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Gamethread: Penguins @ Golden Knights
Blackhawks Can't Win 3rd In A Row, Lose To Stars 4-0
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks were at the United Center for Saturday night hockey against the Dallas Stars. After winning two in a row, both at home, the Blackhawks came in feeling good about their game.
The Stars came in after a lackluster 3-3-1 start to their season, looking to get back on track. Their record is better than Chicago's, but they have legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations, with a roster loaded with stars at every position, so expectations are different.
It was an interesting first period. For most of it, the Dallas Stars controlled play. Jason Robertson scored a goal at one point to give the Stars a 1-0 lead, but it was reviewed and waved off for offside. The scoreless tie went through the first intermission.
In the second period, Robertson didn't miss his chance to score one that counts. While on the power play, he made it 1-0 at 15:02. Robertson finished off a pretty passing play with Mikko Rantanen and Thomas Harley for the goal.
At 5:50 in the middle frame, Artuu Hyry scored to give the Stars a 2-0 lead. With the way the Stars have been controlling the game, this definitely became a tough hill to climb for the Blackhawks. Hyry's goal came off a neat feed from Sam Steel on a 2-on-1.
The 2-0 lead that the Dallas Stars built up held through the second intermission. It would have been worse if it weren't for Spencer Knight; things would likely have been worse for the Blackhawks through two.
Hyry wasn't done there. Shortly into the third period, he scored his second of the game on a nifty backhand shot that beat Knight. Later in the third, Roope Hintz made it 4-0 with a snipe. That did it for the Blackhawks.
The 4-0 score became the final at the end of regulation, and Chicago's winning streak ended at two.
Watch Every Chicago Goal
The Chicago Blackhawks didn't score a goal in the loss. There were some chances, but nothing was able to beat Jake Oettinger, who now has three shutouts. In fact, all three of his wins were shutouts.
What’s Next For The Blackhawks?
The Chicago Blackhawks are now going to be off game action for 6 days. This gives them plenty of time to rest, practice, and come back ready for a long stretch of games against good teams. Next Friday, they will face the Montreal Canadiens. This will be the first time in 2026-27 that the Blackhawks wear their black alternate sweaters.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
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Hat Tricks For Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett Fuel Panthers Dominant Victory Over Seattle
It’s been a pretty solid few days for the Florida Panthers.
Florida has now won three straight games during the young season, extending the streak thanks to Saturday’s dominant 8-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken.
It didn’t take long for the Panthers to get things started on the right skate.
Just 65 seconds into the game, Sam Bennett jumped on a Matthew Takchuk rebound, swatting the puck out of midair and into the Kraken net to give Florida a 1-0 lead.
Unfortunately for Bennett and the Cats, they didn’t stay ahead for very long.
Former fourth overall draft pick Sane Wright got his stick on a shot by Berkly Catton, getting just enough of the puck to change its direction and get it past Jacob Markstrom to knot the score at one at the 4:51 mark.
That’s how the score would remain for the majority of the period, with both goaltenders coming up with some big saves.
With just over two minutes left until the first intermission, Carter Verhaeghe one-timed a puck from the left faceoff circle over Joey Daccord’s glove to give the Cats a 2-1 lead, but he wasn’t done there.
Florida went on the power play less than a minute later thanks to Ryker Evans shooting the puck over the glass, and Verhaeghe found the back of the net again, this time off a nice feed from Brady Tkachuk, sending Florida into the break with a 3-1 advantage.
Keeping the good times rolling, Verhaeghe completed the natural hat trick by finishing off a pass from Niko Mikkola to extend Florida’s lead to 4-1.
There was some history that came with the goal, as Florida became the first team in NHL history to have players log natural hat tricks in three consecutive games.
The Panthers just became the FIRST TEAM EVER to have a player record a natural hat trick in 3 straight games for them 🎩
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 17, 2026
Brady got one in the last 2 games and now Verhaeghe adds one! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MdZWEz9Jh3
Not too shabby, eh?
Just 40 seconds after that, Niko Mikkola’s long shot found its way over Daccord’s blocker to extend Florida’s lead to 5-1, and then Bennett gave the Cats a sixth goal by finishing off a 2-on-1 with Brady.
