Alex Newhook is beginning to find his offensive rhythm in Montreal, and Thursday night offered another glimpse of what the former Colorado Avalanche first-round pick can bring.
The Canadiens forward scored twice in a 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars, continuing a productive start to the season as he looks to build on last year's encouraging postseason.
Newhook opened the scoring late in the first period with an impressive individual effort. After taking a long stretch pass from Noah Dobson, he carried the puck into the Dallas zone, worked his way around defenseman Thomas Harley and beat Jake Oettinger with a backhand shot. Just 27 seconds later, Cole Caufield scored to put Montreal up 3-1.
Newhook added his second goal early in the second period, taking advantage of a fortunate bounce that left the puck sitting beside the Dallas net. It marked the ninth multi-goal game of his NHL career and capped a productive night for the Canadiens forward, who has quietly put together a solid start to the season.
Injuries made it difficult for Newhook to build any momentum last year. He played just 42 games, missing 40, but still finished with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points. He nearly matched his total from the 2023-24 season, when he recorded 26 points in 82 games.
His scoring rate last season suggested there was room for more. Had he stayed healthy, Newhook could have been in line for the best offensive season of his career. Instead, he had to settle for a shortened campaign before making up some ground in the playoffs.
Newhook was particularly productive during Montreal's postseason run, scoring seven goals and adding three assists in 19 games. Those 10 points marked the best playoff production of his NHL career. He also has a Stanley Cup on his résumé, having won with Colorado in 2022, although his role with the Avalanche was much smaller at the time. He recorded four assists in 12 games during that championship run.
Now in his fourth season with Montreal, Newhook is starting to put together some encouraging offensive numbers. Through 13 games, he has three goals and three assists for six points. That's a pace of 19 goals and 19 assists over an 84-game season, which would put him on track for 38 points.
There's still a long way to go, but Newhook has given Montreal some production to work with early in the season. Staying healthy will be a big part of what comes next. If he can manage that, there's a chance he finally puts together the kind of full season that has been difficult to come by in his young NHL career.
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks “3 Standouts From The Game.” In this recurring series, The Hockey News’ Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver’s last game. This article will focus on the Canucks’ most recent 3–2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.
Forward Elias Pettersson
Coming off a strong game on Tuesday night that saw him log two assists, Elias Pettersson had himself yet another solid effort against the Sharks. He finished the game with an assist, three shots, and one block. The forward also registered his team’s lead in scoring chances-for with 18 on the night, also allowing only four against (tied for the third lowest on Vancouver).
Pettersson’s most noticeable play on Thursday was undoubtedly his assist on Drew O’Connor’s game-opening goal. The forward made a strong effort to keep the puck within the blueline by tipping the puck between his own skates while facing pressure from two Sharks and then lobbing it at the Sharks’ net. O’Connor was able to pounce on the rebound by driving hard to the net.
Liam Öhgren
After finding the back of the net against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, Liam Öhgren scored once again on Thursday against the Sharks. This was the first time in his NHL career that the forward has scored in back-to-back games, with Öhgren now vaulting up to a tie for second on his team in scoring after three games without a goal.
Öhgren also managed to get some first-unit power-play time, though this took place due to Brock Boeser missing some playing time after blocking a shot. He played a total of 13:21 minutes and logged three shots on goal.
Tom Willander
While he didn’t end up on the scoresheet, Tom Willander put together a strong effort against the Sharks. In his 19:55 minutes on the ice, the defenceman registered three shots on goal, two blocks, and one hit. He also ended up skating a shift that saw him on the ice for over three minutes during the second period.
Willander also managed to put up a fair number of scoring chances of his own, helping advance play into the O-zone by carrying it in or even testing out shots from the blueline. His five high-danger scoring chances-for were tied for the second-most on the Canucks.
Oct 29, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Michael Misa (77) and Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tom Willander (5) fight for the puck during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 17: Connor Brown #16 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates after a goal during the second period against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on December 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Matchup: New Jersey Devils (8-5-0) @ Vegas Golden Knights (9-4-1)
Note the unusual start time. Today is Nevada Day, and the Golden Knights are celebrating with a weekday afternoon game. It’s odd, but it certainly beats the usual 10pm start time for games in Vegas.
Last Devils Game
On Wednesday, the Devils traveled to Colorado and lost to the Avalanche, 5-2. Connor Brown scored both goals, his first markers of the season. Jake Allen got the start and made 40 saves on 45 shots.
Last Golden Knights Game
Vegas’s last game was on Tuesday, when they defeated the Ottawa Senators, 4-1. The win snapped the Golden Knights’ three-game losing streak, with Adin Hill getting the win while making 25 saves on 26 shots.
The First Dud In A While
The 5-2 final score from Wednesday’s contest was, plain and simple, a very poor game by the Devils. Yes, the score was tied 1-1 after two periods, but through 40 minutes, the Avalanche were handily controlling play. The floodgates finally burst open in the third, with Colorado scoring four times in a row and coasting from there.
The Avalanche outshot the Devils 45-22. According to Natural Stat Trick, New Jersey posted a ghastly Expected Goals% of just under 30%. There were moments here and there that New Jersey could be proud of, but overall, this really was the first dud in a while after a prolonged stretch of good hockey. Only Jake Allen and Connor Brown had unambiguously good games. Yes, Allen’s save percentage doesn’t look great, but he was the only reason this game wasn’t 10-1 after two periods. Allen had himself a very strong night, regardless of what the numbers say.
But in the end, I get it. Think about all the factors going against the Devils on Wednesday:
Second half of a back-to-back
Travel required
Playing a well-rested team
That well-rested team just so happening to be an elite group in the Colorado Avalanche
In the thin air of Colorado
Going through Kurt’s game recap from Wednesday and the comments on that post, I saw the phrase “schedule loss” thrown around a lot. I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. Wednesday was a night where New Jersey was set up to fail, and while it’s certainly possible to win or at least come away with a loser point under those circumstances, I can’t be too hard on the Devils for how poor they looked. Every team has off-nights, and considering how much was working against them, Wednesday’s loss is one I’m content to write off as a schedule loss and move on from.
…so long as the Devils bounce back strong.
That’s the one thing that worries me, that the loss to the Avalanche kick starts a string of bad games. Tonight is going to be a very tough contest as well, going up against a strong Vegas team. I would not be surprised if New Jersey lost again, but at the very least, I expect a much better outing than on Wednesday. If the Devils lose a hard-fought, back-and-forth, 3-2 or 4-3 game or something, I won’t be happy but I can accept that. But if they lose again while looking like they did against the Avalanche, that will be disappointing and a bit of a concern.
Finishing The Trip Strong
All that being said, if the Devils can find a way to win this game, and maybe even get back to their dominant puck possession selves in the process, that would be a great sign. This was always going to be a brutal road trip. Not only is it a western swing, but it just so happens to be against three of the very best teams in the NHL. You could argue that Dallas, Colorado, and Vegas are the top three squads in the west. Throw in a back-to-back, and I don’t think anyone’s expectations were particularly high coming into the trip.
But the Devils not only won their opening contest of the road trip, they looked great while doing so. I’m of the opinion that New Jersey was a little leakier defensively than most people think, as while they gave up very few shots, the individual quality of those shots were quite high. Still, they outshot the Stars by a million and won 5-1, so it’s hard to complain too much. They laid an understandable egg against Colorado, and now they have a chance to go home with a winning road trip.
