadelphia Flyers, X)
A healthy helping of afternoon games, for those who are into that, and a stretch of games primarily against Eastern Conference opponents.
The current state of the Flyers, with their 0-6-3 start, certainly casts a dim light on the anticipated reveal of the jerseys, and maybe the jerseys are the most exciting thing to talk about by the time they make their debut on Nov. 3.
That shouldn't be the case, but until the Flyers prove otherwise, it's in the realm of possibility.
In any event, the Flyers may have already (intentionally? accidentally?) leaked the design of their Hometown Remix jersey back in June ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, debuting an orange and black liberty bell design on the floor that has apparently never been seen before.
Not much more is known about the Hometown Remix jerseys nearly three weeks into the start of the season, though the NHL has mentioned in the past that a "broad apparel and headwear collection" will also be available for each of the 32 NHL teams.
If nothing else, the wait is almost over at this point, and soon enough we'll see and know more about the NHL's upcoming Hometown Remix collection release.
DENVER — T.J. Hughes scored his first career NHL goal as the Colorado Avalanche erupted for three goals in the second period, transforming an early 2-0 deficit into a 4-2 lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins heading into the third.
After a sluggish opening frame exposed Colorado’s defensive issues, the Avalanche responded with a dominant middle period, fueled by Artturi Lehkonen’s two-goal performance, Gabriel Landeskog’s timely finish, and Hughes’ milestone moment.
The Colorado Avalanche had a chance to set the tone early, but a pair of defensive breakdowns in just 29 seconds quickly put them in a hole. Artturi Lehkonen helped stop the bleeding with a timely response, but Colorado struggled to generate offense, surrendered too many chances, and finished the opening period trailing the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1.
The Avalanche faced an early test when Penguins forward Nick Robertson lifted a backhand from the low slot, only for Mackenzie Blackwood to shut the door with a glove save.
Nazem Kadri's pre-game remarks.
Colorado also caught a break around the 5:30 mark. T.J. Hughes appeared to deliver a slash to Pittsburgh center Ben Kindel’s leg right in front of an official, but the infraction went uncalled.
Blackwood continued to keep Colorado within reach roughly two and a half minutes later. Evgeni Malkin, who scored twice against the Avalanche in his lone meeting with Colorado last season, wrapped the puck around the net and tried to beat the goaltender, but Blackwood flashed the leather again to make the save.
Despite the solid work from their goaltender, the Avalanche soon found themselves in trouble.
Malkin opened the scoring by putting on the brakes and catching Fedor Svechkov off guard, creating a shooting lane as Sam Malinski battled for position in front of the net. With Malinski screening Blackwood, the Colorado netminder couldn’t pick up the shot in time, and Malkin buried it to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
The Penguins struck again just 29 seconds later, capitalizing on a costly defensive breakdown. Josh Manson had ventured too far up in the defensive zone and then lost his balance while trying to recover. That gave Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust the space they needed to race past him on a two-on-one rush. Crosby fed Rust, who finished with a tap-in to make it 2-0.
Colorado answered just over two minutes later. Nathan MacKinnon found Lehkonen at the back door, where the winger redirected the puck past Arturs Silovs for his fifth goal of the young campaign. The goal cut the deficit to 2-1 and gave the Avalanche some much-needed life.
With 5:49 remaining in the period, Tommy Novak was sent to the penalty box for high-sticking Devon Toews, handing Colorado and new assistant coach Brett McLean an opportunity to showcase the power play.
The first impression wasn’t pretty.
Colorado struggled to establish possession and gave up several dangerous shorthanded chances, fortunate to escape the man advantage without conceding another goal. Once Novak returned to the ice, Gavin Brindley was whistled for interference, forcing the Avalanche back into penalty-killing mode.
Colorado successfully killed off the penalty, but there was little else to celebrate in an otherwise underwhelming opening frame.
The Avalanche headed into the first intermission trailing 2-1 after being outshot 14-5. Lehkonen’s goal provided a much-needed spark, but Colorado needed a sharper defensive effort, better puck management, and a more effective power play to turn the tide.
Second Period
Colorado responded with authority in the second period, completely changing the game’s momentum.