After a Freddy Gaudreau goal late in the second brought Seattle to within 6-2, Sam Reinhart scored on the power play to hit the extra point for Florida, one-timing a quick feed by Matthew Takchuk past Daccord.
Sure, the Kraken added a third goal just under four minutes into the period, but the bigger news of the final frame was Bennett becoming the second Panthers player DURING THIS GAME to pick up a hat trick.
Bennett’s third goal of the night was Florida’s eighth, marking the first time in Panthers history that two players recorded three goals in the same game.
The goal was also the 400th point of Benntt’s career.
SAM BENNETT SCORES THE PANTHERS' 4TH HAT TRICK IN 3 GAMES 🤯
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 18, 2026
Panthers fans are staring to run out of headwear 😭 pic.twitter.com/x8l7LNDn6c
Florida’s record has now improved to 5-2-2 on the young season. They’ll head back out on the road this week for a four-game trip, starting with a back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday in Ottawa and Pittsburgh.
Getting back to Florida’s scoring for a moment, the game saw a couple point streaks extended by the Tkachuk brothers.
Matthew Tkachuk finished the night with three assists, extending his point streak to eight games, racking up three goals and 14 points during the run.
As for Brady, his point streak is now at four games, logging six goals and 10 points over that span after picking up a pair of helpers on Saturday.
The timing couldn’t be better as Brady and the Panthers’ next game is against his former team, the Ottawa Senators.
We’ll see if they can keep the good times rolling when they travel north of the border.
Stay tuned.
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Brady Tkachuk Picks Up Hat Trick, Matthew Tkachuk Logs Five Assists As Panthers Dominate In Columbus
Photo caption: May 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center CarterVerhaeghe(23) celebrates with center SamBennett(9) and defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Sabres' Offense Has Improved, But Here's The Key Area Buffalo Has To Address Immediately
The Buffalo Sabres have finally got their offense untracked, generating 14 goals in their past three games. It’s not a coincidence they’ve won two of those three contests to improve their record to 4-3-1.
But there’s still another issue the Sabres need to address – and that’s their play in their own zone. Because in those past three games, Buffalo has given up a combined 11 goals. And when you look at where the Sabres’ defense is at the moment, you can see why Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff needs to focus on improving his team’s play on ‘D’.
Indeed, right now, the Sabres have the NHL’s seventh-worst goals-against average – 3.63 goals-against per-game. And most of the teams that are as bad or worse in that department are notoriously sub-par teams, including the woeful Calgary Flames (5.00 goals-against), Vancouver Canucks (4.56), Columbus Blue Jackets (4.20), Los Angeles Kings (4.20) and Chicago Blackhawks (4.00). If you aren’t taking care of business defensively, it doesn’t much matter how potent your offense is.
How do the Sabres clamp down in their own end? Well, having captain Rasmus Dahlin back in the lineup will help in that regard – and it’s also not a coincidence Buffalo’s goals-against average spiked now that Dahlin has missed the past two games, as well as Saturday’s tilt against the Montreal Canadiens. Dahlin’s sky-high panic threshold sets a defensive tone for his teammates, and he’s Buffalo’s least-replaceable player.
That said, there’s still good reason to believe the Sabres have to do more to be more responsible on defense. And some of that falls squarely into the lap of Buffalo goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis. With veteran netminder Alex Lyon sidelined with an injury of his own, Buffalo has had no choice but to ride Luukkonen and Ellis. And to say the results were mixed would be extremely charitable.
Indeed, although Luukkonen has been better of late – posting a save percentage of .921 or higher in two of his past three appearances – the reality is that, in six appearances this season, Luukkonen has a significantly-disappointing SP of .854 and a GAA of 3.52. You can say he hasn’t got a lot of support from his Sabres teammates, but Luukkonen has to own his own role in his bloated stats.