Vegas is a great team, but they are not unbeatable, as their recent three-game skid indicates. The Devils can absolutely steal a win from the Knights this evening. As mentioned, I won’t be too broken up if they lose. But I think the vibes would be through the roof if New Jersey collects four out of six points on this trip. All of us would have signed for that before this three-game journey began.
Power Outage
Colorado game aside, the Devils have been a play-driving machine over the first month of the season at 5-on-5. But for all their territorial dominance at even strength, the power play remains a big concern.
New Jersey went 0-for-3 against Colorado on Wednesday, including failing to score on roughly half a minute of 5-on-3 time at the end of the second period. I’m not sure if that game turns out to be any different if they convert, but I have to believe the Devils’ chances of squeezing at least a point out of that game would’ve gone up dramatically. Remember, the game was still knotted at 1-1 when the Devils went on the power play, and then got that 5-on-3. The second penalty carried over into the third period, so imagine if New Jersey could play with a lead in the final 20 minutes. Again, it’s very possible they still would have lost, but the power play failures are what truly sealed their fate.
Entering play today, the Devils are rocking a power play conversion rate of 17.5%. That’s good for 22nd in the league, which is not truly awful, but it’s certainly not good either. For a team as talented as New Jersey, that figure is unacceptable.
Now, brace yourselves. I’m about to give you some stats that I think a lot of you will be shocked by. I know I was.
And it’s not just NST either. According to Hockey Stats, the Devils have an xG/60 rate of 8.6 on the power play, tied for seventh-best in the league with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks. Post Hockey is lower on the Devils, tabbing them at an xG/60 rate of 7.61, down at 13th in the league. The important thing to note about Post Hockey’s numbers is that, if I’m reading the stats correctly, they adjust for shooting talent. So it makes sense that their model would have New Jersey much lower than Natural Stat Trick and moderately lower than Hockey Stats. Still, 13th-best seems higher than I would have expected.
I’m sorry, but as much of a believer as I am in analytics, I cannot endorse these numbers. There is no way the Devils’ process is the 4th-best in the league. Heck, 8th is way too high for me as well, and 13th is better but still a tad rich. From what I’ve watched of the power play this year, there is a serious problem with the process. PP1 consists mainly of The Hughes brothers and Jesper Bratt playing catch on the perimeter, with Jack and Luke occasionally taking medium-danger shots that mostly get blocked or go wide. On the rare occasions those three include Nico Hischier and Luke Evangelista on the inside of the formation, it’s either broken up quickly or fumbled away. There’s not nearly enough movement, not nearly enough decisiveness, and not nearly enough shooting threats to actually make this power play run.
PP2, on the other hand, has much less talent but provides way better process. Players like Timo Meier and Arseny Gritsyuk operate with confidence and decisiveness, providing the shooting threats the man advantage needs. Dougie Hamilton quarterbacking the unit works, and players like Evan Rodrigues and Anthony Mantha complement the unit as well. There’s an intentionality on PP2 that is missing on PP1, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the vast majority of New Jersey’s glowing process numbers come from the second unit.
In any case, the top power play unit is pretty busted at the moment, and it’s on the coaching staff to figure it out. There is way too much talent here for this unit to be as bad as it is.
Round Two For Hellebuyck?
The Devils did not practice yesterday, so we didn’t get any indication on who would start in net this evening. We’ll have to wait for morning skate today to get that answer. But I’m going to assume it will be the newest Devil, Connor Hellebuyck. The future Hall of Famer was strong in his debut with the club on Tuesday, stopping 17 of 18 shots in the victory.
What impressed and surprised me the most was just how Hellebuyck always seemed to be one step ahead of the play. The Stars didn’t get that many looks at the net on Tuesday, but as I mentioned earlier, when they did get their looks there was a healthy amount of danger sprinkled in. Maybe I’ve just gotten so used to watching the likes of Vitek Vanecek and Mackenzie Blackwood and Akira Schmid and Jacob Markstrom and even Jake Allen over the past few years. But something that really struck me when watching Hellebuyck was how often he made me go “…Oh…that was it?”. When the Stars would fire a prime chance at Hellebuyck, instead of flailing around to get into position at the last minute like all the other Devil goalies, Hellebuyck seemed to already be waiting for the shot. He read each play so well, he managed his positioning so well, and he controlled his rebounds so well that even the premium shots looked relatively nonthreatening. One moment I’m clenching up at a one-timer from the inner slot, and the next moment I’m watching the shot harmlessly settle into Hellebuyck’s chest for a stoppage, as if it was always destined to be that way.
And I would go “…Oh…that was it?”.
Obviously I’ve watched Hellbuyck over the years, but I haven’t taken the time to really study him. It’s only one game, but after watching him play for the Devils for the first time, and taking into account every stat and scouting report I could get my hands on about why Hellebuyck is so great, I can certainly understand it. His hockey IQ is stellar. It’s the equivalent of someone like Luke Evangelista, who might not skate fast (below 50th percentile in all skating speed metrics per NHL Edge), but who plays fast thanks to how smart he is and how quickly he processes. But unlike Evangelista, Hellebuyck is also gifted physically with monstrous size. When a goalie is borderline telepathic like Hellebuyck, AND they have a massive frame, it is very, very difficult to get pucks behind him.
All of that to say, even though it’s only one game, it was a terrific one. And I am thrilled Hellebuyck is a Devil. Assuming his second outing with the club really does come tonight, I expect another strong outing from New Jersey’s franchise netminder.
The Golden Triangle
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Vegas Golden Knights are, once again, one of the best teams in the league. And it also shouldn’t surprise anyone to see who is leading the charge. Vegas is getting contributions up and down the lineup, but Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Mitch Marner are the spearheads of a potent Golden Knights attack.
Eichel leads the way with seven goals and 20 points in 14 games. Next is Stone, with eight goals (leading the team) and 16 points in 14 games. Marner is in third with two goals and 13 points in 12 games. The only other Knight in double figures in points is Ivan Barbashev, with an odd 1-9-10 statline. But considering Barbashev is logging 16:17 of ice time per game while the big three are up in the 18-20 minute range, Barbashev definitely falls under the “support” camp rather than the core.
On the backend, Vegas’ defense corps has been a bit disappointing from a point production standpoint. Their usual number one, Shea Theodore, has only registered a pair of goals and five points through 14 contests. Vegas’ second in command, Noah Hanifin, has that same exact statline as well. If the defensemen pick their game up, Vegas’ Golden Triangle could turn into a Golden Pentagram Pentagon. And if that happens, then the Pacific Division and the rest of the league will really be in trouble.
Under The Hood
Aside from the traditional production, Vegas’ underlying metrics are in good-not-great territory through the first month of play:
Category
Rate
League Rank
CF%
52.34%
10/32
SCF%
51.75%
13/32
HDCF%
53.33
11/32
xG%
53.78
11/32
Unlike last year when Vegas had superb advanced metrics but didn’t have the results to show for it (in the regular season at least), Vegas has been outkicking their coverage a little bit, rocking the sixth-best points percentage in the league entering play today.
Taking a look at some of the individual line combinations over at Moneypuck, many of Vegas’ forward combinations look quite good from a process standpoint. But a secret weapon of sorts appears to be the Tomas Hertl-Trevor Connelly combination. Hertl and Connelly are both a part of the top two lines on the Golden Knights according to Moneypuck’s 5-on-5 xG% numbers. In about 24 minutes with Braeden Bowman, the trio is posting a pretty silly 91.7% xG mark. In just over 29 minutes with Victor Olofsson, they’re rocking an xG% of 71.4%. Those are tiny sample sizes, but at this early stage, a pattern is emerging.