Lehkonen made it two goals on the night just 25 seconds into the period, swatting a rebound past Silovs while Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tried to muscle him into the net. The quick strike tied the game at 2-2 and gave the Avalanche an immediate jolt.
Colorado needed just one more scoring sequence to take the lead. Kadri’s initial shot was denied by Silovs, but the rebound trickled toward the back door, where Landeskog was waiting to clean up and put the Avalanche ahead 3-2 with his third goal of the campaign.
With just under eight minutes remaining in the frame, Landeskog was sent to the penalty box for interference after knocking Spencer Stastney down following an offensive-zone faceoff.
Pittsburgh’s power-play opportunity didn’t last long, as Kindel was whistled for slashing. The penalties offset, forcing both teams to play four-on-four.
Colorado capitalized with 5:03 remaining. MacKinnon fed Hughes for a tap-in from the low slot, giving the defenseman his first career NHL goal and extending the Avalanche’s lead to 4-2. It was a memorable milestone for Hughes and the culmination of a dominant period for Colorado.
After being outshot 14-5 in the opening frame, the Avalanche flipped the script in the second, outshooting Pittsburgh 17-10. Three goals, a momentum-shifting start, and Hughes’ first NHL tally gave Colorado a two-goal cushion heading into the third period.
DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche look to get back on track at Ball Arena after falling to the Dallas Stars 3-2 in a shootout, while the Pittsburgh Penguins enter the matchup coming off a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Colorado has several favorable individual matchups to lean on, including Nathan MacKinnon’s consistent production against Pittsburgh and Brock Nelson’s strong career numbers against the Penguins. Mackenzie Blackwood is expected to get the start in goal for the Avalanche.
This game will also mark the debut behind the bench for new Avalanche assistant coach Brett McLean, who takes over for Dave Hakstol, who accepted a new position to take over as head coach of the Arizona State Dun Devils on Thursday.
Players To Watch
MacKinnon has recorded 19 points in his last 10 games against Pittsburgh, totaling seven goals and 11 assists. He has also been productive league-wide this season, ranking among the NHL’s top scorers with 12 points, including five goals and seven assists. Martin Necas is another player with a history of success against the Penguins, having scored twice in Colorado’s 6-2 win over Pittsburgh on March 24.
Nazem Kadri spoke to the media at morning skate about new assistant coach Brett McLean.
Nelson enters the contest after scoring against Dallas on Wednesday. He has amassed 41 career points against Pittsburgh, with 21 goals and 20 assists, and has nine points in 11 career playoff games against the Penguins, including six goals and three assists.
Colorado will need its offense to deliver after Wednesday’s narrow defeat. The Avalanche had two goals disallowed before Gabriel Landeskog finally opened the scoring at 4:55 of the second period, redirecting a pass from Nazem Kadri for his second goal of the season. Dallas responded through Miro Heiskanen at 15:03, sending the teams into the third period tied 1-1.
The Stars moved ahead early in the final frame when Arttu Hyry scored shorthanded on a breakaway just 1:20 into the period following a costly turnover from Cale Makar, whose wife, Tracy, had given birth to two twin boys earlier in the day.
Nelson tied the game at 8:21 with a finish from the left doorstep, but neither team found another goal in regulation or overtime. In the shootout, Jason Robertson scored for Dallas in the first round, Kadri answered for Colorado in the second, and Roope Hintz delivered the coup de grace in the finale Scott Wedgewood, in his second start of the season, finished with 20 saves on 22 shots for the Avalanche.
The goaltending matchup could play a significant role in determining the outcome. Blackwood has a 2-6-1 career record against Pittsburgh across 10 games, with a 3.81 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage. In his most recent appearance against the Penguins, he allowed four goals on 15 shots.
Pittsburgh’s Arturs Silovs has faced Colorado only twice in his career, posting a 1-1-0 record, a 3.50 goals-against average and an .875 save percentage. He stopped 25 of 27 shots in his win over the Avalanche, although the limited sample size makes it difficult to draw firm conclusions from his previous performances.
The Penguins have received much of their offensive production from Erik Karlsson, who leads the team with seven points, all assists. Robertson leads Pittsburgh with four goals and four total points, while Samuel Girard has six points, including five assists.