Meanwhile, in just three appearances this season, Ellis has been just as disappointing as Luukkonen, if not more so. He had a decent start to the season, putting up a .900 SP in an overtime win over the Minnesota Wild. But Ellis got worse in each of his next two games, posting an .867 SP in a 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth, then getting yanked after surrendering two goals on nine shots in a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
If Luukkonen can’t provide at least average individual numbers, and if Ellis isn’t a legitimate option to turn to when Luukkonen isn’t at his best…well, you can see why that’s going to be an ongoing problem. Now, if Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen can pull off a blockbuster trade for suspended Winnipeg Jets superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck, everything changes for Buffalo. But otherwise, there aren’t many great netminding options for the Sabres to acquire.
In any case, Buffalo’s challenge is clear: get better on ‘D’, and get better right away. Last season, the Sabres had the league’s 10th-best goals-against average at 2.93 goals-against. And it’s not as if there have been a slew of changes to Buffalo’s roster. It’s mostly the same group, so there should be no excuses as to figuring out how to defend better.
If your defense is porous, it matters not how great your offense is. Ruff knows this, so it’ll be intriguing to see how he pushes his players to be better defensively. And the sooner that happens, the more likely it is the Sabres get back to the top of the Atlantic Division.
Canadiens Goalie Continuing To Create Chatter As Trade Candidate
Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault has been the subject of trade rumors for a while. Now, that is only continuing during the early stages of the 2026-27 season.
In a recent article for The Athletic, Arpon Basu named Montembeault the Canadiens' top trade candidate.
"Montembeault is in the final year of his contract, and with Jakub Dobeš and Jacob Fowler ready to take over, the Canadiens could collect a trade asset from a goalie-needy team," Basu wrote.
It would not be surprising in the slightest if the Canadiens moved Montembeault at some point this season. He lost the Canadiens' starting job last season, and Fowler is continuing to prove that he belongs in the NHL. Thus, the Canadiens would be wise to move Montembeault if they can find a team interested in him.
Montembeault has yet to play a game this season for Montreal and is currently sidelined due to injury. In 25 games last season for the Canadiens, he had an .872 save percentage and a 3.43 goals-against average. However, he also had a .901 save percentage or better from 2022-23 to 2024-25, so it is fair to wonder if another team could be willing to take a chance on him as a bounce-back candidate.
Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens trade Montembeault this season. They would benefit by moving on from his $3.15 million cap hit.
Calum Ritchie takes Pete DeBoer’s Islanders benching message in stride as he sticks on second line
TORONTO — Pete DeBoer used the stick — in this case, the bench — to make his point to Calum Ritchie on Thursday night in Ottawa. On Saturday against the Maple Leafs, it was more about the carrot.
Rather than demoting Ritchie off the second line, DeBoer kept him there, having gone over video with him the day prior to reinforce the message that Ritchie’s puck management needs to improve. The overall message, though, was one of faith in the 21-year-old center.
“It’s all part of the process,” DeBoer said. “I had Wyatt Johnston in Dallas. I had Thomas Harley. They all went through this. They all had great games and they had games where they took a step back. You had to sit and watch for a little bit. This is all part of that development.”
Of course, that has the added benefit of being true. Things worked out pretty well with Johnston and Harley, and the safe bet is that they will with Ritchie too.
Ritchie, scoreless in four straight games going into Saturday, seemed to take the message in stride.
“I think I’ve been forcing some plays offensively a little bit,” he said pregame Saturday. “I’m just trying to generate offense and I’m forcing some things. Just trying to hold onto pucks. Making smarter plays is a big thing and obviously, I think just battling harder. Winning more puck battles. I think those are the two biggest things probably.”
Making better decisions with the puck has been a near-constant refrain from DeBoer at the start of the season, with Ritchie far from the only player to struggle doing so. Given their speed deficit on the blue line when Matthew Schaefer is off the ice, and their lack of offensive firepower, giving away high-end chances that stem from turnovers simply isn’t something the Islanders can get away with.
The giveaways from Ritchie, along with taking a penalty, irked DeBoer enough on Thursday night to sit him for the last 11:30 of regulation and all of overtime in an eventual 2-1 defeat to the Senators.
“I think a bit of it is not executing what I’m seeing,” Ritchie said. “I’m seeing something and just trying to make a play and they close it off quickly. It’s kinda like, a more high-risk play, you’re not sure it’s gonna happen. It’s just getting back to the basics, simplifying my game a little bit. Just trying to play the right way.”