Connelly and Hertl have each played 14 games so far. Connelly has four goals and nine points, while Hertl has five goals and eight points. Decent point production, but certainly not elite. However, the Devils need to hope that their results don’t catch up with their process until after New Jersey leaves town. Eichel, Stone, and Marner need to be page one of the gameplan tonight. But Hertl and Connelly have earned the right to appear on page two.
A Tale Of Two Special Teams Units
Another interesting battle tonight might be the special teams battle. We’ve already went over New Jersey’s power play struggles, but they might get a chance to right the ship against Vegas this evening. The Knights come in with a penalty kill success rate of 67.6%, all the way down at 26th in the league. If ever there was a time to snap out of it, tonight might be the Devils’ opportunity.
On the other side, New Jersey better be careful not to take too many penalties. For as bad as the Golden Knights’ PK has been, their PP is making up a lot of the slack. Vegas enters with a power play conversion rate of 25.6%, good for eighth-best in the NHL. Against New Jersey’s 24th-ranked PK (72.4%), Vegas could wreak havoc.
One of the keys to this game for New Jersey absolutely has to be staying disciplined. Two points could be decided over it.
Projected Lineup
Here’s how the Golden Knights lined up in their most recent game:
What are you anticipating out of tonight’s game? Do you think the Devils will bounce back after their dud in Colorado? Who on the team do you think will have a big game? Who on the Golden Knights will you be keeping an eye on the most? As always, thanks for reading!
The Montreal Canadiens had a chance to complete a perfect road trip with a win over the Dallas Stars in the Lone Star State on Thursday night, and they didn’t disappoint their fans. Mike Matheson missed the game with a lower-body injury the Habs said was new, so Arber Xhekaj returned to the lineup. In net, Jakub Dobes finally returned between the posts after Jacob Fowler pitched three near-perfect games.
The Stars were no easy prey, despite dealing with injuries to Matt Duchene, Esa Lindell, and Oskar Back. Glen Gulutzan’s men started the game in third place in the Central Division with 15 points in 12 games and one of the league’s best goaltenders in Jake Oettinger.
After playing a key role for the Canadiens in the last playoffs and scoring both Game 7 game-winning goals, Alex Newhook fully deserved a look on the first line. In fact, if the Habs hadn't been showcasing Oliver Kapanen after Nick Suzuki’s injury, he might have gotten it earlier. That didn’t matter to him, though; he kept his head down, went to work, and answered the call when it came.
He scored a brace, and both lamplighters were impressive in their own way. Newhook has incredible speed, but when he turns on the jets to enter the zone on the power play, and the blueline is crowded, the play often dies. However, when he gets a pass at full speed and catches a defenseman flat-footed, he can easily outrun them and cut to the net, as he did to score the Habs’ second goal of the game. As for his second goal, it was a fantastic display of hand-eye coordination: he backhanded the puck in mid-air while heading to the back of the net. Right in front of a helpless Lian, Bichsel tried to kick the puck clear after losing his stick.
The Canadiens led by three in the second frame, and unsurprisingly, the Stars started to push back. These are the moments Martin St-Louis talks about when he says his players have to play a mature game and know the situation. Still, Juraj Slafkovsky once again made one of his all-too-frequent no-look backhand passes near the offensive blueline, and the hosts picked it up.
When you’re protecting a lead, you can still attack, but you need to keep defense in mind. On the offensive side of the puck, you need to evaluate the odds of your play succeeding and what failure could mean. If you make that kind of play on the power play when you can see four defenders in a box shape in front of you, it's one thing; doing it at even strength, when you don’t know where the opposing players are, is quite another.
Slafkovsky doesn’t lack defensive instincts; his forecheck proves it. He played a big role in Caufield’s second goal through his forecheck, but he needs to do the same in other situations. It took him time to understand why St-Louis wanted him to bring speed and movement on the forecheck, but he gets it now. Hopefully the same occurs with this issue. If and when the team is healthy, and the coach has more options, he could suffer the consequences of repeating the same mistake.
Dobes Bounced Back
Dobes didn’t hide it; he spoke with his mental coach this week, and it certainly showed. While he wasn’t peppered with shots, the Stars only got 19 shots on net, and he made some big saves. The Czech netminder isn't Fowler; he never will be, and that’s perfectly fine. Two goaltenders can have different styles and perform well.
Fowler is calm, collected and always well positioned. Dobes is more aggressive and loves to challenge shooters. Fowler, who’s three inches shorter and smaller in his net, has had to be technically sound; he couldn’t get away with Dobes's brand of aggressive goaltending. Those extra three inches matter when he gets in the shooter's face to cut their angle; he’s big, and it limits their options. However, that only works when he’s fully confident; if he’s tentative, it becomes risky. On Thursday night, he was in the right mindset, and it showed. It took time, but he finally got his second win of the season.
Ultimately, the Canadiens won 5-2, with Cole Caufield scoring a brace as well and Phillip Danault getting his first of the season in an empty net thanks to Jake Evans. The Habs notched their fourth consecutive road win, a feat that has only happened five times in 30 years. The team heads back to Montreal on Friday morning and will then prepare to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Halloween night at the Bell Centre.
Matthew Schaefer, what can you say? Ye gods, that kid. My Bossy, our luck. His performance last night, on another high-minutes night after Ryan Pulock left early with an injury, was astounding.
Even accounting for his one(?) mistake that led to the equalizing goal, he had another dominant night on up through the OT finish that just had me shaking my head.
Overall it was really strong, gutsy effort in a tight game against a very good team. When the Wild scored on the first shift with their dominant top line, it looked like it could be a long night. In the end it was a long night, but not in that way. The Islanders made it hard on the hosts, and eventually came away with the extra point.
Dylan Larkin is now sitting out, with ol’ pal Pat Brisson saying he’s “had enough of the situation.” The Red Wings have thus suspended him and interim GM Shawn Horcoff will field your calls. [NHL | Sportsnet]
The Larkin situation is one of a few messes the Red Wings find themselves in. [TSN]
Barry Trotz spoke with Alex Ovechkin on the Putin hostage prop’s last visit to Nashville. [NHL]
Matt Rempe could be the answer to Mike Babcock’s…prayers? And various other more interesting trade rumors around the league. [Sportsnet]
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 29: Logan Cooley #92 of the Utah Mammoth celebrates his goal during the third period against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 29, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Dyke/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
The Pittsburgh Penguins fell to the Utah Mammoth 4-3 in overtime on Thursday after Logan Cooley scored a hat trick, including one goal with one second remaining in regulation, to erase Pittsburgh’s late lead. [Recap]
Some much-needed good news for the Penguins on the injury front: the team activated forward Ben Kindel and defenseman Samuel Girard from injured reserve Thursday before the game against the Mammoth. [Sportsnet]
Defenseman Kris Letang is showing signs of improvement after a difficult couple of seasons and an uneven start to the 2026-27 campaign. Although the 39-year-old has six assists and no goals, his defensive numbers have improved since he was separated from fellow defender Trevor van Riemsdyk, suggesting the veteran may still have a valuable role as he adapts his game to his changing abilities. [PensBurgh]
News and notes from around the NHL…
The Detroit Red Wings announced Thursday that star forward Dylan Larkin has been suspended without pay after informing the team he no longer wanted to play for the organization, as he still seeks a trade out of Detroit. [ESPN]
Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has cleared the NHL’s return-to-play protocol following surgery for a fractured skull and is expected to resume skating within the next few days, coach John Hynes said Thursday. [TSN]
Nearly 20 NHL goaltenders across seven teams are using specialized Trac Optics goggles designed to improve puck tracking and positioning by limiting peripheral and lower vision, forcing goalies to rely more on their central vision and head movement. [NHL]
The Los Angeles Kings have had their struggles this season, but they always seem to save their best for the Ottawa Senators.
