EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Paul Cotter scored 1:59 into overtime to cap a two-goal game as the Vancouver Canucks got the season off to a strong start with a 6-5 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
Marco Rossi, Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Max Sasson and Elias Pettersson also scored for the Canucks, who are coming off a last-place finish in the NHL last season with a 25-49-8 record.
Kevin Lankinen made 32 stops.
Evan Bouchard had three goals and two assists and Vasily Podkolzin scored twice for the Oilers. Tristan Jarry made 17 saves for Edmonton.
Entering the third period tied 2-2, Pettersson capped a three-goal run by the Canucks 5:15 into the frame to swiftly put the Canucks ahead 5-2.
But Podkolzin scored at 8:56, followed by Bouchard’s third of the night 24 seconds later and Podkolzin’s second of the night with 43 seconds left in regulation to send it to extra time.
Cotter, who joined Vancouver as a free agent after spending the last two seasons in New Jersey, became the first player in Canucks history to score a short-handed goal in his debut with the team.
Bouchard is the first defenseman in Oilers history to record a multigoal game in a season opener and just the third defenseman in NHL history to score a hat trick in an opener. He is also just the third blue-liner in the last 30 years to have at least four points in a game to open the season.
Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra became the fourth person to represent the Canucks as both a player and head coach in his career, following in the footsteps of Marc Crawford, Pat Quinn and Orland Kurtenbach.
Bruins' Morgan Geekie (39) lines up a shot against New York Rangers' Igor Shesterkin (31) during the first period.
BOSTON — While other NHL players were shaking off the rust following a truncated preseason, Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin had no time to do so.
The Blueshirts abandoned their defensive structure numerous times through the first two periods of their 3-0 loss to the Bruins on Tuesday night, leaving their star Russian netminder to fend for himself on multiple odd-man rush attempts.
Access the Rangers beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting withMollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
Shesterkin, who finished with 20 saves on 22 shots, stood tall for every one of them, before Fraser Minten put the Bruins ahead off a snipe from the high slot late in the third period.
“We turned pucks over in the wrong areas of the rink,” head coach Mike Sullivan said after the loss. “I thought we were trying to play a little bit too much East-West, instead of simplifying the game and playing more straight ahead. I thought we were standing on pucks instead of moving our feet when we got them. When you stand on pucks, the world closes in on you out there. We try to encourage the guys to move our feet. We turn some pucks over and we give them some grade-A looks off those turnovers, and then we gave up too many odd-man rushes. I think we gave up three 2-on-1’s in the second period.
“As I said to the guys after the game, if we want our D to be active off the offensive blue line, off the rush, things of that nature, then as a forward, we have to build a level of trust that we’re going to replace that defenseman, and we’re going to stay out and stay above the attack until the defenseman returns. We would replace, but then we wouldn’t stay out, and then we would leak back in and dive back into the play before the defenseman returned. It happened four times in the second period.
Bruins’ Morgan Geekie (39) lines up a shot against New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin (31) during the first period. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
“That’s how we gave up the types of odd-man rushes that we gave up. I think that’s a discipline that we’ve got to develop, and we’ve got to be better about that aspect of our game.”
Sullivan coached his 1,000th NHL game against the team he started his coaching career with and in the state he grew up in.
“I don’t know, I think it just suggests that I’m probably getting older,” the second-year Rangers coach said before the game. “But, you know, it’s a privilege to coach in this league. I’m grateful for the opportunities that I’ve been given along the way.”
Sullivan’s first coaching job was with the AHL’s Providence Bruins in 2002-03, during which he was only one year removed from his playing career. Later in that campaign, however, Sullivan was brought up to the Bruins to serve as an assistant.
It turned out to all be an audition for the head coaching position in Boston. Sullivan was ultimately named the 25th head coach in Bruins history.
Vincent Iorio was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, but the 23-year-old defenseman participated in the Rangers morning skate. He was waived in the afternoon. … Scott Morrow, Matthew Robertson and Jaroslav Chmelar served as healthy scratches in Game 1. … The Rangers enter the season with the second-youngest roster in the NHL with an average age of 26.63.
In their 10 years of existence, the Vegas Golden Knights have seen their fair share of talented players come through the organization. The NHL’s second-youngest franchise has rostered skilled goalscorers, elite playmakers, and even future Hall of Fame goaltenders. The one thing they aren’t used to is talented rookies.
That is no longer the case.
Before the start of this season, only one player in Golden Knights franchise history had scored a goal in his NHL debut: first-ever draft pick Cody Glass. But on opening night of the 2026-27 season, young phenom Trevor Connelly joined that elusive club.
Connelly made waves last year in the AHL as a 19-year-old, helping the Henderson Silver Knights make the postseason for the first time in four years. Connelly was a big part of Henderson’s regular season success, scoring 14 goals and 49 points in 46 games; in the playoffs, he scored a goal and recorded six points in six games.