Pittsburgh enters this matchup following a disappointing performance against the Blackhawks. They got off to a rough start after allowing a goal just 28 seconds into the game to Teuvo Teravainen. Sidney Crosby added two goals, but it wasn't enough. Pittsburgh rallied from down 3-1 to tie up the game, but Chicago surged late to put the Penguins away with a final score of 5-3.
Colorado holds a strong historical advantage in the regular-season series, with a 26-12-3-6 record across 47 meetings with Pittsburgh. With both teams coming off losses, the Avalanche will look to use home ice to their advantage and end this homestand on a positive note before they head to Philadelphia to face the Flyers on Monday.
Dylan Garand (33) and J.T. Miller (10) of the New York Rangers look on as Amadeus Lombardi (93) of the New Jersey Devils reacts to a goal scored by Evan Rodrigues (not pictured) on October 15, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils won 7-1.
The disappointment was palpable in the Rangers locker room Thursday in the aftermath of a 7-1 Battle of the Hudson loss that went from promising to bad to worse to downright embarrassing rather quickly.
“Not proud of that performance,” J.T. Miller said.
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It was one of those games that gets away and all of a sudden, “You’re chasing,” Adam Fox said.
But there was also a sense that it was a one-off, that the habits the Blueshirts had built over the past month since training camp began — and over the first eight games of the season — could flush everything that went wrong.
For the worst start of Dylan Garand’s young career to be an anomaly. For the defensive identity of checking and forechecking and closing in the third period to materialize again Saturday night in Columbus. For an offense that had scored at least four goals in five of six wins to start generating chances again consistently.
New York Rangers center Noah Laba (42) waits for the puck to drop during a faces off with New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes (86), Thursday, Oct.15, 2026, in Newark, New Jersey. Noah K. Murray for NY Post
That turns Saturday night’s match against the Blue Jackets into an early-season litmus test, a gauge of whether they can move on from a crushing loss — like they did after their first two defeats of the young season — or whether this might start to spiral. The loss in New Jersey dropped them to 1-3 away from the Garden, and three of their next four games will be on the road.
“[Thursday] shows what happens when we don’t do it,” Mika Zibanejad said Thursday, “and I feel like we’ve been building that game — and that’s why I think it’s easier to spot the difference and what happens when we don’t play our game and the little details that we have to do within our game.”
At the center of their attempt to erase what happened will be Garand — the starter for the foreseeable future with Joonas Korpisalo on long-term injured reserve and Igor Shesterkin out for the season.
He entered play Thursday with a .951 save percentage and a 1.15 goals against average that generated plenty of praise, but those numbers dropped to .915 and ballooned to 2.05, respectively, after he allowed four goals on 13 shots and got pulled.
Dylan Garand (33) and J.T. Miller (10) look on as Amadeus Lombardi (93) reacts to a goal scored by Evan Rodrigues (not pictured) on October 15, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils won 7-1. Getty Images
In each of his previous two starts since Shesterkin’s right skate jammed into the post and changed the outlook of the Rangers season, Garand, slightly undersized at 6-foot-1, had impressed with his ability to control pucks and play a consistent game.
That’s the formula without Shesterkin. That’s the blueprint. The Rangers can’t force Garand to do too much, instead putting him in a position to produce the necessary saves like they did for most of the opening frame against the Devils until Miller’s brutal turnover led to the first tally.
Thursday was Garand’s first clunker. It marked the only time in eight NHL appearances when he’d allowed more than two goals. It served as the most goals the Rangers had surrendered in a game since allowing six against the Blue Jackets on March 19.
“I know we’re better than this, to a man,” Miller said.
The Rangers are one of 11 teams that haven’t lost consecutive games through the opening two weeks of the season. They collapsed in the third against the Bruins in the opener but responded with a statement against the Lightning two nights later.
J.T. Miller skates during warm ups prior to the game against the New Jersey Devils on October 15, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. NHLI via Getty Images
They lost last Friday to the Capitals on the night Shesterkin’s season ended, but they avoided an emotional hangover two nights later with a commanding win over the Canucks.
“Ever since [the opener], we’ve played really good Ranger hockey, coming up with some identity for ourselves as a group,” Miller said.