But on Thursday night, they nearly let a sure victory slip through their fingers.
Quinton Byfield scored in overtime to give the Kings a 6-5 victory, rescuing Los Angeles from a stunning collapse after the Senators scored four unanswered goals in the third period to erase a 5-1 deficit.
It was shaping up to be a disastrous evening for the Senators.
After giving up four unanswered goals in the second period, they trailed 5-1 with less than 13 minutes remaining in regulation. They had gone an incredible 25 minutes without registering a shot on goal and were down to just nine forwards.
But instead of folding up shop, the Senators somehow found another gear, scoring four straight goals to force overtime and salvage a valuable point from a game that appeared hopelessly out of reach.
Dylan Cozens led the comeback with two goals and an assist, while Drake Batherson had a goal and two helpers.
The rally began at 7:18 of the third period when Cozens scored his second goal of the season.
Just 33 seconds later, Batherson ripped one in off the crossbar to make it 5-3, suddenly giving the Senators some hope.
The comeback continued at 12:34 when Cozens scored his second of the night on the power play, poking the puck home to pull the Senators within one.
And with time running out, Shane Pinto completed the comeback. With just 1:40 remaining in regulation, Pinto redirected a hard pass from Batherson to tie the game at 5.
Somehow, a blowout had turned into a thriller.
Yes, Byfield's overtime winner denied the Senators the extra point, but it couldn't erase what they had accomplished in the final 13 minutes of regulation.
The overtime loss extended the Kings' unbeaten streak against the Senators to 13 games (10-0-3). It also marked the first time this season that the Sens have lost consecutive games, though not in regulation.
The game started well enough for the Senators, who opened the scoring on a goal by Tyler Kleven. The young defenceman jumped into the play and buried a rebound off a Fabian Zetterlund shot to give the Senators a 1-0 lead.
But things went downhill quickly from there.
After a questionable interference penalty against Artem Zub, the Kings took advantage on a deflection by Erik Haula. Corey Perry was perfectly positioned in front of Jonas Johansson, screening the Senators goaltender on the tying goal.
Perry seemed to be in the middle of everything the Kings did offensively.
Trevor Moore gave Los Angeles a 2-1 lead before Mikey Anderson scored from distance to make it 3-1, once again with Perry providing the screen in front.
By that point, the Senators were completely flat-footed. They eventually went 25 straight minutes without registering a shot on goal, and things only got worse when Joel Armia spun and fired a shot past Johansson to make it 4-1.
That ended Johansson's evening. After getting the start for a third consecutive game, the Belleville call-up was pulled in favour of Sam Ersson.
But the goaltending change did little to immediately spark the Sens.
Artemi Panarin ripped a shot off the post and in to give Los Angeles a commanding 5-1 lead. Once again, Perry was screening the Senators goaltender.
The Senators were also running out of healthy bodies.
Hayden Hodgson was assessed a five-minute major and ejected for a hit on Brandt Clarke. Andre Burakovsky left the game with a lower-body injury, while Nick Cousins was handed a misconduct, leaving the Senators to try and stage their come back with just nine available forwards.
With a four-goal deficit, a depleted forward group and virtually no offensive momentum, there was little reason to believe the Senators had a comeback in them. There were probably a lot of fans back home in Ottawa who opted for sleep over what seemed to be a beatdown.
But the Sens somehow turned what was shaping up to be their worst performance of the season into what will go down as one of their most memorable comebacks.
There will certainly be plenty for Travis Green and his coaching staff to address after an awful second period and that long, ugly stretch where the Senators could barely generate a shot.
But considering where they stood midway through the third period, that point must feel an awful lot like a victory.
ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Blues felt the results would change if they stuck with their process and identity.
It didn’t happen Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, but on Thursday against one of the league’s hottest teams in the Boston Bruins, at least for one night, fortunes changed.
Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg each had a goal and two assists, and the Blues ended a two-game scoring drought in a 4-1 win against the Bruins at Enterprise Center to conclude an arduous five-game homestand against some of the top teams at 3-2-0.
“That’s one of the hottest teams in the League,” Thomas said of the Bruins. “I thought we played them really well all game. It feels great.”
Blues coach Jim Montgomery added, “What we want to take away from it is 3-2, but we probably should have been 4-1, and we played the elite in the League. All five teams that came in here. … We played really good teams, we matched up well and three of the last four games playing to what I believe is our identity. You can see the process starting to come and that we’re playing real good hockey. In three of those games, we outplayed really good hockey teams.”
The Blues (6-6-1) also got power-play goals from Jimmy Snuggerud and Jake Neighbours, and Joel Hofer, despite some risky but standard – for him – plays, was rock solid in goal with 31 saves, including 14 in the third period.
About the game …
* Stick with the process – Those that felt the doom and gloom of losing via shutout on Tuesday for the second straight game, 2-0, weren’t feeling the same way as the coaches and players felt, and they felt other than the score, which obviously matters, the parts to the game were played the right way and if they stuck to that similar process, the results would eventually follow.
The Blues pumped 46 shots and 80 attempts at Jacob Fowler on Tuesday but couldn’t solve the Canadiens goalie. They were able to beat the quality of a Jeremy Swayman on Thursday with four goals on 18 shots, and they broke their goal drought at 139:38.
“Montreal, I thought we played a strong game,” Snuggerud said. “I thought we honestly did tonight. Shots didn’t necessarily show that, but I thought we competed hard and brought the energy.
“… The message was this is the NHL and you’re going to face some really good goaltenders. I thought Fowler was really good a couple nights ago and that happens, but just stick with our game of how we finished in the third against Montreal and I thought we brought it tonight.”
* Getting two key power-play goals and quickly – The Blues were down 1-0 in the game on a James Hagens goal, and with the Bruins, who fell to 9-4-1, having been on a 7-0-1 run prior to their 2-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, they were looking at a great challenge having to come back.
But using their special teams offensively fueled a turnaround, and it started with a set play off the face-off with Thomas winning a draw, Broberg attacking the middle of the ice and feeding Snuggerud for a one-timer to tie the game 1-1 at 15:43 of the first period:
Power play goal for St. Louis!
Scored by Jimmy Snuggerud with 04:17 left in the 1st. Assisted by Philip Broberg and Robert Thomas.
“It’s a play we’ve been working on,” Snuggerud said. “I think the puck kind of ended up in a really good spot where he was able to sink down and kind of find me on that one-timer there. I didn’t get a hold of it really well, but fortunately it went in.”
The key was winning the face-off, which Thomas did.
“Great vision by ‘Broby,’” Thomas said. “We talked about attacking a little bit more. He came flying off the wall and made two great plays. Especially scoring really early on the power play I feel like gives your team a lot of momentum. It was really good.
“There’s a lot of things going on. ‘Jakey’ jumping off the wall. ‘MacT’ creating the space. Their winger comes flying out and he’s getting in the lane and getting to the net. There’s a lot of stuff that’s going on that isn’t really noticed. But they make the play happen.”
Then there’s the put-away goal that Neighbours scored to make it 4-1 at 12:42 of the third period off another face-off win by Thomas, Broberg driving the middle of the ice, shooting it, Neighbours knocking it down and backhanding the puck past Swayman:
Power play goal for St. Louis!
