The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their four-game homestand with a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Aatu Räty and Evander Kane scored the goals while Kevin Lankinen stopped 23 of the 27 shots he faced. As for the star of the game, that would be Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight, who made 43 saves in the victory. 

Overall, this game was a mixture of chaos and frustration. Despite outshooting Chicago 45-28, the Canucks could not buy a goal until late in the third. By then, the Blackhawks had already built a four-goal lead, which was insurmountable for Vancouver. 

One of the issues in this game was quantity over quality when it came to shots. While the Canucks did generate some chances from in tight, the majority of their shots ended up coming from distance. There were also moments where players elected to pass rather than get pucks on net, which ended up costing Vancouver in the end. 

A good way to describe what happened is that despite having 45 shots on net, the Canucks did not get enough puck on Knight. While that may not sound logical, it was a reality on Wednesday night. As mentioned, Vancouver needs to work on the quality of shots, as even though he faced a high volume of shots, Wednesday was not a difficult outing for Knight. 

"The first goal was just, there was a mistake on the goal," said Head Coach Adam Foote post-game. "And I think the next couple, maybe, I don't know if it's mental fatigue. Then you allow maybe frustration to come in, and you overpress. We've all been there as players, where you help a buddy out too quick, or you lose a little trust. Whatever it is, I'm not telling them it was one thing, but you're probably right about trying to do too much or help or overpress at times. That could happen in a game where you could easily be up three or four holes in the first two periods. Get one called back, and then you're coming off a trip where you have fatigue, and then all of a sudden you might be mentally a little bit frustrated."

The penalty kill was once again a story as the Canucks allowed a goal for the fourth straight game. Wednesday, it was Tyler Bertuzzi who scored with the man advantage as Chicago scored on their only power play. Post-game, Foote was asked about the penalty kill and why the team has struggled over the past few games. 

"When goals are going in, doesn't matter what you say, it's not what you want. You're going to hear bad, but tonight was so different than, say, the last couple games, where I think it was a fatigue move. There was a time where we went down and pressed, and then next guy pressed, the next guy press, and the moment was wrong, but the guys were trying to do the right thing. And that could happen with mental fatigue."

Ultimately, there are positive and negative takeaways from this game. While Vancouver was able to dominate in terms of offensive possession time, the Canucks struggled in their own zone and were caught out of position on all four goals scored with Lankinen in net. As mentioned, Wednesday was a chaotic and frustrating night for not only the players but also the fans watching at Rogers Arena. 

Stats and Facts:

- Canucks set season high with 45 shots

- Evander Kane led all players in this game with 10 shots on net

-  Tom Willander extends his point streak to two games

- Pierre-Olivier Joseph records his first point with Vancouver

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

No Scoring

2nd Period:

No Scoring

3rd Period:

3:06- CHI: Tyler Bertuzzi (4) from Matt Grzelcyk and Connor Murphy
6:46- CHI: Tyler Bertuzzi (5) from Connor Bedard and Artyom Levshunov (PPG)
7:39- CHI: Ilya Mikheyev (4) from Ryan Donato and Oliver Moore
11:37- CHI: Tyler Bertuzzi (6) from Louis Crevier (3), Ryan Donato
16:49- VAN: Aatu Räty (1) from Pierre-Olivier Joseph
18:00- VAN: Evander Kane (3) from Quinn Hughes and Tom Willander
19:00- CHI: Connor Bedard (7) from Spencer Knight (ENG)

Up Next:

The Canucks continue their four-game homestand on Saturday when they battle the Columbus Blue Jackets. Last season, the two teams split their season series, with the Canucks going 1-0-1. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena. 

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Through the first two periods of the hockey game, the Chicago Blackhawks were lucky to be in a scoreless tie with the Vancouver Canucks.

Being outshot 35-19 through two is not a recipe for success, but Spencer Knight kept them in the game. At that point, the Blackhawks needed to change the narrative. Otherwise, they would have had no chance of winning. 

Tyler Bertuzzi's Hat Trick

Tyler Bertuzzi kicked off the scoring by deflecting a Matt Grzelcyk shot off his body and into the net. He is one of the best in the league at sneaking to the back door of the net-mouth and scoring. He didn't even need his stick to score this puck, but they all count the same on the scoreboard. 

Remarkably, Bertuzzi scored another goal just over three minutes later. This one was almost a carbon copy of the first goal. This time, he used his stick to redirect it into the net. 

After Ilya Mikheyev scored his fourth of the season to make it 3-0, Bertuzzi completed the hat trick by collecting a loose puck in front of the net and putting it away. This was the fourth career hat trick for Bertuzzi, and his first in a Blackhawks sweater. 

Connor Bedard's Best Game In His Hometown

A lot has been made about Connor Bedard visiting Vancouver, his hometown, every time he goes there. His previous visits, however, have not gone well for him or the team. This time, he came out and played his best game he's ever had against the Canucks. 

For one, he collected an assist on Bertuzzi's second goal. He made a great cross-ice shot pass, which caught Bertuzzi's stick and went into the net. This assist is Bedard's first career point against Vancouver. That sealed a six-game point streak for Bedard, who is on pace to shatter all of his career highs. 

Bedard also sealed the victory with an empty-netter. This is his first goal against the team he grew up cheering for. It isn't just any empty netter, though. Spencer Knight made a great pass to the neutral zone, and Bedard collected it by chipping it and spinning past a former Norris Trophy winner in Quinn Hughes. He then tucked it into the open cage. That 5-2 score would hold as the final. 