“Trevor is different from any player in our organization,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon at the start of training camp. “Elite hockey sense, elite talent. What he did last year in the American Hockey League as a 19-year-old… his ceiling is tremendously high.”
Due to a series of unfortunate injuries, this was Connelly’s first time attending training camp. The organization gave him the opportunity to earn his spot on the opening night roster, and he held on for dear life. Connelly played in three of the Golden Knights’ four preseason games, and though he didn’t register a point, the maturity of his game shone through.
“He played his game,” said head coach Ryan Craig at the conclusion of training camp. “What I wanted to see out of Trevor as we went through camp was, can he play with these guys? Can he keep up? Can he manage and sort out the details when he doesn’t have the puck to help us check and get the puck back? He’s continued to do that, so he’ll get an opportunity here.”
The organization’s belief in Connelly quickly paid off. Just 15:22 into the Golden Knights’ first game of the season, he scored his first NHL goal. And what a beauty it was– Connelly went to the front of the net, batted down Brayden McNabb’s shot, collected the loose puck, and elevated his shot over Spencer Knight’s outstretched pad.
It is the eve of Pittsburgh Penguins' regular season hockey, which means another year of excitement, intrigue, and uncertainty awaits.
And the start of the season also means it's time for my annual Bold Predictions piece.
No, this one is not our regular annual predictions piece, where each assertion is rooted in reality, reason, and calculated expectation. Although still rooted - at least, somewhat - in reality, these predictions are bold for a reason: they're fun, they're high-reaching, and they operate on the premise of expecting a lot from a team that wants to take another step toward Cup contention.
Who will have a big year? Will anyone be traded? Just how good will the Penguins be?
Here are 10 bold predictions for the 2026-27 season.
1. Egor Chinakhov scores 40 goals
Ask anyone in the Penguins' locker room, and their face just lights up when talking about the 25-year-old Chinakhov.
After a change-of-scenery trade from Columbus to Pittsburgh midseason last year, Chinakhov recorded 18 goals and 36 points in 43 games, which amounts to a 35-goal, 71-point pace in an 84-game season. He put up that pace last season with little power play time, too, as just two goals and eight points came on the man advantage for him.
2. The Penguins have eight 20-goal scorers and four 30-goal scorers
Speaking of goal-scoring, anyone who thinks Anthony Mantha was the key to the Penguins' playoff berth last season is probably overreaching a bit, even if he led the team in goals. The Penguins had a league-high 10 players with 15 or more goals.
Besides, instead of just one Anthony Mantha this season, how about two? Or, maybe, at least one and a half?
Andrei Kuzmenko scored 39 goals in his rookie season and 22 in his sophomore season before getting traded five thousand times and seeing a decline in production. He, like Mantha, is primed to break out again next to playmaking centers in Pittsburgh. Nick Robertson has increased his goal production by one each of the last three years, but he never played consistently with anyone the likes of Sidney Crosby.
Crosby, Kuzmenko, Chinakhov, and Rickard Rakell score 30. Robertson, Kindel, Rust, and Malkin score 20. I'll go even further and say they could have nine if Tommy Novak or Erik Karlsson are healthy all season long, but "healthy" is a lot to ask for these Penguins.
3. Erik Karlsson is traded... regardless of the situation
Speaking of Karlsson, his situation will be one of the most interesting stories to follow this season.
Karlsson wants a Cup. That is not going to change. Even if the Penguins are good enough to be a playoff team - and I do think they make the playoffs again this season - he's 36 and will want to go to a more surefire contender, as Pittsburgh's best shot at a Cup in the next couple of years is by catching lightning in a bottle.
So, if he has no intention to re-sign, Kyle Dubas will pull the trigger to get value no matter the circumstance. He'll just make sure he's getting talent in return.
4. Sergei Murashov and Joel Blomqvist are the tandem by season's end
To be clear, this is not necessarily a knock on Arturs Silovs. He has a proven track record of being a big-game goaltender and getting it done when it counts. The problem with him is finding that consistency.
But while Silovs is finding that consistency, Murashov will slowly take over as the No. 1, and Blomqvist will play well in WBS to the point where it's difficult to justify keeping him down there. Whether pushed out by others' performances or performing well enough to be flipped for assets by the trade deadline, Silovs will find himself in a different uniform by the end of the season, and the other two will be in the NHL for good.
Oh, and, Taylor Gauthier gets a game this season. I don't know when. But he will.
Well, what's the next step after being a Jack Adams nominee? A Jack Adams winner, of course!
As I mentioned before - and as Dubas mentioned in his press conference - the Penguins have no plans to take a step back this season. Muse and the rest of his staff managed the get the most out of their roster last season, and after adding a few more defensive-minded defensemen and new forwards to the mix, the staff will, once again, have the opportunity to elevate and maximize each player's potential and make the team hard to play against.
This guy is a good coach. If the Penguins make the playoffs again and win a round or two, he'll be worthy.