Scored by Jake Neighbours with 07:18 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Philip Broberg and Robert Thomas.
“’Tommer’ was great on face-offs tonight and the intensity of the guys helping, 83 and 63 on the line, allowed us to win it back, and 6 and 21 on the second goal was just real good net conversion which is something that Vinny Prospal’s been harping on since the beginning of the year and that’s the best we’ve executed,” Montgomery said. “Obviously the goals went in, that’s nice. Big momentum swings for us.”
Snuggerud added, “’Broby’ brings that energy and that shooting mentality, which is nice to have, especially with different guys in front of the net there. It’s nice. Jakey’s really good there. It was a nice tip and a nice play. I think kind of emphasizing scoring within the first 5-10 seconds of the power play. I thought we executed that tonight.”
With Broberg and Adam Jiricek manning the points on the power play, the Blues were 2-for-3 and 25.7 percent on the season, good for sixth in the NHL.
“I thought it was a shooting mentality,” Broberg said. “Take it to the net. It was nice to see those two goals go in.
“Usually if you win the face-off, you get a little advantage. You try to take advantage of it. I think we made two good plays there. You just want to keep building on that.”
* Line changes pay dividends – Despite playing well Tuesday, the bottom line is the Blues didn’t score for a second straight game, and the coaching staff wanted a different, fresh look.
Montgomery played Neighbours with Thomas and Snuggerud, moved Pavel Buchnevich with Mason McTavish and Jonatan Berggren and flanked Dalibor Dvorsky with Dylan Holloway and Connor McMichael.
“Obviously we get shut out twice in a row. You’ve got to kind of switch some things up, but I think over the lats couple games, we started playing consistently the same way,” Thomas said. “It was nice to get rewarded tonight from that.”
That top line needed a boost and Neighbours provided a different perspective.
“They’re both such skilled players. Jake and ‘Holly’ both work hard, extremely hard in the corners,” Snuggerud said. “They’re both very smart hockey players. It’s fun to be able to play with them both in different scenarios.”
And the results as far as the coaches were concerned?
“I thought our work ratio together, people playing off each other was quicker and faster, especially on the forecheck,” Montgomery said. “I thought Jake Neighbours did a really good job of bringing some net front presence and below the tops, grinding it out on that line. I thought that the Dvorsky line had a lot of intelligent shifts for us, which was nice to see and I thought the (Pius) Suter line had a great game. I matched them up a lot against whenever (David) Pastrnak was on the ice and they did a really good job for us which enables me to free up our offensive lines against other lines.”
* Broberg continues to impact games – Broberg continues to impact the game at both ends of the ice and Thursday was no exception.
Along with the three-point game, he played 25:55 and affected the game with his speed and ability to jump into the offense after being a part of the group that had good defensive sticks breaking up plays.
“Anyone who can attack the middle of the ice, it creates all the offense (and) it opens everything up, especially from a defenseman,” Thomas said of Broberg. “The more they can get in the middle, and he obviously skates really well. He creates a lot of time and space for everyone out there. It’s great to see his confidence just grow and grow every game, especially shooting the puck and really attacking that middle. It takes some confidence to walk the blue line like that to make moves up there. He’s only going to get better. It’s really exciting for all of us to watch.”
Broberg’s fastest speed recorded this season has been 24.26 on Oct. 17 against the Nashville Predators, and his confidence with the puck continues to rise.
Just look at the goal he scored at 5:17 of the second period to make it a 2-1 game when he jumped into the play and took advantage of McMichael’s pass from behind the net to the high slot after a really good keep along the wall from Holloway:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Philip Broberg with 14:43 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Connor McMichael and Dylan Holloway.
“I try to join the rush with my speed and my skating and help the team offensively and get back on ‘D,’” Broberg said. “You see open space and ‘Mikey’ made a great play there finding me. It was nice to see it go in.”
* Stick play was essential – Early in the game, Boston was taking advantage of the Blues going through the neutral zone and executing breakouts.
As the game wore on, you could see responsible sticks breaking up plays and turning the puck back the other way.
“There’s a lot of guys that had good sticks tonight,” Thomas said. “Super-important, especially through the neutral zone and on the track. You can create a lot off it by breaking up plays. I think a lot of guys did a good job of that.”
It was essential in the second period when the Blues took the game over on the scoreboard. It led directly to Thomas’ goal that made it 3-1 at 12:08:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Robert Thomas with 07:52 left in the 2nd. Assisted by Justin Barron.
“Our sticks were really good, especially the second period,” Montgomery said. “I thought that was a clinic in how we need to play defensively. In all three zones but neutral zone was really important because we thought the first 10 minutes, they were picking us apart in the neutral zone and we were disjointed. Forwards weren’t holding the red line, which made defensemen back off and that’s why they can go east-west on us and they can make some high-end plays in the first 10.”
* Thomas has a really good shot, use it more – We’ve always felt like pass-first Thomas has a really nice shot and it was on display on his second goal this season when he was looking to shoot and realized the time and space he had from the blue line in after Justin Barron got him the puck.
“It was nice,” Thomas said. “I haven’t shot the puck a lot lately, so it was nice to get in a good area and rip it. Nice to see one go in. … I was looking pass, but I just kind of (kept) skating and kept skating and eventually I shot it.”
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LOS ANGLES (AP) — Quinton Byfield scored at 3:37 of overtime and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Ottawa Senators 6-5 on Thursday night after blowing a four-goal lead in the third period.
Byfield beat goalie Samuel Ersson with a snap shot from the high slot, with Drew Doughty picking up his third assist of the night on the play.
Erik Haula tied it for Los Angeles on a first-period power play and Trevor Moore, Mikey Anderson, Joel Armia and Artemi Panarin scored in the second to make it 5-1. Panarin capped the run on a power play after Ottawa's Hayden Hodgson was tossed for boarding defenseman Brandt Clarke.
Clarke missed the rest of the game because of an upper-body injury.
Ottawa roared back in the third, with Shane Pinto tying it at 5 with 1:40 left and Ersson off for an extra attacker.
Dylan Cozens scored twice in the period and Drake Batherson also connected. Cozens and Batherson struck in a 33-second span, and Cozens cut it to a goal with 7:26 remaining. Tyler Kleven opened the scoring for Ottawa in the first period.
Darcy Kuemper made 17 saves for Los Angeles.
Jonas Johansson stopped 12 of 16 shots before giving way to Ersson in the second. Ersson made 20 saves on 22 shots.
The Vancouver Canucks looked like they might have put together one of their strongest team efforts after 40 minutes against the San Jose Sharks tonight, but three consecutive goals for the Sharks resulted in Vancouver ultimately suffering a 3–2 loss. Drew O’Connor and Liam Öhgren scored the goals for the Canucks, while Leevi Meriläinen stopped 21 of 24 shots faced.
Vancouver faced a brief scare early in the first period when Brock Boeser blocked a shot with what appeared to be the inside of his foot. After sitting on the bench for a little after, the forward went down the tunnel and to the Canucks’ dressing room. Öhgren took Boeser’s place on a power play soon after, though Boeser returned towards the end of the period and played out the remainder of the game.
Is Elias Pettersson back? That’s been one of the biggest topics of debate since the start of the season. Pettersson’s assist on O’Connor’s game-opening goal seems to have given many the belief that he may be back. The play started with Pettersson carrying the puck along the boards, chipping it and retrieving it after it bounced off Sharks defenceman Dmitry Orlov. He then pulled it between his skates while facing pressure from two different players to keep it in the zone before flinging it on net. O’Connor fetched the rebound and tucked it past Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov.