Spencer Knight

Vancouver rallied to find two goals in the third period, but that doesn't take away from Spencer Knight's overall dominant performance. He ended up making 43 saves on 45 shots, which is a save percentage of .956. 

Knight also had the aforementioned primary assist on Bedard's empty netter. His ability to play pucks behind the net and advance them is an important weapon for the Blackhawks. 

Without the brilliance of Knight, especially during an extremely subpar second period by the team as a whole, they would not have won the game. 

Watch Every Blackhawks Goal

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XHawks on the board✅Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XTyler Bertuzzi goal no. ✌️Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) on XIlya Mikheyev scores against his former team for his 4th goal of the season. That's 3 third-period goals in a span of 4:33 for Chicago. #BlackhawksChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XAND THAT’S A TYLER BERTUZZI HAT TRICK🧢🧢🧢B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) on XBedsy with the spin, the pickup, and his first goal in his home area of Vancouver 🔥

Next Up For Chicago

Vancouver was the fourth of six stops on the current road trip. Chicago is now 1-2-1 with three out of eight points collected.

Next up for the Chicago Blackhawks is a Friday night matchup against the Calgary Flames. The Flames are 4-9-2 and struggling, but that does not mean that it will be a free pass for Chicago. Calgary is loaded with talent and can use it to win games at any time. 

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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Trevor Zegras is off to an absolutely scorching start to his tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers, leading top NHL insider Elliotte Friedman to believe contract extension talks could some soon.

Zegras, 24, has impressively ripped off four goals, 11 assists, and 15 points for the Flyers in just 13 games, accounting for nearly half of the team's 38 goals entirely on his own.

The former top Anaheim Ducks draft pick seems to have found the perfect fit for himself landing in Philadelphia with good friends Jamie Drysdale and Cam York, and that should give the Flyers all the more reason to keep him long-term.

After all, York, also 24 and a fellow draft classmate, just re-upped with the Flyers for five years this summer.

"Extension I’m starting to wonder about: Trevor Zegras, Philadelphia. Eligible now. Yes, it’s only been 13 games, but it looks like a good fit and I can see the Flyers gauging interest in lengthening the relationship," Friedman wrote in his latest "32 Thoughts" column.

Flyers' Trevor Zegras Gets Big Praise From Canadiens StarTrevor Zegras' great start to the season has gotten the attention of Canadiens star Cole Caufield.

Friedman, with as many connections as he has and as many reports he's made, has an intimate of understanding of how pretty much every NHL team operates at this point in his stellar career as an insider in hockey.

From the Flyers' side of things, there aren't any apparent problems with a potential contract extension worth dwelling on.

They're loaded with cap space after offloading Joel Farabee and Ryan Ellis this year, while Egor Zamula, Nick Deslauriers, and Christian Dvorak are all on expiring contracts.

The Flyers have also had interest in acquiring Zegras for quite a while, so they obviously coveted the player and moved to get him from the Ducks for a reason.

Zegras, on the other hand, is due for a considerable raise performing at his current rate, which may or may not deter talks from the Flyers' side.

For example, if Philadelphia shells out a $10 million AAV contract in December and Zegras finishes the season with 50 or 60 points, then it might not work out so well.

That said, the 24-year-old is currently carrying a $5.75 million cap hit, so something in the $8- or $9 million range would do, especially as Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny are the only two Flyers players making more than $7 million as things currently stand.

I had already considered the Flyers could move quickly to try and get something done with their newfound star player, but now that Friedman is on it, too, there might be more to it.

On that note, it's pretty clear what the Flyers should do: extend Trevor Zegras. That's not up for debate, really.

The Calgary Flames celebrated in style on Wednesday night, earning back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a decisive 5–1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Nazem Kadri, suiting up for his milestone 1,000th NHL game, led the way with a goal and a spirited performance that ignited the Saddledome crowd. The Flames came out firing early, scoring twice in the opening minute and never looking back.

Morgan Frost opened the scoring just 56-seconds in, redirecting a shot past Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves. Moments later, Blake Coleman doubled the lead with his fifth of the season. The Blue Jackets responded later in the first with a shorthanded goal from Kirill Marchenko, who beat Dustin Wolf five-hole on a breakaway.

But the night belonged to Kadri and the Flames. Early in the second period, Kadri buried a top-shelf finish off a feed from Joel Farabee to restore Calgary’s two-goal cushion. Less than a minute later, Adam Klapka made it 4–1, holding onto the puck on an odd-man rush and ripping a shot glove-side. Mikael Backlund added an empty net goal to seal the deal. 

Wolf stopped every shot he needed to the rest of the way, making a career-high 42 saves, picking up his fourth win of the year to move to 4–7–1 on the season.

The Flames improve to 4–9–2, while Columbus falls to 7–6–0.

Three Takeaways

1. Kadri’s milestone moment

Nazem Kadri became the 407th player in NHL history to skate in 1,000 career games — and he made it count. The veteran centre not only scored a big goal but brought energy and poise all night. Kadri now leads the Flames in scoring with 11 points (4G, 7A) through 15 games.

2. Quick strikes define the night

The Flames’ offence found its rhythm through bursts of momentum. They scored twice within the first 92-seconds of the game and later added a pair of goals just 37-seconds apart in the second period. That kind of timing proved too much for Columbus to handle.