6. Harrison Brunicke is the top-pairing right defenseman by season's end
Honestly, this might be the most bold prediction on this list. Will Brunicke be ready for top-pairing minutes? Most likely, not quite. But, if my other prediction of Karlsson leaving does come to pass, who else is going to do it? 39-going-on-40 Kris Letang? Defensive defenseman Kaedan Korczak with Sam Girard on the left side?
Unless the Penguins get another top-four right defenseman for Karlsson, it will be Brunicke's time to show what he is capable of at the NHL level, especially assuming he takes care of business in the AHL first.
And he will take care of business there, and in the NHL. Unlike his last NHL stint - where Brunicke sank - he will have his breakout and swim this time, helping the team make the playoffs.
Ok, things are starting to get a bit crazy here. But, hey, we said "bold," right?
As it happens, I'm not quite as down on Koivunen, 23, as others are. Even if the term confounded me, I understand the logic behind Koivunen's eight-year, $32 million contract, and with Dubas and the Penguins betting on a young player's talent and potential to help them in the future.
So, for our purposes, why not jump on the train and take a bet on a young player? Koivunen has some work to do, but he showed well in the Penguins' final preseason game, and he did start his NHL career with seven points in eight games, an initial NHL stint that showcased his potential and that everyone seems to have forgotten about.
I expect to see more of that Koivunen this season.
I love seeing Ville Koivunen get on the scoresheet, especially when he's going hard to the net! pic.twitter.com/d4p4NWk2v2
8. The Penguins have a 10-game win streak in the stretch run to make the playoffs again... and they win two rounds
Hey, why not some random win streak proclamation? The Penguins had plenty of win streaks last season, even if they never reached double digits.
They also played their stretch run largely without their legends in Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and they still earned the points and dragged themselves to the postseason. With a healthy Crosby and Malkin, and with a deeper forward group? This team, like last year's, will go through stretches where they simply overwhelm and dominate opponents with their offensive attack.
The Penguins may be streaky this year, but their winning streaks will be longer. And that will extend into the Stanley Cup Playoffs because they'll get hot at just the right time, somehow advancing to the Eastern Conference Final.
9. Ben Kindel flirts with point-per-game
Yes, Kindel (lower-body, week-to-week) is beginning the season on injured reserve, but he was supposed to start the season with Rust and Kuzmenko - both of whom won't begin the season with the team, either - on his wings. Rust has scored 30 goals. Kuzmenko has scored 30 goals. There are other options in the lineup, too, if those guys don't work out.
Once Kindel is healthy - and if the other two are also healthy - this has the potential to be a legitimate scoring third line for the Penguins, and the biggest beneficiary will be Kindel, who can both produce on his own and have scoring wingers to distribute the puck to.
He'll be pretty darn close to point-per-game this season with those two at his side.
If Dubas is to finally get his wish and execute on a "big-game hunt," this is quite the deadline to consider it. And, by then, maybe a few of his NHL-ready prospects and NHL assets, like Bill Zonnon, Will Horcoff, Owen Pickering, Rakell, Rust, and Karlsson, will have marinated a bit more and could prove valuable enough to be part of a bigger splash.
After all, I said this would come at a cost. And it's going to cost a top prospect, the Penguins' star defenseman, and more - especially if we're talking about Jason Robertson.
I think one of these three names is wearing a Penguins uniform come the trade deadline this season. Maybe younger Robo will put in a good word for Pittsburgh to his big bro during his breakout campaign.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gustav Forsling hammered a shot past Brandon Bussi with 4.3 seconds left in overtime to lift the Florida Panthers past the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes 1-0 in Tuesday’s season opener for both teams.
On a night when the defenses and goaltenders had the edge, it was a blue-liner who provided the winning play to end a matchup of the last two teams to win the Cup.
The Panthers had their final chance with the game seemingly headed to a shootout as Carter Verhaeghe brought the puck into the zone with under 10 seconds left. But Verhaeghe sent the puck back toward Forsling, who fired a one-timer from near the blue line that zipped past Bussi’s glove side to end it.
That spoiled the end of a three-month celebration for the Hurricanes since beating Vegas in June to cap a 16-3 march to the franchise’s second Cup. The final piece was the players gathering at the blue line and tapping their sticks as a championship banner rose to the rafters.
That moment came against the Panthers, who reached the Stanley Cup Final for three straight years and won it all in 2024 and 2025. They had twice eliminated the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final in their run, though injuries derailed last year.
CANADIENS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2
TORONTO (AP) — Josh Anderson and Alexandre Carrier each had a goal and assist as Montreal beat Toronto.
Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal, which got 25 saves from Jakub Dobes.
William Nylander scored twice for Toronto. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots in his first game with the Maple Leafs.
No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna and Russian winger Kirill Marchenko also made their Toronto debuts – along with seven other teammates – following an off-season of change after the Original Six franchise missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade last spring.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, are coming off a campaign that saw them take a massive step following a long before falling to the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.