The second period saw Vancouver take and kill two penalties, maintain a solid presence both offensively and defensively, and even double-up their lead thanks to a sharp snipe for Öhgren. This frame also featured a three-minute shift for defenceman Tom Willander during a sequence that saw San Jose press a little harder than they had through the majority of the game.
Vancouver has struggled significantly in the shifts following a goal allowed, and despite their strong effort tonight, this once again proved to be the case. Will Smith scored on a Sharks power play during the third period to give San Jose their first goal of the night. After that goal, Vancouver didn’t quite look the same as they did throughout the bulk of the game beforehand. San Jose was able to leverage that momentum into a sequence of strong O-zone time that left the Canucks without the same strengths they’d exhibited during the first and second periods of the game.
Because of that momentum, San Jose was able to tie the game at two goals apiece, once again thanks to a goal by Smith. Yet again, the shift after surrendering a goal did the Canucks in, as the Sharks found the back of the net 11 seconds later to take a 3–2 lead. The shifts following San Jose’s third goal saw Vancouver look nothing like how they did for the majority of the game — scrambly, disjointed, and chaotic. A two-minute 6-on-4 advantage near the end of the game couldn’t even give Vancouver a game-tying goal.
While Vancouver did surrender a two-goal lead and ultimately lost by a score of 3–2, by no means was this a bad game for a rebuilding team that is still learning in the early stages of their season. Before the three consecutive Sharks goals, the Canucks demonstrated a strong sense of confidence. It was clear Vancouver’s players were more eager to test out new things or try bolder plays than they have been as of late — from Pettersson’s stickhandling, to Öhgren’s hefty shot on Askarov, to Meriläinen’s steady saves after facing scoring chance after scoring chance for the Sharks while shorthanded.
All in all, tonight’s game served as a good learning lesson for the Canucks. While they put together a very strong 40-minute effort, they were unable to seal the win in the final 20, once again suffering a downhill-slide in the shifts following a goal surrendered.
Stats and Facts:
Elias Pettersson extends his current point streak to six straight games
Filip Chytil plays the second-most minutes of all Canucks skaters with 22:13
Marco Rossi and Max Sasson each log a 75% faceoff win percentage
Liam Öhgren scores in back-to-back games for the first time in his NHL career
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
13:21 - VAN: Drew O’Connor (2) from Elias Pettersson
2nd Period:
18:56 - VAN: Liam Öhgren (4) from Filip Hronek
3rd Period:
8:00 - SJ: Will Smith (5) from Dmitry Orlov and Mason Marchment (PPG)
10:39 - SJ: Will Smith (6) from Macklin Celebrini and Michael Kesselring
10:50 - SJ: Mason Marchment (4) from Kiefer Sherwood and Nolan Allan
Up Next:
Vancouver Canucks vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, October 31, 4:00 pm PT
Oct 29, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Vancouver Canucks left wing Drew O'Connor (18) shoots during the first period against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ottawa Senators forward Hayden Hodgson received a game misconduct and major penalty for boarding Los Angeles defenseman Brandt Clarke in the Kings' 6-5 overtime victory Thursday night.
Hodgson took a run at Clarke, charging in at 21 mph according to the game broadcast. Clarke was just below the goal line when he was driven into the boards. The hit caused a brief scrum, and the Kings' Erik Haula received a two-minute penalty for roughing Hodgson.
Clarke was ruled out for the rest of the game for what the Kings called an upper-body injury.
The play with 8:45 left in the second period came shortly after the Kings scored three goals in 4:03 to take a 4-1 lead and chase goalie Jonas Johansson.
Hodgson has played in only 24 NHL games over five seasons, but including Thursday has amassed 51 minutes in penalties.
Ottawa committed six penalties in the first two periods, and the Kings took advantage with power-play goals from Haula and Artemi Panarin to take a 5-1 lead into the third.
The Senators, however, scored four goals in the third period to tie the game. Shane Pinto scored on a 6-on-5 with 1:40 left to force overtime, but LA's Quinton Byfield scored at 3:37 of OT.
Tensions were high throughout the game, with the teams combining for 13 penalties. Ottawa's Samuel Helenius and Los Angeles' Nick Cousins were each handed 10-minute misconduct penalties 4:52 into the third period.
For a minute there, it looked like the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to seize two points from the Utah Mammoth after going down 2-0 in the first period of the game and coming all the way back late.
A Rickard Rakell shorthanded goal with a little more than nine minutes to play tied the game. Then, with 24 seconds left in regulation, the Penguins worked hard ahead of a go-ahead Ben Kindel goal at the net-front on a second-chance opportunity off the pad of goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
It was all smiles, and it looked like everyone in Pittsburgh was going home happy.
But, unfortunately, the last second of the game - and Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley - came back to bite them.
With less than one second remaining on the clock, a puck got behind Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs and went in off the stick of Cooley for his third goal of the game, sending things to overtime. With a minute and 33 seconds left in the extra frame, Mikhail Sergachev put home a rebound opportunity to give Utah the 4-3 win and, instead, send Pittsburgh and its hockey team home in shock.
“I mean, can’t do much about it. It’s a sour taste, for sure," Silovs said. "[We] should’ve just won the game, should’ve just shut it down. But, you know, things happen. It’s hockey, so you just keep going.”
The Penguins got off to an excellent start early on, but an egregious defensive zone turnover by Erik Karlsson went tape-to-tape with Cooley's stick at Utah's offensive blue line, and he skated across the slot and beat Silovs from the left circle to give the Mammoth the 1-0 lead.
Later in the period, Cooley took a pass from Lawson Crouse and split the Penguins' defense, giving himself a breakaway opportunity and finishing it off to put Utah up by two.
The Penguins grabbed some momentum a few minutes into the second period, and they were eventually rewarded when Karlsson walked in down the right side after the second line broke into the zone and got him the puck, stickhandling around Nick Schmaltz and ripping a shot past Cossa from the slot to cut Utah's lead in half.
Despite Utah controlling most of the play in the third period, Pittsburgh took back the momentum entirely with Rakell's shorthanded goal, which was the second of his career. He won a race to a loose puck in the neutral zone that set up a two-on-one with him and Nick Robertson, and he elected to shoot, sniping one into the upper-left quadrant of the net to beat Cossa blocker-side and tie the game.
Then, with time winding down, the Penguins' second line came in on the rush. Cossa made a spectacular close-range save on Evgeni Malkin with his right pad, but Kindel was waiting on the doorstep, and he gave the Penguins the late 3-2 lead.
But, with less than two seconds left, fellow Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck threw a puck on net, and Cooley snuck in behind Penguins' defenseman Declan Carlile uncovered. In front of an entire suite full of friends and family, Cooley guided in the tying goal on his backhand with 0.9 seconds left and forced overtime, where Sergachev ended it.
A similar thing happened to the Penguins last season against the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 9, when they surrendered the tying goal with a little more than a second left on the clock and lost in the shootout, 4-3. This time, though, marked the latest tying goal the Penguins, as a franchise, have ever surrendered.
But they have no choice but to move forward and look ahead to Saturday's tilt in Montreal against the Canadiens, where they hope to hunker down on the defensive details like they know they are capable of doing.
"We need to understand if we lead by one goal, it's important [for them] to not score. It's important to play good in d-zone, you know?" Malkin said. "Not turnovers, like, play right. We know how we need to play. We watch lots of video, we work [in] practice, but sometimes we play against good teams. They're, what, first power play in the league? And six-on-five is a little bit like a power play, too.