3. Kuznetsov earns first NHL point

Defenceman Yan Kuznetsov, recalled from the AHL Wranglers on Tuesday, made his season debut and recorded his first career NHL point with an assist on Klapka’s goal. Despite a few early jitters in his own zone, the 23-year-old settled in and showed flashes of composure as the game went on.

It has been a busy 24-plus hours for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who put three players on injured reserve, sent a player back to the AHL, and recalled three other players. 

And it comes as no surprise that the roster move getting all of the attention is the call-up of top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov, who thoroughly impressed in training camp, just won AHL Goaltender of the Month honors, and has dominated at every level of professional hockey.

While the two other call-ups may not be young or nearly as exciting for some fans, they were call-ups well-earned - and they are two players at an important crossroads in their careers.

Veteran forward Danton Heinen and veteran defenseman Ryan Graves were those other two players recalled, and this represents a second-chance NHL opportunity for them with the Penguins. Both players were waived at the conclusion of NHL training camp and went unclaimed, and they were re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) in the aftermath.

To their credit, a lot of veteran players get discouraged and don't take those situations very well. In this case, both players handled it as best they could - and they took the opportunity and ran with it. 

The 30-year-old Heinen returned to the NHL Tuesday in a tie for the AHL lead in points with 14, and Graves - also 30 - led all defensemen on the team with a goal and seven points in 10 games on the season. Both players could have taken a wrong turn in the wake of their AHL assignment. 

But that's not what happened.

Penguins Call Up 3 Players & Announce Several Roster MovesThe Pittsburgh Penguins have made a series of roster moves.

"At the end of the day, it’s the kind of person you are, too," Graves said. "You’re not going to go there and sulk and complain. You’re still playing hockey for a living. That’s pretty cool. There’s been some aspects of it that have been really hard. But I’ve been on the side of it where you’re a 20-year-old kid and coming into the American League, and there’s some guys that I’ve played with that came down and you could see both sides of how guys take it.

"You can either go there and ride into the sunset and just take it with a bad attitude and be miserable, or you can go there and you can try to play and work on your game and get better. It’s a good league, so just go there, put in work and try to come back.”

And, now, Graves is just trying to make the most of his second opportunity.

“Obviously, this is where you want to be. It’s a tough situation," Graves said. "Obviously, you want to play in the NHL. It’s the best league in the world. It’s hard to be here. I have an appreciation for that. You go there [to the AHL], you want to go with a good mindset and you want to be back here. So I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity.”

Sergei Murashov’s First NHL Shot With The Penguins Is HereSergei Murashov is set to make his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the coming days.

Heinen gave a pretty similar response. 

"You always try to learn from mistakes, learn from things," Heinen said. "I don’t think you can look back with regrets. You’ve just got to keep looking forward.

“I just want to prove that I believe I’m an NHLer and I believe that I can help this team win. That’s what I’m coming up here to do and do everything I can to show it.”

Obviously, an AHL assignment for someone who has been playing in the NHL for a long time is never easy. But it helps that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is off to a hot start in the AHL, and it fostered an environment for Heinen and Graves to thrive.

"The coaches put a good system in.," Heinen said. "They communicate well. It’s a great group of guys, good hockey players… It’s definitely well run.”

Penguins' Top Prospect Ben Kindel Gets Big OpportunityThere have been a ton of boxes checked for <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' rookie sensation Ben Kindel in the last two months.

And even if the ultimate goal is always to play at the NHL level, Graves was able to pull a lot from his experience with the AHL squad. 

“There’s a lot you can take from it," Graves said. "It’s how you approach it. You go down there. You get a lot of opportunity to play. You play in all situations. You play a lot of minutes, some of them [in situations] you might not play here. It’s nice to be able to build confidence and feel the game. And you can work, and you can make mistakes and you can keep playing because you’re going to play a lot. And you just try to build your game and build confidence.

"So, that’s the approach you have to take to it. I feel like I played well down there. So, again, I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity here.”

---

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More than likely, the Pittsburgh Penguins won't have to wait much longer for one of their forwards to return to the lineup. 

On Wednesday, forward Kevin Hayes - who has been on injured reserve with an upper-body injury since training camp - took line rushes and was a full participant in practice. He skated on the fourth line with Blake Lizotte and Connor Dewar. 

Hayes, 33, is in the final year of a seven-year contract, and the Penguins are responsible for $3.57 million of his $7.1 million total cap hit. In 64 games with the Penguins last season, the 6-foot-3, 217-pound center registered 13 goals and 23 points.

Just days ago, it appeared that the Penguins were going to have some very hard decisions to make regarding the roster in order to activate Hayes. However, things have changed very quickly. 

On Tuesday, Pittsburgh placed three players - forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari as well as goaltender Tristan Jarry - on injured reserve and re-assigned young defenseman Owen Pickering to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) to get more AHL reps after a few shaky games at the NHL level.

In a few corresponding moves, the Penguins recalled forward Danton Heinen, defenseman Ryan Graves, and top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov. However, because of the optioning of Pickering, the Penguins still have one open roster spot, as they're actively carrying 12 forwards, eight defensemen, and two goaltenders. This means they can activate Hayes without a corresponding roster move.

The Penguins play the Washington Capitals on Thursday, and Hayes appears poised for a potential return. Pittsburgh have yet to activate him from injured reserve. 

Penguins Call Up 3 Players & Announce Several Roster MovesThe Pittsburgh Penguins have made a series of roster moves.