Of course, he can’t tilt too far in the other direction either. The Islanders don’t want to mute Ritchie’s skill with the puck on his stick, or force him into a mentality where he’s scared to make a mistake. Learning when to try and make a play versus when to just dump the puck in and move onto the next one — especially with a new coach whose principles are different from what Ritchie was taught last year — will be an ongoing process.
“He’s a young guy that’s finding that line between creating offense, how to create offense in this league against some big, heavy teams and big bodies, but also do it without being reckless with the puck,” DeBoer said. “But also do it without being reckless with the puck. That’s something every young player goes through. It’s OK to sit and watch for a few shifts here and there.”
At least to hear him tell it, Ritchie’s confidence won’t be affected. He knows this is normal and if he forgets, he can always reflect on last season, when the Islanders sat Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair for a third period over back-checking issues.
“You still gotta play hockey,” he said. “You gotta play free. If you’re not playing free, you’re not gonna play very good. For me, everyone kinda goes through that. Stars in this league get sat sometimes. Just gotta bounce back, play better, play the right way.”
Canucks Allow Four-Straight Goals, Fall 4-2 To The Lightning
The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their six-game road trip with a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Linus Karlsson scored his second of the season while Elias Pettersson found the back of the net on the power play. As for Kevin Lankinen, he was busy on Saturday, stopping 31 of the 35 shots he faced.
Vancouver looked exhausted after the first period. The Lightning outshot the Canucks 24 to seven during the final two frames and were able to erase a 2-0 deficit. While it is understandable that Vancouver would be tired at the end of this long road trip, the Canucks looked like they had zero energy for the majority of the game.
"The execution of details in our game," said Manny Malhotra post-game when asked about the loss. "Things that we've continuously talked about that are just non-negotiables. We need to have them to be able to be successful. Getting in shot lanes, tougher around our net, faceoff details. We continue to learn the lesson the hard way when you don't do those things; pucks end up in the back of your net."
As for the penalty kill, it was another night where Vancouver allowed a goal. To the Canucks credit, they were only shorthanded once, but their inability to block passing lanes and clear loose pucks led to yet another goal against. Vancouver has now allowed a league-high 13 goals against while on the penalty kill and has been scored on in seven of 10 games so far this season.
There was one positive from the night, and that was the play of Lankinen. While he will want a few of the goals back, the 31-year-old kept the Canucks in this game. It has been a tough year for Lankinen, but it is fair to say that he can't be blamed for this loss.
"I was really impressed with his response to, obviously, his frustration with his last couple of outings," said Malhotra about Lankinen. "But the way he stepped up today, obviously, he gave us a real chance to be in it right until the third period. A couple of ten-bell saves. We're happy for him with the response that he did."
Ultimately, there is not much that can be said about Saturday's loss. Vancouver struggled to generate any form of offence over the final half of the game and could not contain Tampa Bay's top players. In the end, the Canucks finished this six-game road trip 0-5-1 and will now head home on a seven-game losing streak.
Stats and Facts:
- Jonathan Lekkerimäki finishes the game with two drawn penalties
- All three goals scored by Elias Pettersson this year have come on the power play
- Filip Hronek led all players with five blocked shots
- The Canucks won 38% of their faceoffs
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
15:32- VAN: Linus Karlsson (2) from Paul Cotter and Filip Chytil
2nd Period:
4:35- VAN: Elias Pettersson (3) from Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Brock Boeser (PPG)
6:30- TBL: Nikita Kucherov (2) from Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel
11:23- TBL: Nikita Kucherov (3) from Brayden Point
3rd Period:
2:04- TBL: Jake Guentzel (4) from Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Brayden Point
15:57- TBL: Pontus Holmberg (2)
Up Next:
October 20 vs Carolina Hurricanes, 7:00 pm PT
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Ehlers’ power-play winner lifts Hurricanes past Jets 3-2 for a seventh straight win
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers scored a power-play goal 6:43 into the third period to lift the Carolina Hurricanes to their seventh straight victory, 3-2 over the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.
The former Jet fired a wrist shot past the glove of Clay Stevenson.