Nylander opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the first period when he stepped around Montreal captain and reigning Selke Trophy winner Nick Suzuki at the blue line before ripping a high shot past Dobes. Nylander tied Zdenek Nedved (Oct. 7, 1995) for the fourth-fastest goal to start a season-opener in franchise history.
BRUINS 3, RANGERS 0
BOSTON (AP) — Fraser Minten broke a scoreless tie with just over four minutes left, followed by goals by JJ Peterka and an empty-netter by Mark Kastelic 23 seconds apart, and Boston beat New York.
The three goals, over a 75-second span helped the Bruins extend their streak to 11 consecutive wins in home openers.
Jeremy Swayman finished with 24 saves for Boston, his 19th career shutout. Igor Shesterkin had 20 save for New York.
Elias and Hampus Lindholm assisted on Minten’s goal. Minten and Marat Khusnutdinov assisted Kastelic.
The Rangers outshot the Bruins 24-23, but the Bruins were more aggressive throughout the night, finally breaking through when Minten got a clear path on the left side and knocked it through just past the glove of Shesterkin.
The Carolina Hurricanes got their championship rings this week, they raised their Stanley Cup banner on Tuesday, Sept. 29, and they have their first loss of the season.
They did pick up a point as the Florida Panthers and Hurricanes pushed their scoreless tie to overtime in the NHL's 2026-27 season opener.
But Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling scored with 4.3 seconds left in overtime to get a 1-0 win as Florida tries to return to the playoffs after the two-time Stanley Cup champions were crushed by injuries last season.
The NHL had five games on the schedule. Here are the winners and losers of the early games from opening night:
WINNERS
Panthers goalie Jacob Markstrom
The question heading into the season was whether the Panthers' goaltending would be good enough.
They couldn't work out a deal with two-time Cup and Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky and he signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the days leading up to free agency, the Panthers traded for Markstrom and Akira Schmid.
Markstrom, who began his career with the Panthers, was steady in the opener, making 15 saves, including on Carolina's 4-on-1 break. He matched his shutout total from last season, when he struggled with an .883 save percentage for the New Jersey Devils.
Hurricanes' Stanley Cup banner raising
The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas last season, so they gave fans the on-ice celebration that they missed. Better yet, they did a Storm Surge, the traditional post-win celebration. The players gathered around the faceoff circle, captain Jordan Staal brought in the Stanley Cup and they did their traditional overhand clap. Then they posed with the banner before it went to the rafters.
Nylander was the Maple Leafs most consistent player in a season in which their nine-year playoff streak ended. He was again on Tuesday, scoring the first goal of the 2026-27 NHL season and adding another to pull the Maple Leafs close in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Boston Bruins' Fraser Minten
Minten was one of the youngsters who cashed in this summer, signing a seven-year, $50 million contract. He broke a scoreless tie with a wicked shot late in the third period of a victory against the New York Rangers.
LOSERS
Maple Leafs' newcomers
GM John Chayka was busy remaking the Maple Leafs this summer and fall. Just-acquired Kirill Marchenko had an assist and another opportunity. But defenseman Darren Raddysh was a minus-2. So was No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna, who made an ill-advised bank pass off the boards. None of the other newcomers had a point and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had an .875 save percentage.
Hurricanes' play on Florida's winning goal
The Hurricanes had the puck deep in the Florida zone late in overtime and allowed the Panthers to come down the ice and set up Forsling's winner on a one-timer. Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi didn't like how he gave up a shot from distance and lost an opportunity for the game to go to a shootout. "By my standards, it's a bad goal," he said.
PURE FILTH BY PETERKA IN HIS BRUINS DEBUT AND THE B'S TAKE A 2-0 LEAD LATE 🔥🚨 pic.twitter.com/TFQh2ooJov
The Bruins-Rangers game looked like it might be the second one of the night to be scoreless through regulation. But the Rangers gave up three goals in 75 seconds for the loss. JJ Peterka made a great move through Braden Schneider for the Bruins' second goal.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 29: Nikita Zadorov #91 of the Boston Bruins skates against Alexis Lafrenière #13 of the New York Rangers during the second period of the Boston Bruins season home opener at TD Garden on September 29, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After waiting all summer for hockey to return, the Bruins made you wait another 40+ minutes before their 2026-2027 really began.
The Bruins got three goals just 75 seconds apart late in the third period to turn what had been a relatively sleepy affair into a 3-0 Opening Night win.
Fraser Minten broke the deadlock with a laser past Igor Shesterkin with 3:46 left in the third period, then that was followed by JJ Peterka’s first goal as a Bruin and an empty-netter by Mark Kastelic to sew up the win.
The Bruins controlled play for the majority of the first two periods but were unable to solve Shesterkin. The Rangers had a bit more push-back in the third, but never really managed to turn the tide in their favor.
Minten led the way for the B’s with the game-winning goal and an assist on Kastelic’s goal, while Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves in the shutout win.