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Other injury notes:

- The Penguins announced that Brazeau (upper-body) would be out at least four weeks, Acciari (upper-body) would be out at least three weeks, and Jarry (lower-body) would be out at least three weeks. No further details were given on their injuries or when they were sustained, although head coach Dan Muse said that Jarry was injured during Monday's 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

- Forward Filip Hallander left Wednesday's practice early on and did not return to the ice. He was briefly rotating in on the fourth line before he departed. No update was given on his status.

- Forward prospect Rutger McGroarty continues to rehab in WBS and appears close to returning to the lineup at the AHL level. The 21-year-old McGroarty missed the entirety of training camp and the first month of the regular season with an undisclosed upper-body injury he sustained sometime during the summer. 

Penguins Provide Injury Updates On Three Key PlayersThe Pittsburgh Penguins provided some injury updates to three players on Wednesday.

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Well, so much for building in the right direction.

The St. Louis Blues thought they had things figured out the past three games, ones in which they were 1-1-1 and conceivably could have won them all.

And then Wednesday happened.

Well …

They fell off a cliff. And it was a hard fall.

It was a complete fail in a 6-1 loss to the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.

And on top of the Blues’ ineffective play in this game that dropped their record to 4-8-2 overall and 1-5-2 in their past eight games, Alex Ovechkin scored his 900th NHL goal becoming the first player in league history to reach the feat.

Alexey Toropchenko did score for the Blues, their first shorthanded goal of the season:

Alexey Toropchenko with a spin-around backhand goal under the bar. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/xp2VLR5o4M

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 6, 2025

But it was an inept first two periods that proved costly.

Let’s look at the game observations:

* Montgomery wanted a physical lineup – Coming off a 3-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers, one might have figured the same lineup against the Capitals, but coach Jim Montgomery inserted Nathan Walker and Logan Mailloux in for Mathieu Joseph and Matthew Kessel to provide more nastiness and bite.

Well, someone forgot to check in at the door that requirements for success in this game was going to take winning wall battles, loose pucks and the like.

The Blues were torched in that department that led to a number of Capitals goals, including the first one, scored on the power play by Tom Wilson; not the actual goal itself, but the three-plus minute shift that lasted in their zone that ended with Colton Parayko, whose shift was 2:59, took a cross checking penalty (Dylan Holloway’s shoft lasted 3:01, Dalibor Dvorsky’s was 2:55):

Impeccable goal-scoring touch from 43#ALLCAPS | @aerovironmentpic.twitter.com/YLcdZnjd7v

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 6, 2025

Also the first of Anthony Beauvillier’s two goals that made it 3-0 at 4:33 of the second period was another case of a lost wall battle that led to his backhand goal into an empty cage.

And then there’s John Carlson’s goal that made it 4-0 at 9:28, a shot from the slot that turned into the Capitals winning another loose puck and being hungrier for pucks that ended Jordan Binnington’s night at four goals allowed on 15 shots, including no saves and three goals allowed in the second period.

And the greatest example of competing for wall battles was on Beauvillier’s second of the night at 16:20 that made it 5-0 when the Blues, this time, were in the offensive zone, puck was in the corner along the wall, lose that battle and the puck (again), the Capitals break out with it, make a hand pass that Mailloux either didn’t see or wasn’t aware of the rule that if he doesn’t touch the puck in that situation and Beauvillier does, the play is dead. But he dives, and it was a hustle attempt, touches the puck rendering it live and Beauvillier beats Joel Hofer from the left circle:

while we've been in 900 land, the boys decided to add three more goals

👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/9FglHRussN

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 6, 2025

It was just a microcosm of everything that went wrong from opening puck drop to that moment. One team came ready to play with an attitude of wanting to compete, the other didn’t. It’s as simple as that. No compete whatsoever from this group on Wednesday.

It's mind-boggling to think that the #stlblues held Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins without a shot on goal combined Monday for the first time with that trio in the same game during the regular season, to follow that up with this.

— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) November 6, 2025

* Despite being pulled, Binnington kept team in it in first period, slip-up started downward spiral – Binnington was busy in the first period, not diving from post to post, but with the Blues spending much of the period in their own end, he came up with some solid saves stopping 11 of 12 shots and keeping it a 1-0 deficit.

But on the Ovechkin goal, Binnington got his initial clear into the corner knocked down by the ‘Great 8’ and the puck doesn’t get cleared, it winds up back in the corner and Ovechkin blind backhands the puck from a sharp angle into the net at 2:39 of the second period to make it 2-0:

THE #GR8 IS THE FIRST PLAYER IN NHL HISTORY TO SCORE 900 GOALS pic.twitter.com/71gnsJQcYN

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 6, 2025

It marked the third time (first for Binnington) a Blues goalie has been pulled from a game this season through 14 games.

This game marks the seventh time(!) the Blues have allowed five or more goals in a game. That didn’t happen until Game 52 last season.

And on a night in which Binnington tied Mike Liut for most games played by a goalie (347) in franchise history, that's rubbing some salt in the wound. 

* The penalty kill is simply not good – Pius Suter was brought in this year to help the Blues' 28th-ranked penalty kill from last season.

I get one player isn't going to be the do-all, tell-all, but the penalty kill at the start of this season is pitiful again.

After Wilson scored nine seconds into Washington's power-play, oh by the way which was 0-for-13 coming into the game, it was the second straight penalty kill the Blues allowed a goal within the first 10 seconds (Edmonton scored eight seconds into theirs) and 11th time in 14 games the Blues' PK has allowed a goal, including the fifth straight game and eighth in nine.