Mark Jankowski — also on the power play — and Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored for Carolina. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere had two assists.
Pyotr Kochetkov made 21 saves and has posted victories in all five starts this season. With fewer than 40 seconds remaining, Kochetkov made a pad save on Cole Perfetti, following that up with a save on 18-year-old Viggo Bjorck off the helmet to preserve Carolina’s lead.
Mark Scheifele and Alex Iafallo scored for Winnipeg, which lost its first game this season on home ice in regulation. Stevenson stopped 34 shots.
Winnipeg held 1-0 and 2-1 leads, before trailing in the third period. The Jets are 1-1 in matinee games this season, with nine more to play. After a three-game point drought to start the year, Scheifele is now riding a five-game point streak with two goals and six assists.
Carolina made the Jets pay on special-teams, scoring two goals while the power play and killing off Winnipeg’s lone opportunity with the man advantage. Jankowski’s second-period goal extended his NHL-leading active goal streak to seven consecutive games.
Up next
Jets: Visit the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night.
Hurricanes: Visit the Calgary Flames on Sunday.
___
Ivar Stenberg On Older Brother Otto Stenberg: 'I think he’s ready this year. … he’s my brother and I think he’s really good.'
ST. LOUIS – Once Ivar Stenberg fulfilled his dream – like older brother and St. Louis Blues propect Otto Stenberg – of being drafted into the NHL, the brothers immediately went to the calendar to see when the first meeting would happen.
Oct. 8 was the first date. It was the Blues’ home opener and the second road game for the San Jose Sharks.
But alas, it didn’t materialize, and the Stenberg reunion is still on hold.
For how long? That will be up to when the Blues get their Stenberg back to the NHL.
Ivar, the younger 19-year-old brother and No. 2 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, is locked into the Sharks’ roster. He assisted on San Jose’s winning goal in overtime against the Blues.
But he’s also very biased, and why shouldn’t he be, considering what his 21-year-old brother has meant to him, especially that day when Ivar donned the Sharks logo for the first time.
“It means very much for me,” Ivar said when the Sharks were in St. Louis. “He’s a really good guy and a really good person I talk to every day.
“We’re texting every day. Sometimes talking but most of the time texting just asking each other stuff.”
Ivar and Otto Stenberg, a first-round pick (No. 23) in the 2023 draft, have played on programs in their hometown of Sweden, including Stenungsund HF U16 and Frolunda HC U16 and U18’s. It’s the culmination of where Ivar said Otto fueled his push to reach the highest level.
“Yes, he’s older and I’m younger and smaller. We always play together and we’ve play against each other,” Ivar said. “We were doing everything together. We haven’t done that together in a while but … he’s meant everything. It’s crazy. I don’t think I would be here without him and my family, but especially seeing him and how hard he works every day and how much work he puts in every week is good to see when you’re young.”
And the best message Ivar received?
“Just play your game but also have fun,” he said. “Don’t think too much. Work hard. You’ve got to work hard. … He’s always taken good care of me. I couldn’t be more grateful.”
Ivar said he knows there will come a day when the brothers will oppose each other but there was some disappointment it didn’t happen when he came to town.
“It will be fun. He deserves to be up and I think with all the training he put in this summer, I think he’s ready,” Ivar said. “I think he deserves that.
“… I think he’s ready this year. I don’t know how they’re thinking (but) he’s my brother and I think he’s really good.”
Otto has a goal and three assists in five games with Springfield of the American Hockey League this summer after playing 32 games with the Blues last season (10 points; three goals, seven assists).
The Blues don’t face the Sharks again until March 11 in St. Louis. Who knows what the two respective rosters will look like by then, but if Otto is up with the Blues by then, the brothers will know the date, and they’ll know and understand the meaning.
“That’s going to be special for sure,” Ivar said. ‘Kind of crazy. I’m looking forward to it.”
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Pittsburgh Penguins At Vegas Golden Knights Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To Watch
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be back in action again on Saturday night after losing 5-2 to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night.
The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Avalanche in the first period, then allowed five unanswered goals to lose 5-2. It's their second straight loss, and the schedule won't get any easier on Saturday.