The B’s had a few good chances early in the game and hit a couple of posts, but the game remained scoreless into the last five minutes of the third period.
That’s when Minten, fresh off of a new contract, beat Shesterkin top corner to make it 1-0 Bruins.
Peterka saw that rocket from Minten and raised him an undressing of Braden Schneider and a five-hole goal against Shesterkin to make it 2-0 Bruins just 52 seconds later.
Mike Sullivan would pull the goalie shortly after, and…it didn’t work.
Kastelic scored into the empty net just 23 seconds after Peterka’s goal, and that was all she wrote.
Bruins win, 3-0.
Game notes
Well that all happened pretty fast, didn’t it? This game started as “yes, hockey is back!” then had a long period of “we waited all summer for this?” However, all’s well that ends well, particularly when the end features three goals in less than two minutes.
While the Rangers outshot the Bruins in both the second and third periods, it never really felt like this game was getting away from the B’s. Whether that speaks more to the offensive ineptitude of the Rangers, the stinginess of the Bruins, or just general early-season hockey remains to be seen, but it was ultimately a sturdy overall performance from the home team.
This game featured just two penalties, one per side and both in the first period.
Mason Lohrei deserves a lot of credit for gloving the puck out of the air immediately before Minten’s goal, turning what may have been a Rangers clear into a scoring chance for his team. While Lohrei Hockey is often quite an experience, he had a good game tonight.
Speaking of an experience, Connor Clifton received a hefty “welcome back” in the form of leading the B’s in ice time. Clifton skated 23:23, almost two minutes more than second-place Nikita Zadorov.
Peterka’s goal was a DOUBLE LINDHOLM, as both Hampus and Elias recorded assists. I don’t know if that’s rare or not, but I enjoyed it.
The giveaways/takeaways stats are often murky at best, but tonight’s seem like they tell a pretty accurate story: the Rangers were charged with 20 giveaways, compared to just 10 for the Bruins.
James Hagens had a relatively quiet night, recording just one shot on goal. However, he was credited with two blocked shots, tied for second-most on the team.
Per the ESPN broadcast, tonight’s win was the 11th consecutive home opener win for the Bruins; that ties the NHL record previously held by the Montreal Canadiens.
In a weird bit of coincidence, Minten scored the game-winning goal in last season’s home opener as well; that one was an OT goal against Chicago.
The B’s will be back in action on Friday night in Winnipeg, as the NHL graciously gives them several days to take horses and buggies to the lone NHL city without an airport.
Hey, an Oregon Trail-style journey to Manitoba feels better with a win stashed amongst your provisions.
ruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save on New York Rangers center Noah Laba (42) while defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) defends.
BOSTON — For the second straight year, the Rangers were shut out on opening night.
Indeed, for the first time in franchise history, the Blueshirts have been blanked in back-to-back season openers after suffering a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Bruins at TD Garden on Tuesday night.
Access the Rangers beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting withMollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
In the first game of a season that is supposed to be different, it was much of the same for the Rangers.
“We’ve got a ways to go,” head coach Mike Sullivan said.
While it was a scoreless affair for over 56 minutes, the Bruins broke through with two quick goals — as well as one empty-netter — in the span of 1:15 to take the first of 84 games this season.
It was a game that was well within reach for the Rangers, who were also shut out 3-0 by the Penguins to start last season.
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) makes a save on New York Rangers center Noah Laba (42) while defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) defends. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Once Fraser Minten scored from the high slot with 3:56 left in regulation, the Bruins broke the game open without much pushback from the Rangers.
JJ Peterka then made a nasty move around Braden Schneider and buried his first goal as a Bruin less than a minute later.
And just 23 seconds after that, Mark Kastelic put the puck into an empty Rangers net.
Bruins’ Morgan Geekie (39) lines up a shot against New York Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin (31) during the first period. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
“I thought our effort was good,” Sullivan said. “I just didn’t think our execution was great.”
The shortened preseason was apparent in the Rangers-Bruins game, as well as across some of the NHL’s other four matchups. Neither Sullivan nor captain J.T. Miller considered it to be a factor — especially since all 32 clubs are dealing with it — but there were signs of rust on both sides as the two teams attempted to kick-start the season with one fewer week of preparation.
Despite generating nearly the same number of shots as the Bruins, the Rangers bled odd-man rushes through the first two periods.
Star goalie Igor Shesterkin had to bail out the team on numerous occasions, whether it was a 2-on-1 opportunity or an uncontested breakaway. He ultimately finished with 20 saves in the loss.
JJ Peterka (10) of the Boston Bruins skates against Adam Fox (23) and Mika Zibanejad (93) of the New York Rangers at TD Garden in Boston, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Miller chalked it up to puck management and coverage issues, noting that the team’s “timing was off with reloading the forwards.”