"They knew what they [were] doing, and again, next time we need better, for sure."
- All things considered, this wasn't necessarily a poor effort from the Penguins. In fact, they controlled stretches of play and were able to dictate terms offensively here and there, and they did this against one of the league's fastest teams.
The problem is that they are ill-equipped to handle heavy momentum swings, which are going to happen against good teams. And they force themselves into mistakes.
As Malkin alluded to, this team is capable, which is what makes some of their decisions with and without the puck all the more baffling. If Karlsson doesn't turn that puck over, there's no first Cooley goal. If Carlile covers Cooley at the end of the game, he probably doesn't have time and space to put the puck in the back of the net with less than a second to go.
At the end of the day, this seems to be an issue of execution and mentality. Mistakes happen, but most of the Penguins' mistakes end up in the back of their net.
- And, make no mistake, this score could have looked a lot worse. In fact, the Penguins were lucky to have gotten a point out of it in the first place.
Silovs, playing in his fourth consecutive game, was outstanding. Early in the first period, he looked a little bit deep in his net, but he was locked in from the second goal allowed through the rest of the game. He made two breakaway saves in the third period alone, one on Kailer Yamamoto early and the other on Clayton Keller later. He made a key save on Nick Schmaltz when he was in all alone in the second period, too. He also made some stops in overtime before the Sergachev goal.
This guy has been lights-out for the Penguins, and the consistency is beginning to show. Folks tend to forget that Silovs is only 25 and was a rookie last season, which means there is still room for him to develop into a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL.
And, right now, he is very clearly this team's No. 1, although I suspect Sergei Murashov might get the nod Saturday in Montreal since he hasn't played in two weeks.
Chinakhov's speed advantage is clear, but it's remarkable that Kindel looks like he's keeping up with him pretty well. Kindel is so cerebral, and once he got back in the swing of things, he was making things happen and driving play for his line. I expect this line to take off if its stays intact.
The first line got some momentum midway through the game as well, especially Rakell, who has looked much better in the last three or four games. That said, Tommy Novak has no points since joining the third line three games ago and having eight points in his first 10 games, while Sidney Crosby has just three goals and seven points in 13 games.
If the Penguins are to truly turn the car around this season, they need their top-six to be operating at a higher level. Maybe they have something in these lines, but if Crosby can't start producing with regularity soon, it may be time to raise some alarm bells.
- On the other end of the defensive spectrum, Kris Letang was outstanding Thursday. And he's been playing very well for a handful of games.
There were two different occasions in the first period where Letang got the puck out of danger in front of his own net, whether by swiping the puck to the corner or picking off a pass right in Silovs's wheelhouse. His stick work has been noticeable, and his breakouts have been much better, too.
He isn't trying to play beyond his means right now, and that's probably the best-case scenario for him. A decreased workload and a consistent partner have done wonders for Letang, even if Carlile has been far too inconsistent on the defensive side of things. Perhaps a partner who is very active and likes to jump into the play has forced Letang to simplify, which has actually been to his benefit.
Regardless, it's good to see Letang playing well. The Penguins really need him to, especially given the instability of the blue line so far this season.
- Rakell has been outstanding on the penalty kill this season. Head coach Dan Muse has spoken in the past about how he likes to use power play players on the penalty kill because they have the ability to read and predict plays. Rakell does that very well, and he puts a lot of pressure on the puck carrier to make quick decisions.
With Bryan Rust out, Rakell's PK responsibilities have increased, as he is part of the second unit with Robertson. Opposing teams know they're both threats to go the other way. They've both been fits on that unit, particularly when they're out there at the same time.
- Karlsson now has 13 points in 13 games. Malkin has six goals and 11 points in 12 games and has, by far, been the Penguins' best player this season.
The Penguins are slowly but surely getting younger, and they need to. But this goes to show that, so far this season, they've been far too reliant on their veterans to produce, which is probably a big reason why the team has seen inconsistent results.
They won two games with a more youthful lineup, and even though the competition wasn't at the level of Utah, I'm not entirely sure that's a coincidence. Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty are back in the AHL or sitting in the press box, respectively.
If some of the veterans can't help this team win, it might be time to consider bringing some of that youthful energy into the lineup more regularly. Because, well, it does matter, and it does make a difference, especially against younger and faster teams like Utah.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is already turning heads around the NHL, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes believes the 19-year-old is only scratching the surface of what he could eventually become.
Following Minnesota’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders on Thursday night, Hughes offered significant praise for the young defenseman, even suggesting Schaefer has the potential to develop into one of the NHL’s top three to five players.
“He’s really impressive. I mean, when I was 19, I was a sophomore at Michigan. And when Cale [Makar] was 19, he was a freshman and did one more year, or two more, I forget. But same with Fox, he did three years. Werenski, too. Like, all those guys I just mentioned were in college at this kid’s age. So he’s obviously really good.”
For Hughes, what makes Schaefer’s emergence particularly remarkable is how far ahead he is compared to several of today’s premier NHL defensemen at the same age.
Hughes, Makar, Adam Fox and Zach Werenski all spent time developing in college before establishing themselves as elite NHL defensemen.
Schaefer, meanwhile, is already making an impact against the world’s best players.
But Hughes believes the most exciting years of Schaefer’s career are still ahead of him.
“Yeah, really like his game. But I think for him, being 19, this is all gravy right now. Like, when he’s 22, 23, 24, 25, all the way up, I mean, those are the years where he can really — he should be a top-three, top-five player in the league. So he’s just got to keep climbing. But it’s obviously impressive with where he’s at at 19.”
That’s substantial praise coming from Hughes, who has established himself as one of the NHL’s premier offensive defensemen.
And he wasn’t the only member of the Wild impressed by Schaefer on Thursday.
Wild head coach John Hynes was particularly impressed with Schaefer’s skating ability and offensive instincts.
“He’s good. He’s hard to play against. He’s a great skater. You saw what he can do with the puck, and he’s an offense driver and he was good tonight,” Hynes said.
“Yeah, he has the ability, he’s got good size, but I think the thing that helps him is his skating is elite. He’s able to hold onto the puck and do some things at the offensive blue line and some of the things that you see with the premier offensive defensemen in the league he has that skill set.”
Hynes’ assessment highlights what makes Schaefer such a difficult player to defend.
His skating allows him to maintain possession, create offensive opportunities and extend plays along the blue line, qualities typically associated with established offensive defensemen.
On Thursday night in Minnesota, Schaefer's game was on full display.
With his overtime-winner, Schaefer became the first teenage defenseman in NHL history with three career overtime goals. He broke a tie with Cam Fowler (2).
Wild forward Nico Sturm was equally impressed by the confidence Schaefer displays at such a young age, and if he sees a little Hughes in Schaefer.
“I think that’s pretty fair to say. I just admire the guys coming into the league at 18, 19, and the confidence that they have and just looking like they’ve been in the league for eight years,” Sturm said.
“I don’t know what these guys do growing up, to be honest with you. It’s kind of insane. They just all get good hands, good skating, elite shot. I think I missed that part growing up.
Players like Schaefer are entering the league with advanced skating, puck skills and confidence, allowing them to make an immediate impact rather than spending several years adjusting to the professional game.
Schaefer, 19, is now up to four goals, ten assists and 14 points in 13 games. He scored the game-tying goal in the first period before he scored the game-winner in overtime.
It was his fifth career multi-goal game and tied Phil Housley for the most by a teenage defenseman in NHL history.
It was pretty evident that Minnesota struggled to contain the young defenseman. He was all over the ice on Thursday.