The Penguins will play a rested Vegas Golden Knights team that has won seven of their first nine games and has scored 36 goals.
Jack Eichel is off to an outrageous start, compiling five goals and 16 points in nine games. He's been a force in all three zones and will handle the top responsibilities in this game.
Mark Stone has also been fantastic, scoring six goals and racking up 11 points in nine games. He registered a hat trick against the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Mitch Marner has two goals and nine points in nine games and has been a perfect fit with them since last year. Don't forget about Tomas Hertl, Ivan Barbashev, Brett Howden, and Shea Theodore, either. They can impact the game instantly.
Adin Hill will start in goal for the Golden Knights. It will be his fourth start of the season.
As for the Penguins, Sergei Murashov will start in goal after having Friday off. Here's what the rest of the lines and pairs are expected to look like:
Forwards
Rakell-Crosby-Rust
Koivunen-Novak-Malkin
Kuzmenko-Kindel-Robertson
Dewar-Lizotte-Soderblom
Defensive pairs
Carlile-Karlsson
Girard-Korczak
Stastney-Letang
Puck drop is set for 10 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
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Penguins Former First-Round Pick Suddenly Named Trade Candidate
The Athletic recently named one "under-the-radar" trade candidate for each NHL team.
When it came to the Pittsburgh Penguins, The Athletic's Josh Yohe picked defenseman Owen Pickering as the Metropolitan Division's club top trade candidate.
"Pickering, a 2022 first-round pick, has never made a dent in the NHL and appears to be buried in the AHL. The 6-foot-5 defender had a good training camp and could be available for a certain price," Yohe wrote.
The Penguins trading Pickering would undoubtedly be a significant move. The 22-year-old blueliner was a first-round selection made by the Penguins, after all. Thus, it would be notable if the Penguins ended up parting ways with him in a trade.
However, if the Penguins do not envision him becoming a long-term part of their NHL roster, it would make sense for them to trade him. The young defenseman would have the potential to be a valuable trade chip for the Penguins due to his good upside. It also does not hurt that he is a big defenseman, which NHL teams always value.
Pickering has played in 29 games over two seasons with the Penguins, where he has posted one goal, three points, 14 hits, 21 blocks, and a minus-8 rating. He has not played a game at the NHL level this season.
In five games this campaign with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Pickering has recorded one goal and a plus-4 rating. This is after he had seven goals and 28 points in 68 games with the AHL club during this past season.
Former Buffalo Sabres Defenseman Waived By Red Wings
A former Buffalo Sabres defenseman is available for the taking.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Detroit Red Wings have placed former Sabres defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker on waivers.
Bernard-Docker has yet to play a game this season for the Red Wings due to falling down on their depth chart. Thus, it is not necessarily surprising to see the former Sabres defenseman now hitting the waiver wire.
Teams looking for more defensive depth could consider taking a chance on Bernard-Docker with a waiver claim. However, if he clears waivers, the Red Wings will then be able to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Bernard-Docker appeared in 63 games during this past season with the Red Wings, where he posted one goal, four assists, five points, and 25 penalty minutes.
The Sabres acquired Bernard-Docker during the 2024-25 season from the Ottawa Senators as part of the Dylan Cozens-Josh Norris blockbuster. However, his time with the Sabres was short, as he left the team that following off-season. In 15 games with the Sabres during the 2024-25 season after being acquired from Ottawa, he posted one goal, four points, nine hits, and a plus-3 rating.
Devils sunk by three-goal second period in 4-2 loss to Capitals
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan Leonard scored a highlight-reel goal and the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Ilya Protas, Dylan Strome and Boone Jenner also scored and Vincent Desharnais had two assists for the Capitals, who have won back-to-back games.
Arsenal Gritsyuk and Timo Meier scored for the Devils, who dropped to 4-4-0 to open the season.
The Devils got on the board first roughly halfway through the first period, when Gritsyuk beat Logan Thompson through traffic at the end of New Jersey’s second power play of the period.
With 3:18 to go in the first, though, Leonard would even the score and change the momentum with his spectacular goal. In the final seconds of Washington’s power play, Leonard took the puck up ice himself, going coast to coast before beating Luke Hughes, cutting to the inside and deking out Jake Allen for his third goal of the season.