“Recognition, a little bit,” Miller said of all the odd-man rushes against. “We want our D to be a part of the play a lot. I mean, that’s how a lot of offense is generated in the league. Just the timing of when the forwards need to come down and replace. We’ll get better at it. It’s Game 1.”
The Rangers were most proud of their third-period performance despite the trio of goals against. Not only did they tighten up their defensive positioning to avoid getting caught as much as they were earlier, but the Rangers also made a significant push offensively early on. They unloaded five consecutive shots to open the frame and had a significant edge in shots on goal for much of the period.
Boston Bruins center Mark Kastelic (47) grabs a hold of New York Rangers center Matt Rempe (73) during the third period at TD Garden in Boston, Monday, Sept. 28, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“I thought we got better as the game went on,” Miller said. “I thought the third was our best period. We were coming. It was a pretty hard-fought game. It’s always the first game, seems to just kind of getting your legs and timing. We’ll get better.”
That first goal, however, continues to elude the Rangers.
The goal came 9:51 minutes into the first period while Vancouver was on the penalty kill after Tom Willander took a holding penalty. This is Cotter's first goal as a Canuck and his first career short-handed goal.
Cotter signed a one-year, $2.15M contract with Vancouver during the 2026 off-season, joining the team after stints with the New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights. In 2025-26, he scored nine goals and six assists in 79 games played.
Paul Cotter at Vancouver Canucks 2026 Training Camp. (Photo Credit: Izzy Cheung - THN)
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.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
TORONTO (AP) — Josh Anderson and Alexandre Carrier each had a goal and assist as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 Tuesday night in the teams' season opener.
Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal, which got 25 saves from Jakub Dobes.
William Nylander scored twice for Toronto. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 21 shots in his first game with the Maple Leafs.
No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna and Russian winger Kirill Marchenko also made their Toronto debuts – along with seven other teammates – following an off-season of change after the Original Six franchise missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade last spring.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, are coming off a campaign that saw them take a massive step following a long before falling to the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final.
Nylander opened the scoring just 48 seconds into the first period when he stepped around Montreal captain and reigning Selke Trophy winner Nick Suzuki at the blue line before ripping a high shot past Dobes. Nylander tied Zdenek Nedved (Oct. 7, 1995) for the fourth-fastest goal to start a season-opener in franchise history.
Anderson tied the score at 10:53 when he batted a rebound out of the air in front. Bolduc gave Montreal the lead, scoring from the slot at 4:52 of the second, and Carrier beat Bobrovsky on the glove side at 13:12 of the third.
Nylander cut the deficit to a goal with 4:14 left in regulation.
Up next
Canadiens: At the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
Maple Leafs: Host the New York Islanders on Wednesday.
Las Vegas has the stars, the experience and the expectations. Chicago has something Vegas can’t buy: a whole lot of young legs with something to prove.
The Blackhawks will get their first chance to show what that youth can do Tuesday night when they face the Golden Knights in Las Vegas, closing out a triple-header of national broadcasts on the NHL’s opening night.
It’s a tough place to start.
Vegas is coming off a Stanley Cup Final appearance and brings back much of the core that got it there. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone are still leading the way up front, while Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin anchor an experienced blue line.
Eichel finished last season with 90 points in 74 games. Marner had 80 points in 81 games, and Stone produced 73 points in only 60 games.
But there is a new opportunity on the third line.
Trevor Connelly is stepping into a bigger role with Vegas this season after spending most of last year developing in the AHL. The 2024 first-round pick put up 49 points in 46 games with Henderson, including 14 goals and 35 assists, and now has a chance to establish himself in the Golden Knights’ lineup.
The 19-year-old fills the void left behind by Pavel Dorofeyev, who was traded in the offseason after leading the Golden Knights with 37 goals last season.
Braeden Bowman is also expected to begin the season in the bottom six.
They’ll be doing it with a new coach behind the bench.
John Tortorella led Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final after taking over late last season, but he is no longer with the organization and currently does not have an NHL coaching job.
Ryan Craig takes over after three seasons as head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights. It will be his first NHL head-coaching opportunity, and he inherits a team with considerably different expectations than the one he coached in the AHL.
The biggest question surrounding that team may not be its forwards or defensemen, though.
It may be the goaltending.
Carter Hart is expected to open the season as Vegas’ starter after joining the Golden Knights during the regular season. He went 11-3-3 with a .891 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average, then started every game of Vegas’ run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Hart struggled against Carolina, posting a .863 save percentage and 3.45 goals-against average in the six-game series.
Vegas also moved on from Akira Schmid this offseason. Schmid appeared in 34 games last season, going 16-10-6 with a .893 save percentage and 2.59 goals-against average before being traded to the Florida Panthers for a 2028 third-round pick.
Adin Hill remains in the picture after going 10-9-6 with a .870 save percentage and a 3.04 goals-against average last season.
So there are questions in the crease, even if there aren’t many elsewhere on the roster.
Chicago is dealing with a different kind of uncertainty.