And it was another case of a skater (Wilson) in front of a Blues goalie waiting for a deflection or tip with little or no resistance.  

The PK was 74.2 percent last year and is now a woeful 67.6 percent. What's amazing is that there's four teams with worse numbers than the Blues.

* Was changing the lineup wise? – I get what Montgomery was doing when he decided to insert Walker and Mailloux into the lineup, some more physicality on the fourth line and a bigger body on the blue line. But was it wise?

This group just came off a solid win with the lineup it had with Joseph and Kessel in it and deservedly winning for the first time in 16 days. I’m not a coach here, but sticking with that same group would allow these players to continue to build in the right direction.

It just looked like it was bad mojo from the outset breaking up a lineup that really worked well together on Monday, one that kept Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins all without a shot on goal for the first time in a regular-season game that the trio played together.

OK, you make a swap of Walker and Joseph, but in inserting Mailloux, who Montgomery said pregame didn’t want players sitting for too long, he started the game with putting veteran Cam Fowler there and putting Tyler Tucker with Justin Faulk because of the lack of trust in playing the two guys with the least amount of experience together.

I actually was caught off-guard by the changes at the morning skate, just because of the cohesion that the previous game’s lineup had together.

It’s easy to second-guess now with such a poor loss, but the result speaks for itself.

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The future is now for the Pittsburgh Penguins after they called up goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov on Tuesday. 

Murashov was called up to the NHL squad from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, along with forward Danton Heinen and defenseman Ryan Graves, before the Penguins announced on Wednesday that forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari, along with goaltender Tristan Jarry, will be out for multiple weeks with injuries. The Penguins also sent defenseman Owen Pickering back to WBS.

Brazeau has missed the last two games with an upper-body injury, while Acciari and Jarry sustained their injuries during Monday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

This will be Murashov's first chance to show what he can do in the NHL after lighting up the AHL to start the 2025-26 season. He was named the AHL's Goaltender of the Month on Tuesday after finishing October with a 5-1 record, a 1.68 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and a shutout. He also allowed only 10 goals on 154 shots last month.

He was asked about that honor after Wednesday's practice and thanked his teammates for their efforts. He also confirmed that his confidence comes from what he's doing in the process, not the results.

"My confidence always comes from what I’m doing from the process, not from results," Murashov said. "So yeah, I think it was a really good process. First and foremost, I would like to say thanks to my team. They were all battling, and efforts all around were really, really high, and I truly appreciate that. I think it’s a good to work with all of the coaches in the Penguins organization. And yeah, I think again, it’s all about the process and what I’m doing, and enjoying my time."

Overall, he's 5-2 with a 1.73 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage this year. He's a significant reason why the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins are off to an 8-2-0 start. He also got time with the WBS Penguins last year and won his first 10 starts, setting a new franchise record for the longest winning streak in a rookie season. 

He always looks so calm and composed while he's in the crease. Everything comes naturally to him, and his athletic ability is freakishly good. He still needs to work on his rebound control a bit, but it has improved to start this year.

Up to this point, the Penguins have rotated starts between Jarry and Silovs, and head coach Dan Muse was asked if that will continue now that Murashov is up. He didn't want to tip his hand just yet. 

"I mean, I guess I'll even go on the start of that with the going 50/50. That's been the case up to this point. At no point did we say this is something we're locked in and has to be this way; we're like everything else. We're constantly evaluating, we're constantly looking at what those options are. In terms of right now, in terms of how we're gonna go through things, we're still having conversations," Muse said after practice. "We're having conversations with the coaching staff, conversations with (Penguins goaltending coach) Andy Chiodo, and the rest of the staff. We're gonna continue to have those conversations, make decisions based on what we think is best, and those conversations will continue to go from game to game."

Penguins Call Up 3 Players & Announce Several Roster MovesThe Pittsburgh Penguins have made a series of roster moves.

The Penguins are about to go through a stretch where they'll play three games in four days. Murashov will get at least one of those three starts, but could he get two? The Penguins are set to play Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Thursday. Wouldn't it be something to see Murashov go up against Ovechkin in his first NHL start? If he got that start, he'd get one of the two games over the weekend since the Penguins play the New Jersey Devils on Saturday and the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.

However, Muse could opt to play it safe and give Silovs the start on Thursday before splitting the weekend back-to-back. 

Nevertheless, he's going to play at some point this week (and after), and he'll have the chance to show everyone that he could be the Penguins' goaltender of the future. 

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Last season, Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL's all-time goal record previously held by Wayne Gretzky, scoring goal No. 895 against the New York Islanders.

Now, the Washington Capitals captain has become the first player ever to reach 900 regular-season goals.

He accomplished this feat with a highlight-reel goal against the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night.

Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun fired a shot on net that missed and hit the back boards. From there, Ovechkin received the puck, spun clockwise and took a backhand shot without looking at the net. It beat Jordan Binnington.

900 NHL GOALS FOR ALEX OVECHKIN!!! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/4HeKNfluoF

— NHL (@NHL) November 6, 2025

The Capitals players left the bench to celebrate their captain's historic goal.

Binnington, meanwhile, grabbed the puck from his glove, put it in his pants and returned to the crease. Linesman Michel Cormier went over to talk to Binnington, who then took the puck out of his pants and gave it to him.