“Yeah, he’s a heck of a player for sure. He showed it tonight. I don’t think we did a good enough job of slowing him down, making his life a little bit harder,” Boldy said. “But credit to him, he plays the game like he’s been playing for 10, 15 years. It’s pretty fun to watch. Future is obviously pretty bright. They’re pretty lucky to have him over there.”
For a player still in the early stages of his NHL career, receiving that level of recognition from opposing players and coaches speaks volumes.
Hughes sees a future superstar. Hynes sees an elite skating ability and offensive skill set. Sturm sees remarkable confidence and maturity. Boldy sees a player who already looks like an NHL veteran.
And if Hughes’ prediction proves accurate, what the Wild witnessed Thursday night could be just the beginning of something special for Schaefer and the Islanders.
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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Pontus Holmberg set a career high with four points on a goal and three assists, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning remain unbeaten at home with a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Brayden Point, John Carlson and Conor Geekie all scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots.
The Lightning improved to 6-0 at home to tie a franchise record to start a season.
Neil Pionk, playing his 600th game, scored twice. Kyle Connor and Dylan Samberg also scored for the Jets and Mark Scheilffele had three assists.
Stuart Skinner allowed five goals on 21 shots before being replaced by Nico Daws to start the third period. Daws finished with nine saves in his Winnipeg debut.
Winnipeg is winless (0-5-2) in the past seven games, including three consecutive regulation losses since trading goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to New Jersey.
The Jets’ last victory came on Oct. 13.
HURRICANES 3, BLUE JACKETS 2
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Mark Jankowski scored in the third period for a three-goal lead, Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 saves and Carolina beat Columbus.
Kochetkov improved to 9-0-0 and set the franchise record for longest season-opening winning streak. Jordan Martinook and Logan Stankoven also scored and Seth Jarvis added two assists as the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes won for the fourth time in five games.
Jet Greaves stopped 24 shots for Columbus. Denton Mateychuk and Kent Johnson scored in the third period.
Jankowski’s goal, 16 seconds into the third period, felt like added insurance, but turned out to be the difference in the game.
Martinook beat Greaves from the left circle to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 4:09 left in the first period.
Stankoven made it 2-0 with his team-leading ninth goal of the season, 7:47 into the second period. Stankoven has five goals in six home games this season.
MAMMOTH 4, PENGUINS 3, OT
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Logan Cooley completed a hat trick against his hometown team with a second left, Mikhail Sergachev scored at 3:27 of overtime and Utah stunned Pittsburgh.
After Ben Kindel put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2 with 25 seconds left, Cooley — playing his third NHL game in Pittsburgh — batted the puck in from the left side of the net for sixth goal in four games and seventh of the season.
Cooley became the third Pittsburgh native with a hat trick against the Penguins, joining Brandon Saad and R.J. Umberger. At age 5, Cooley took part in Sidney Crosby’s first Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey program.
Cooley scored for the first time in seven games against Pittsburgh. He had two first-period goals to give the Mammoth an early 2-0 lead, and scored in the third for his third career hat trick.
In overtime, Sergachev beat Arturs Silovs off a rebound in front.
Sebastian Cossa stopped 31 shots for the Mammoth, who have won three of their last five games overall. Utah is 5-0-0 after a loss and 8-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Rickard Rakell had a short-handed goal, and Erik Karlsson also scored for Pittsburgh. Silovs made 30 saves.
RED WINGS 4, BLACKHAWKS 1
DETROIT (AP) — Viktor Arvidsson scored his sixth career hat trick and added an assist as Detroit Red overcame the suspension of former captain Dylan Larkin with a victory over Chicago.
The third four-point game of Arvidsson’s career gave Detroit a 5-1-1 record over its last seven games. Lucas Raymond added a power-play goal and Alex DeBrincat had two assists. John Gibson made 18 saves, including one on Frank Nazar’s second-period penalty shot.
Connor Bedard scored for the Blackhawks, who are 0-5 on the road this season. Spencer Knight stopped 25 shots.
The Red Wings suspended Larkin without pay prior to the game. Larkin, who requested a trade during the offseason, through his agent said would no longer play for the organization. Larkin has two goals and six assists in 10 games this season, including the tying goal during a shootout victory at Edmonton on Monday.
CANADIENS 5, STARS 2
DALLAS (AP) — Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook scored two goals each as Montreal beat Dallas.
Jakub Dobes made 17 saves in his first win since opening night as the Canadiens won their fourth consecutive game, all in Central Division rinks. Phillip Danault had an empty-net goal and an assist.
Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars, who had won five straight before Tuesday’s 5-1 home loss to New Jersey. Jake Oettinger, who went into play third in the NHL with a 1.43 goals-against average, allowed a season-most four goals on 20 shots.
Caufield opened the scoring with a one-timer 7:24 in. Only 27 seconds after Newhook broke a 1-1 tie late in the first period, Caufield stuffed in a puck that crossed behind Oettinger to give Montreal the lead for good.
Newhook made it 4-1 early in the second period six seconds after Dallas’ top-ranked penalty kill notched the 25th of 27 consecutive kills scoring on a ricochet off the boards behind the net that Oettinger never saw.
The Canadiens are 4-0 without captain Nick Suzuki, who was lost for two-to-four weeks on Oct. 20 with an upper-body injury.
BLUES 4, BRUINS 1
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg each had a goal and two assists to lead St. Louis to a win over Boston.
Before the win, the Blues were 0-3-3 in their last six games against Bruins at home since Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final on June 3, 2019.
Jimmy Snuggerud and Jake Neighbours scored a power-play goal for St. Louis and Joel Hofer recorded 31 saves.
James Hagens scored for the Bruins and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots.
St. Louis went ahead 2-1 on a wrist shot from the top of the slot by Broberg at 5:17 of the second period. Connor McMichael passed from behind the net to an open Broberg, whose shot went just inside the right post.
The Blues extended the lead to 3-1 on a goal by Thomas at 12:08. He took the puck from Justin Barron at the blue line, skated to the high slot and fired a wrist shot high to beat Swayman.
ISLANDERS 4, WILD 3, OT
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matthew Schaefer scored his second goal of the game on a wrist shot at 33 seconds of overtime to give New York a victory over Minnesota.
Schaefer beat goalie Jesper Wallstedt from the right circle on a break.
Schaefer also had an assist, Bo Horvat scored a power-play goal and Adam Pelech also connected for for New York. Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves.
Joel Eriksson Ek, Quinn Hughes and Matt Boldy scored for Central Division-leading Minnesota, with Boldy tying it at 3 with 3:53 left in regulation.
Wallstedt stopped 22 shots.
The Islanders won their second straight to improve to 7-4-2. The Wild dropped to 9-4-2. They had won three in a row.
CAPITALS 4, PREDATORS 3
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cole Hutson scored twice to lead Washington to a victory over Nashville.
Boone Jenner and Alex Tuch also scored and Charlie Lindgren made 25 saves for Washington, winners of three straight and five of six. Aliaksei Protas and Jack St. Ivany each had two assists.
Filip Forsberg scored twice, Ross Colton also scored and Juuse Saros made 25 saves for Nashville, losers of four of five. Roman Josi had three assists.
Forsberg opened the scoring with 7:12 left in the first period.
With the Predators on a 5-on-3, Ryan O’Reilly sent a pass from the high slot to Forsberg at the top of the left circle, where he beat Lindgren with a one-timer.
Forsberg has scored a power-play goal in three-straight games. O’Reilly extended his points streak to four games. He has three goals and four assists over that span.