Connor Bedard won’t be available for the opener as he continues recovering from a freak training accident that required shoulder surgery. The Blackhawks are expected to be without their franchise player until later this fall.
But there is some good news for Chicago fans and that’s the return of Patrick Kane, who will don a Blackhawks sweater for the first time in three years.
For Kane and a rebuilding Blackhawks roster, there’s probably no better measuring stick than to face the reigning Stanley Cup runner-ups off the bat.
The fun all started with Tuesday’s 1-0 overtime win over the Carolina Hurricanes in the NHL’s first game of the season.
Starring for the Panthers in his first game back with the franchise was veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
He finished the game with 15 saves, playing a very steady role in net and not putting his defenseman in any bad spots with poor rebounds while keeping the Cats in the game long enough for Gus Forsling to find the game-winning goal with just over four seconds left in overtime.
GUSTAV FORSLING WINS IT WITH 4 SECONDS TO GO IN OVERTIME 🚨
Markstrom was also key in helping Florida's defensive-minded approach by constantly jumping out of the crease and playing the puck, cutting down Carolina entry attempts and dump-ins while also helping clear the puck out of precarious areas and blocking passes with his excellent stickwork.
In terms of stopping the puck, one particular sequence late during the second period stood out, with Carolina on the power play and pushing for the game’s first goal.
As Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho drove the net, Markstrom somehow kept the puck from going in, flashing his massive leg pads while maintaining strong positioning in the goal crease.
HECTIC sequence with multiple great chances for the Canes, but Markstrom and the Cats deny them 😳❌ pic.twitter.com/VKyKTlulgb
Of Markstrom’s 15 saves, four were considered high-danger shots, according to Natural Stat Trick.
He also stopped Carolina seven times during their six power play opportunities, though plenty of credit is also due to Florida’s penalty killers.
On defense, Aaron Ekblad, Niko Mikkola, Seth Jones and Forsling gobbled up the majority of the shorthanded minutes, while three forward duos – Sasha Barkov and Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen, Garnet Hathaway and Lars Eller – were excellent when called upon.
With the 1-0 victory, Markstrom becomes just the third goalie in Panthers history to pick up a shutout win in a season opener, joining Roberto Luongo, who shut down the Atlanta Thrashers 2-0 to open the 2005-06 season, and Jose Theodore, who blanked the New York Islanders 2-0 to kick off Florida's playoff-bound 2011-12 campaign.
Next up for the Panthers will be another home opener, this time for the San Jose Sharks.
Puck drop from SAP Center is set for Thursday at 10 p.m. ET.
Photo caption: Sep 29, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA;FloridaPanthersgoaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) handles the puck during the first period against the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)
TORONTO — It’s easy to exercise cautious optimism after everything goes right in training camp. It’s harder to strike an appropriate tone when the last few days of preseason were rough enough that people in the organization started to feel uneasy.
“I will tell you, when I come into teams, it doesn’t happen immediately and it takes a while,” Islanders coach Pete DeBoer said Saturday night. “I can remember going into San Jose and us kinda taking one step forward, two steps back, probably till around Christmastime ’til we started playing seamlessly. … This is part of the process. And we’ve gotta be patient.”
This is not something you usually hear after a preseason game.
That was supposed to be the case Saturday against the Devils, but the vagaries of preseason roster rules combined with understandable caution meant that Matthew Schaefer, Brayden Schenn and Tony DeAngelo were all held out of the 4-1 loss.
New York Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer looks on during the first period of a game against the New York Rangers at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Logan Stanley, who will line up next to DeAngelo on the third pair Wednesday, was signed the next day. Mat Barzal of course, won’t be in the lineup at all, and has yet to start skating on his own, though he did travel for the opener, which was preceded by a couple of days of team bonding over golf up in Lake Muskoka, Ontario.
With Schaefer playing 23-25 minutes every night, the Islanders will inherently be a faster team than they looked during the exhibition season. That said, it’s not just the speed of a back end that’s been labeled old and slow for a long time — often unfairly — which has looked like a problem.
The Islanders have been slow to pick up DeBoer’s system, often getting caught out of position in the defensive zone. Alexander Romanov and Ryan Pulock, who will form the second pair, have both looked like they’re still getting up to speed following surgeries, with Romanov having played just 15 games last season.
The plan to open a spot for Isaiah George, a lefty, by playing Schaefer on his off side hit a snag when George couldn’t win a spot in camp, and so Stanley — brought in at the last minute, having skated with his junior team in Kitchener, Ontario, instead of attending an NHL camp — will be in the lineup ahead of Mayfield or Matthew Kessel, both righties.
Scott Mayfield (24) of the New York Islanders moves the puck down ice during the second period at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“Obviously there’s some new things we gotta tighten up,” Mayfield told The Post. “We’re learning the system. I think we’re trying hard to implement it. We’re working hard, I would just say we’re not working as smart as we can be. We need to close quicker and we just need to win those battles. It’s all that quick closure, pin the guy, second guy quick, stuff like that.”