From there, the Capitals took over the game, starting with back-to-back goals in a span of 4 minutes, 46 seconds to open the second period. First, Protas buried a cross-zone feed from Alex Ovechkin to give Washington the 2-1 lead. Then, Strome finished off a passing play from Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou to put Washington up by two.
Later in the frame, Jenner tucked in a point drive that bounced to the front for his fourth goal in five games, extending the lead to 4-1 going into the third.
New Jersey pushed hard in the third and pulled within two late when Meier scored with 18.4 seconds to go in regulation, but otherwise, Thompson shut them down with 29 saves on 31 shots to secure the win for the Capitals.
Allen had 21 saves in the loss for New Jersey.
Up next
Capitals: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
Devils: Return home to face the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
Devils Fall 4-2 To Capitals
The New Jersey Devils suffered a 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon at Capital One Arena. The club dropped to a 4-4-0 record.
Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier scored, while goaltender Jake Allen made 21 saves on 25 shots. The two teams will meet again on Nov. 12, 2026.
Gritsyuk opened the scoring at 10:04 in the first period, one second after the Devils' power play expired. Dawson Mercer and Stefan Noesen assisted on the goal, with each extending their point streak to three games.
Before the first period ended, the Capitals tied the game on the power play when Ryan Leonard’s wrist shot beat Jake Allen. Washington’s goaltender, Logan Thompson, picked up an assist on the play.
A little over a minute into the second period, Washington took the lead when Ilya Protasscored his first of the 2026-27 season. With his assist, Alex Ovechkin earned his 93rd career point against New Jersey.
Dylan Strome extended the Capitals' lead to 3-1 within the first five minutes of the second period. Newcomers Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou earned the assists. Another addition, Boone Jenner, extended Washington’s lead to 4-1 after 40 minutes.
In the third period, New Jersey outshot Washington 17-5 and scored on the power play in the final minute of regulation. Timo Meier scored his first of the season, and Gritsyuk collected his second point of the afternoon. After 60 minutes, Thompson picked up his fifth career win over the Devils.
The team was without Luke Evangelista (illness) and Connor Brown (lower-body injury). Defenseman Brenden Dillon served as a healthy scratch for the third straight game.
The Devils return home to prepare for a three-game homestand hosting the Anaheim Ducks, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings. The schedule doesn’t get easier from there, as the team will be on the road the following week to face the Dallas Stars, Avalanche, and Vegas Golden Knights.
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Ryan Leonard scores highlight-reel goal, leads the Capitals over the Devils 4-2
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ryan Leonard scored a highlight-reel goal and the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Ilya Protas, Dylan Strome and Boone Jenner also scored and Vincent Desharnais had two assists for the Capitals, who have won back-to-back games.
Arsenal Gritsyuk and Timo Meier scored for the Devils, who dropped to 4-4-0 to open the season.
The Devils got on the board first roughly halfway through the first period, when Gritsyuk beat Logan Thompson through traffic at the end of New Jersey’s second power play of the period.
With 3:18 to go in the first, though, Leonard would even the score and change the momentum with his spectacular goal. In the final seconds of Washington’s power play, Leonard took the puck up ice himself, going coast to coast before beating Luke Hughes, cutting to the inside and deking out Jake Allen for his third goal of the season.
From there, the Capitals took over the game, starting with back-to-back goals in a span of 4 minutes, 46 seconds to open the second period. First, Protas buried a cross-zone feed from Alex Ovechkin to give Washington the 2-1 lead. Then, Strome finished off a passing play from Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou to put Washington up by two.
Later in the frame, Jenner tucked in a point drive that bounced to the front for his fourth goal in five games, extending the lead to 4-1 going into the third.
New Jersey pushed hard in the third and pulled within two late when Meier scored with 18.4 seconds to go in regulation, but otherwise, Thompson shut them down with 29 saves on 31 shots to secure the win for the Capitals.
Allen had 21 saves in the loss for New Jersey.
Up next
Capitals: Host the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday.
Devils: Return home to face the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday.
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