However, while Ovechkin owns the goal record and is the first to reach the 900 mark, there’s still another goals record to chase.

Ovechkin also has 161 playoff goals. With that, his total number of goals in the regular season and playoffs are 977.

Gretzky, on the other hand, has 1,016 goals when combining regular-season and post-season totals. That should be Ovechkin’s next task.

Realistically, if he can remain healthy, there’s no reason why Ovechkin can’t reach that number, as he’s just 39 goals away. That means he could knock off another Gretzky record, as early as this season.

The Story Of The Ovechkin-Crosby Rivalry And His Quest To His First Stanley CupA former VP of communications for the Washington Capitals discusses Alex Ovechkin entering the NHL as an "infectious, lovable character" whose rivalry with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby evolved in three stages.

Last year, Ovechkin scored 44 goals in 65 regular-season games. If he could keep three-quarters of that scoring pace while playing 82 games, he would still be on pace to reach 41 goals. However, the Russian is 40 years old now, and his ability to skate and remain healthy gets more difficult with age.

Nonetheless, if Ovechkin can beat Gretzky’s complete total of 1,016 goals, it will be even easier to call ‘The Great Eight’ the best goal-scorer in NHL history.

The Capitals will hold a pre-game ceremony on Nov. 26 to commemorate not only Ovechkin's 900th goal but also his 1,500th game, which he reached on Oct. 25. He's just the eighth player to play 1,500 games with one franchise.

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The New Jersey Devils’ decision to extend veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom was a necessary move for the franchise.

On October 31, the Devils signed Markstrom to a two-year, $12 million contract, a crucial step in avoiding the goaltending carousel of seasons past.

Goaltenders are scarce in today’s NHL, with many teams still searching for stability in net. The Devils, however, have secured their tandem for the next few years.

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman discussed the deal on his 32 Thoughts podcast, saying:

“I understand why New Jersey did this. They’re in win-now mode. It gives them a really good combination. And we’ll see if I’m right about this, but Markstrom’s history is to play better when he’s settled.”

Since signing the extension, Markstrom has recorded 43 saves and even added a primary assist.

Re-signing the 35-year-old netminder was critical. Although the Devils already extended backup goaltender Jake Allen on July 1, keeping Markstrom solidifies the position for the foreseeable future.

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Why It Was Necessary

The 2023–24 season perfectly illustrated why goaltending stability was essential. That year, the Devils used five different goaltenders:

• Vitek Vanecek: 32 games
• Nico Daws: 21 games
• Akira Schmid: 19 games
• Jake Allen: 13 games
• Kaapo Kähkönen: 6 games

The constant rotation left the Devils without consistency in net.

The Devils needed more reliability in net.

Now, with Markstrom and then Allen, who was acquired midway through the 2023–24 season, New Jersey finally has the stability it was searching for.

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Markstrom’s Season So Far

Markstrom began the season 2–1 before landing on injured reserve following his October 13 start.

He returned on October 28, but the comeback was rough: he allowed 17 goals over his first few games and posted a season-low .810 save percentage in an 8–4 loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

At that point, his record sat at 2–2–0.

Then came the extension and a bounce-back performance. In his next start, Markstrom turned aside 43 of 44 shots in a win over the Los Angeles Kings, finishing with a stellar .977 save percentage.

His season totals improved to a .875 save percentage and a 4.17 goals-against average. Through his first 144 shots faced, he even contributed offensively with an assist in the team’s November 1 win.

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Looking Ahead

With their goaltending tandem locked in for the next two seasons, general manager Tom Fitzgerald can focus on strengthening the roster around them and positioning the Devils for a deep Stanley Cup run.

Devils fans aren’t the only ones happy to see Markstrom back in the net. After signing, he told NHL.com:

“This is the best place to be and the best team I’ve been on.”

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The good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that they picked up six of a possible 10 points on their five-game road trip that included three stops in the state of California.

The bad news is that their road trip finale against the Vegas Golden Knights was the first time they've been shut out since head coach Todd McLellan took over in December 2024.

Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid stopped all 24 shots that the Red Wings fired his way for just his second career shutout; his stops included six saves on Alex DeBrincat, who had his six-game point streak snapped, as well as three attempts from Dylan Larkin.

Afterward, Larkin said it was simply a matter of not converting on their chances despite playing well overall in a tough environment. 

“We showed we can play on the road and in this building especially, I thought that was a winnable game," he said. "We just didn’t get the offense, the bounces or the puck going into the net that we needed."

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Larkin also pointed to the strong performance by John Gibson, who turned aside all but one of the 34 shots he faced, as well as Detroit's improved penalty kill. 

"Gibby played unbelievable, which is a positive sign," he said. "The PK was good again, but it’s a good learning lesson. We got to execute better and when we get our chances, we got to bury down.”

It was one of Gibson's best performances since being acquired by the Red Wings in late June from the Anaheim Ducks, though he ultimately wasn't rewarded.

“I thought we played well, you got to credit them," he said. "They make it hard to score, block a lot of shots and play well defensively."

"That was a hard-fought game.”

The Red Wings are now set for a pair of weekend games on home ice at Little Caesars Arena, beginning on Friday evening against the New York Rangers followed by a Sunday matinee against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

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Any NHL player can pop off for a strong week, while any star can have a rough few games. It's time to take a close look at those players.

We’re beginning a new weekly series by breaking down which NHLers are on a hot streak at the moment and which stars are cold in the past week, going back to Oct. 29. Let's get to it.