This, too, was a highly unusual thing to hear after a preseason game.
“We don’t hit a panic button in here,” Mayfield said, asked about the level of concern. “You gotta stay even keel. You can’t be panicking. I don’t like the word concern about how we play.”
Just like every optimistic declaration that someone has come to camp in the best shape ever, all of that can be rendered silly and forgotten if the Islanders come out flying against the rebuilt Maple Leafs.
For all his rhetorical caution, DeBoer has an excellent history of first-year turnarounds. Schaefer is a superstar. Ilya Sorokin will give the Islanders a chance to win every night. Victor Eklund was one of the best performers in camp, underscoring a prospect core that was by far the biggest positive of the last couple of weeks.
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer races for a loose puck while being checked from behind by the stick of New York Rangers right wing Taylor Raddysh in the second period of a game at Madison Square Garden in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR NEW YORK POST
There’s 84 games still to come, and everything that’s happened so far is only the prologue.
The first few chapters of the season need to have a different tone.
With the Vancouver Canucks making their training camp cuts last week, five of their prospects were sent down to the CHL to start their seasons. Many eyes will be on them as the Canucks build a strong prospect pool. Here's how the five CHL prospects did in their first weekend back with their teams.
Adam Novotný - 6 points, 3 goals, 3 assists in 3 games
After falling to Vancouver at 24th overall, Novotný immediately became one of the Canucks' most intriguing prospects. He showed why after having an amazing development camp and prospects showcase. Novotný certainly exceeded people's expectations, as many started to question whether he could have made the team out of camp.
That may have been a bit of a stretch, but after hearing there was a loophole that could have allowed him to start the season in the AHL with Abbotsford, that seemed more likely. However, Vancouver made what was probably the right move by sending him back to the OHL for his second season with the Peterborough Petes.
It might have been him carrying the momentum of playing with NHL players, but in his first game back in the OHL, Novotný put up four points, registering two goals and two assists against the Sarnia Sting and dominating all night long.
After being held scoreless in his second game against the Brantford Bulldogs, Novotný made up for it with a two-point night, scoring a goal and adding an assist while showing off his one-timer against the Ottawa 67's.
It's worth noting that all three of his assists last weekend were primary assists, and his 18 shots on goal led the league that week. Novotný's spectacular efforts earned him OHL Player of the Week honours.
Yaraslav Bryzgalov - 2 points, 2 goals in 2 games
As expected, Bryzgalov returned to the WHL to play the 2026-27 season with the Medicine Hat Tigers. He was scoreless in his first game back against the Red Deer Rebels but scored twice in his second game, recorded five shots on goal, and was named the first star in a 5-2 Tigers win over the Edmonton Oil Kings.
For his first goal, he used his 6'4", 220-pound frame to outbattle two Oil Kings defenders and jam home a rebound in front of the crease. His second goal came on the power play, where he fired home a one-timer from the right dot on a feed from Markus Ruck.
This is a great start for Bryzgalov as he hopes to finish the season with over a point per game for the first time in the WHL.
Brooks Rogowski - 3 points 3 assists in 3 games
The Canucks' biggest draft pick from the 2026 draft, height-wise, listed at 6 '7", 236 pounds, made a sizable impact in his return to the OHL this weekend with the Oshawa Generals.
Even though Oshawa were shut out in a 6-0 loss to the Guelph Storm in their first game of the weekend, Rogowski was solid on the penalty kill, getting multiple clears and using his reach to break up a couple of passes while the Storm were on the man advantage.
In his second game against the Barrie Colts, Rogowski showed off his offence, recording two assists in a 4-2 win for the Generals. His first came on the power play, where he showed off his hands tight in front of the net before finding Onni Kalto in the slot.
His second came late in the third, with Oshawa down a goal and with the extra attacker. Rogowski's shot from the slot was deflected by Harrisson Franssen for the equalizer.
He recorded one more assist in a Generals 5-3 loss against the Brantford Bulldogs, stealing the puck from a Bulldogs defender in the offensive zone and finding Mark Pape in the slot.
Overall, it was a good weekend for Rogowski as he showed why Vancouver drafted him 33rd overall by making an impact on both ends of the ice.
Lucian Bernat - 2 points, 2 assists in 2 games
Bernat won't get the same attention as some of the Canucks' other prospects, since he's a sixth-round draft pick, but he quietly had a good weekend. He recorded two assists in two games with the Owen Sound Attack, both on the power play.
This is Bernat's first season playing in North America, so there will be some time for him to get used to the game speed here. But getting on the scoresheet in his first two games is an encouraging start.
Lucian Bernat at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
Alexei Medvedev- DNP
Medvedev is Vancouver's most experienced CHL prospect. He didn't play this weekend for the London Knights. Medvedev should make his season debut for the Knights sooner rather than later.
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.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