Their worst loss yet will test that resolve. It’ll test the emergence of Garand and whether he can thrive in the crease two nights after his low point.
It’ll test whether Alexis Lafrenière can rebound from a minus-4 night and keep demonstrating that his 11-points-in-nine-games clip is sustainable.
It’ll test whether a deflection goal from Pavel Dorofeyev on the power play Thursday — just his second so far — can start to shift his slow start to the season.
It’ll test whether the Blueshirts, holistically, can move on from the rivalry disaster and their early road woes to showcase another reminder that these aren’t the same Rangers from last year. Another reminder of 2025-26, especially with Shesterkin out, is something they can’t afford.
“We’ve learned a lot about ourselves over the last couple weeks and the last month,” Miller said, “and I think that we have a high-character group in here — so all we can do is learn from [Thursday] and move forward and be ready for the next game and come out firing.”
Less than three weeks into the 2026-27 season, the Philadelphia Flyers have lost their first nine games (0-6-3), and already, after making the playoffs last season, face an uphill battle to even have a shot at returning to the postseason this year.
The Flyers and the Los Angeles Kings are the two remaining winless teams in the NHL, though the 0-3-2 Kings have played four fewer games than the Flyers to this point.
By default, the Kings have a better chance of turning things around than the Flyers do, and that is reflected quite starkly in the two teams' playoff odds as things stand now.
In the eyes of MoneyPuck's analytics model, the Flyers are firmly in basement territory.
With their 7.4% chance to make the playoffs, the Flyers are down there with the likes of the Chicago Blackhawks (5.7%), Calgary Flames (3.3%), and Vancouver Canucks (3%).
Those four teams are the only such teams with single-digit chances of making the playoffs; the next closest team to the Flyers is the Nashville Predators, who have them doubled up at 15.2%.
Even the winless Kings, who are in league with the Flyers in the NHL's basement right now, are still very much in the mix.
Los Angeles is currently given a 40.6% chance of making them playoffs, which sandwiches them between hopefuls like Montreal, New Jersey, and Buffalo, and outsiders like Pittsburgh, New York Islanders, Toronto, and San Jose.
Last season, the Flyers made the playoffs as the third-place team in the Metropolitan Division, going 43-27-12 with 98 total points.
Right now, MoneyPuck predicts that the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils as the two likeliest teams to finish third in the Metro, with a 17.6% and 16.9% chance, respectively.
The Rangers are projected to finish with 95.6 points, and the Devils 96.
In theory, a repeat of the Flyers' performance last year could be good enough to get them into third place again, or perhaps a wildcard spot depending on how the Atlantic Division performs.
To do that, though, they would have to go 43-21-9 the rest of the way, or, in other words, play at a 110-point pace.
The three teams to record 110 or more points last season were... the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche.
In an Eastern Conference where the competition is heavy throughout, the Flyers have their work cut out for them, but it's far from impossible to make another storybook playoff run.
Before we talk about winning 43 or more games, though, we have to start with one, first, and the Flyers will have to go through the surging Ottawa Senators on Saturday night to take their first crack at win No. 1.
The Buffalo Sabres have been making a habit of staging comebacks from significant deficits this season and after earning a point in a shootout loss in Montreal where they trailed by two goals after 40 minutes, the Sabres repeated that late-game dramatics in Toronto, where they scored twice in the final 10 minutes of regulation to tie the game, and won it 5-4 on Owen Power’s second overtime game-winner of the season.
The Leafs led 4-2, powered by a hat trick from recently acquired Kirill Marchenko and Auston Matthew’s sixth of the season, but remained within striking distance in spite of not having team captain Rasmus Dahlin in the lineup, due in part to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen’s second straight strong performance and a four-point night from winger Jack Quinn.
“We don’t like playing from behind, but we fought our way back, clawed our way back in games, down by a couple goals. We’ve got to fix the start obviously.” Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff said after the game, “It’s the best game I’ve seen (Quinn) play. All around. Four points, he had a couple goal posts, scored a couple goals, an unbelievable fight – sort of. We’ll give him the Gordie Howe (hat trick) on that one.”