Hot: Cutter Gauthier, LW, Anaheim Ducks

Gauthier came into the season looking to improve on his 20-goal, 44-point rookie campaign. Through 12 games, it's looking like he'll do it.

The 21-year-old is thriving, with 10 goals and 16 points – which includes his seven-game point streak that includes seven goals and 13 points.

In the past week, Gauthier led all NHLers in scoring with eight points in three games. His teammate, Leo Carlsson, is tied for second with Connor McDavid, both with seven points.

Gauthier stood out on Tuesday with a hat trick and assist to complete a season sweep over the Florida Panthers. We'll talk about who he scored on later.

It’s unfair to expect Gauthier to maintain this scoring pace, but he is showing people why the Philadelphia Flyers drafted him fifth overall in 2022. Gauthier engineered his way out of Philadelphia and to the Ducks, earning him the hatred of Flyers fans. But he’s playing nearly four more minutes per game than the 14:09 he averaged last season, and he’s quickly developing into one of the best young players in the league.

Five Most Intriguing NHL Odds To Make Or Miss The PlayoffsBurning questions surround five NHL teams with playoff odds that are worth a closer look.

Cold: Artemi Panarin, LW, New York Rangers

For most of his 11 NHL seasons, Panarin has been one of the best point producers on his team. And since he arrived in Manhattan in 2019, Panarin has been the straw that stirs the drink for the Rangers.

But after his offensive totals took a 31-point dip last season, the 34-year-old has come out of the starting blocks ice cold, as he’s put up only two goals and seven points in 14 games. And Panarin hasn’t put up a single point in his past six games, including the three games in the past week.

The crazy part about Panarin’s season is he’s currently averaging 21:08 of ice time, more than a minute over his career average of 19:42. Panarin also has the motivation of being in a contract year, and if he wants a pay raise on the $11.6 million he’s currently earning, he’s going to have to improve in a hurry.

Hot: Dawson Mercer, C, New Jersey Devils

The Devils started strong, sitting second in the Eastern Conference, and Mercer’s offensive production is a key reason why.

The 24-year-old has points in six of his past seven games, including four goals and five points in the past week. He and Gauthier have the most goals since Oct. 29.

That hot stretch has given Mercer eight goals and 14 points in 13 games this year, putting him on pace to demolish his current career highs of 27 goals and 56 points, two totals he set in 2022-23.

Mercer is averaging 17:57 of ice time, which is slightly better than his career average of 17:05. But on a deep, talented New Jersey team, he doesn’t have to do all the heavy lifting, and that lack of pressure on him is leading him to do great things.

NHL Power Rankings: Each Team's Biggest Surprise One Month InThe Panthers are last in the East? The Rangers were shut out again? Nearly everything's going well for the Penguins? This week's NHL power rankings features no shortage of surprises as the list continues to change.

Hot: Michael Bunting, LW, Nashville Predators

Bunting has bounced around the NHL since debuting in 2018-19, and the Predators are his fifth NHL team. Bunting generated nine points in 18 games after Nashville acquired him from the Pittsburgh Penguins in March last season, but the 30-year-old has four goals and nine points in 15 games this year.

In four games jam-packed into the past week, Bunting has two goals and six points. That's surprising, considering he averaged 14:19 of ice time in that span, well below his career average of 15:34.

He’s in the final season of a contract that pays him $4.5 million per year, and while it’s unlikely he’ll get a raise on his next deal, Bunting could play well enough, consistently enough, to have Nashville trade him to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Cold: Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers

For the last two seasons, Bobrovsky was the star goalie for the back-to-back Cup champions, so he doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone.

However, given that he’s earning $10 million per year – and because he’s in the final season of his contract – Bobrovsky has a high bar to clear. So far this year, he’s failed to clear it, posting a 6-4-0 record, a 2.82 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage in 10 appearances on an injury-affected squad.

This past week looked particularly rough for Bobrovsky, who had an .815 SP and 4.85 GAA. He allowed three goals on 22 shots in a win over Dallas (.864 SP) and then conceded seven goals on 32 shots in a loss against Gauthier and the Ducks.

Florida’s skaters in front of Bobrovsky need to step up in the absence of Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Dmitry Kulikov, but he also has to own his role in the Panthers’ struggles. If he’s going to strike it rich on what could be his final NHL contract, the 37-year-old Bobrovsky has to show he’s still capable of being a No. 1 option on a Cup front-runner.

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Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan has been sent down to the AHL's Toronto Marlies, but for how long is the question.

The move coincides with Scott Laughton's return to the lineup after missing the first 13 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. The Maple Leafs had already been at the roster limit, so moving Cowan to the AHL (he was the only forward who was waivers-exempt) allowed them to activate Laughton.

Cowan scored one goal, three assists, and averaged 12:33 of ice time through his first 10 NHL games. While up with the Maple Leafs, the 20-year-old bounced throughout the team's lineup, even getting on the top line and having power play minutes.

He participated in the Maple Leafs' morning skate on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Marlies begin a six-game stretch away from Coca-Cola Coliseum. They also play on Wednesday evening, with their first game of the road trip against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

It's unknown how long Cowan will remain down in the AHL, though.

Barring an injury of any sort when the Maple Leafs face the Utah Mammoth on Wednesday night, Cowan must play in one AHL game before being able to be recalled to the NHL. It's a rule that was implemented this season to limit NHL teams from making paper transactions.

Nevertheless, Cowan could benefit from some time with the Marlies. He'll face lesser competition all while getting top minutes in all situations. While there'll still be expectations for him in the AHL, it won't be as much as it would if he were still in the NHL.

Maple Leafs Practice Notes: Laughton, Lorentz Could Return Vs. Mammoth, Carlo, Stolarz Get Maintenance DayWith a few extra bodies up front, the Maple Leafs have opted for a different-looking bottom six, featuring Laughton and Lorentz.

Laughton draws into the Maple Leafs lineup alongside Steven Lorentz and Max Domi on the team's fourth line. Lorentz missed the last two games with an upper-body injury after going awkwardly into the boards against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Laughton, on the morning ahead of his season debut, was excited to get back into the Maple Leafs' lineup.

"I think you put in a ton of work on yourself when things like that happen. The attention to detail from the staff here, right from day one of the injury, has been pretty incredible. So I owe a lot to those guys for getting me back here and getting me on the right track," he said.

"You train all summer, you come back, and something like that happens. So hopefully I don't have to see the gym for a while."

Latest stories:

'Hopefully I Don't Have To See The Gym For A While': After Long Injury Layoff, Scott Laughton Eager To Boost Maple Leafs In Season Debut

Maple Leafs' Joseph Woll 'Getting Close' To Game Action After Returning From Leave Of Absence

'Future Hall Of Famer' John Tavares To Be Honored By Maple Leafs Ahead Of Game Vs. Mammoth After Scoring 500 Goals

The Chicago Blackhawks will face the Vancouver Canucks in game four of their six-game road trip on Wednesday night. The first three haven't gone according to plan, as they are 0-2-1 on the trip. 

The Blackhawks, ahead of this trip, were off to a good start to the 2025-26 season. These last three games have been a bump in the road, but this match against Vancouver is their next chance to get back on track. 

This is Connor Bedard's next opportunity for a good performance against the team he grew up cheering for. The first few games of his career didn't go as well as he would have liked, but he is a completely different player with a totally different outlook this time. 

Scouting Vancouver

Vancouver missed the playoffs last season in what turned out to be a disaster of a year for the organization. They were forced to trade J.T. Miller because he wasn't getting along with other players on the team, other players had career-worst numbers, and the year was capped off by the GM admitting that Quinn Hughes may want to leave to play with his brothers.

Despite all of that noise, they are fighting to stay afloat in the Pacific Division and Western Conference. They enter this game on the outside portion of the bubble with a record of 7-7-0. 

Kevin Lankinen is the projected starter for the Vancouver Canucks. The old Chicago Blackhawks goalie has played very well since moving to Vancouver, and he will look to keep that going against the Blackhawks in this one. 

Kane - Pettersson - Garland

DeBrusk Reichel - Boeser

O’Connor - Räty - Sherwood

Bains - Sasson - Karlsson

Hughes - Myers

Pettersson - Hronek

Pettersson - Willander

Following an injury, Quinn Hughes returned to the Vancouver Canucks lineup in their last game against the Nashville Predators. In this game, they'll be getting another boost with the addition of Conor Garland back in the lineup. 

Vancouver is coming off their own road trip, where it went 2-1-0. These additions to their lineup make them even more dangerous. 

Yes, there are three players with the last name of Pettersson in their lineup. Elias is their star center who wears number 40 on the top line. 

He isn't the only Elias Pettersson, either, though. The other is a depth defenseman who will play on the third pair and wear number 25. The third, Marcus, will play on the second pair and wear number 29. 

Kevin Lankinen isn't the only ex-Blackhawk going in this game. Lukas Reichel, who was just traded to Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, is projected to be their second-line center. That is far better for him than being a healthy scratch regularly in Chicago. 

Reichel is out to prove that Vancouver made the right decision trading for him. Although he went out with some of his teammates on Tuesday night, he is ready for business when the puck drops. 

Vancouver didn't take part in line rushes during Wednesday's morning skate, so these are projected, but the addition of Garland back to the lineup will add to their depth either way. 

Projected Blackhawks Lines, Defense Pairs, and Starting Goalie

Greene-Bedard-Burakovsky

Teräväinen-Nazar-Bertuzzi 

Moore-Donato-Mikheyev

Foligno-Dach

Vlasic-Rinzel

Kaiser-Levshunov

Grzelcyk-Murphy

Crevier

Knight

Spencer Knight is the projected starter for the Chicago Blackhawks. He has been their number one all season, and is looking to lead the way to victory on Wednesday night. 

Like the Canucks, the Blackhawks didn't reveal lines during their morning skate. That is starting to become a pattern for Jeff Blashill over the last few morning skates. 

There are two reasons to believe that they will go with 11/7 again, however. The first is that they have gone with that strategy in all but two games. The second reason is that Sam Lafferty, who has been a healthy scratch in all but three games this season, was the last off the ice. 

Bedard's homecoming will see him on a line with Ryan Greene and Andre Burakovsky. Bedard is looking to extend his point streak, while Burakovsky would like to get his goal-scoring streak to four. 

On defense, this group of seven has worked very well for the Blackhawks. They had some tough moments against the Winnipeg Jets earlier in the tip, but they have been solid otherwise. 

How To Watch

The Blackhawks and Canucks can be found locally on CHSN. Nationally, it can be found on ESPN+ in the United States and on Sportsnet in Canada. In Chicago, it can be heard on WGN AM 720. The puck will drop a little bit after 9 PM CT. 

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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