Toronto played short-handed for most of the third period, as veteran John Tavares left the game injured and first overall pick Gavin McKenna was benched. Buffalo took over the game territorially, outshooting the Leafs 12-4 in the final 20 minutes and getting goals from Dennis Gilbert and Mattias Samuelsson.
Owen Power scores his second overtime winner of the season against Toronto on Thursday
The Sabres returned to Montreal and will take on the Canadiens for the second time in five days at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. Ruff indicated that Dahlin will miss his third straight game due to the upper-body injury he suffered on Monday against Florida.
Center Josh Norris left Thursday’s game, and after the game Ruff indicated he was in concussion protocol, but he participated in an optional practice on Friday. Forward Jiri Kulich was scratched before the Leafs game and was sent back to Buffalo for testing, but those tests were negative and he may rejoin the club in time to play on Saturday.
The Ducks look to close out their short, two-game homestand with a victory. Their last game was their worst of the young 2026-27 season, a 4-2 loss to the then-winless Calgary Flames. After the game, head coach Joel Quenneville said, "I don't find much positive right now (about that game)."
Their opponent, the Boston Bruins, are 5-2-0 and coming off a 6-3 win against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 13. Newly-named captain David Pastrňák is leading the way offensively with eight points, with Fraser Minten—who got a long-term extension this past offseason—and Morgan Geekie just behind him.
This game should be a physical affair, as the Bruins rank top-10 in hits. Nikita Zadorov, Tanner Jeannot and Will Borgen rank inside the top-50 league-wide in hits while Tim Washe and Nikita Nesterenko feature in the top-50 for Anaheim.
“If we’re using our speed, we’re tough to hit and we’re tough to stop in transition,” Ducks forward Frank Vatrano said. “They’re a team that’s not gonna give things for free. You’re gonna have to work for everything out there, so we’re gonna have to put pucks in deep. We’re gonna have to forecheck their D, make it hard on them. They have some guys up front that can make you pay. Gotta be smart with the puck, not turn pucks over at the blue lines and just play our game that we know how to play.”
“If we just play our simple brand of hockey and play with a lot of possession, smart plays with the puck and our pace, it doesn’t matter how physical they are,” Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier said. “They won’t be able to keep up.”
Gauthier missed Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury, an ailment which caused him to leave last Saturday's game early on, but one he said he is now over. Because of injuries to Ryan Poehling (sprained MCL) and Mikael Granlund, Gauthier will line-up as a center against the Bruins. He played center growing up and as a collegiate player, but shifted to the wing when he arrived in the NHL.
“I’ve been a center pretty much my whole life up until the NHL, so it’s definitely a position I’m comfortable with and something I’ve been speaking with the coaching staff to want to play that center role. I’m excited for the opportunity tonight.”
Nikita Klepov draws back into the lineup in Granlund’s absence after being a healthy scratch for the past three games. He’ll slot onto the top line with Alex Killorn and Leo Carlsson.
“We’re working with him here to get up to pace,” Quenneville said. “The speed of the game, the strength, the recognition of plays in situations. Keeping the puck, shooting the puck, give-and-go’s, coming up with loose pucks. Playing with Leo is a big step, but that’s a good opportunity for him because they can complement one another with some thought processes in some tight areas in the offensive zone. We’d like to see him take advantage of this. We didn’t mind his first game (against Edmonton), this is only his second start here. I think he’s getting better practices and I think he’s getting more competitive through our practices. It should transfer to the game.”
Ducks Projected Lines
Alex Killorn - Leo Carlsson - Nikita Klepov Nikita Nesterenko - Cutter Gauthier - Beckett Sennecke Frank Vatrano - Roger McQueen - Judd Caulfield A.J. Greer - Tim Washe - Jeff Malott
Jackson LaCombe - Noah Warren Pavel Mintyukov - Tristan Luneau Tyson Hinds - Drew Helleson
Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)
Bruins Projected Lines
Morgan Geekie - Pavel Zacha - David Pastrňák Marat Khusnutdinov - Fraser Minten - JJ Peterka Casey Mittelstadt - Elias Lindholm - James Hagens Tanner Jeannot - Matthew Poitras - Mark Kastelic
Hampus Lindholm - Charlie McAvoy Nikita Zadorov - Will Borgen Frédéric Brunet - Mason Lohrei
