Matias Maccelli will start the New York Islanders' game against the Ottawa Senators on the top line alongside Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri. That's how the Islanders ended their Tuesday night on Long Island with a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks.
The 26-year-old recorded his first goal as an Islander while also earning the primary assist on Kyle Palmieri's go-ahead tally at the 5:38 mark of the third period:
“Maccelli started on the fourth line, and he was buzzing, so we moved him up, and he created the winning goal," Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer said on Tuesday night. "
Maccelli takes Emil Heineman's spot up there, with the Swedish forward skating alongside Casey Cizikas and Simon Holmstrom on their fourth line.
The 26-year-old, whom the Islanders signed July 1, is riding a four-game point streak into Thursday's game, with a goal and four assists over that span. He was held scoreless in the Islanders' season-opening 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and in their home-opening 6-0 win over the New Jersey Devils a few days later at UBS Arena.
The Islanders didn't change any other lines, including the defense, as they'll keep Matt Kessel in there for a second straight game. He recorded a point in 13:51 minutes of ice time, earning the primary assist on Palmieri's opening goal on Tuesday.
Semyon Varlamov will make his second start of the season:
Varlamov to make second start of the season.
Thought he was off his angle a few times vs. #NYR.
Still looking to find his game after so much time away. Reps is the only way to do that. #Isles have to tighten their game up a bit. https://t.co/k1jn1JQqSz
PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 31: Sidney Crosby #87 talks with Rickard Rakell #67 of the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game against the Detroit Red Wings at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
If there was any positive to take out of the Pittsburgh Penguins game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night, it is the fact Sidney Crosby scored two goals. They were not only his first two goals of the season, they were quite honestly the first time that the captain really made a noticeable impact on a game this season.
It has not only been a shockingly quiet start for him, it has been a disturbingly quiet start for the entire first line. Even after Bryan Rust was put back into his usual spot alongside Crosby and Rickard Rakell, the line just isn’t moving the needle.
Objectively speaking, it’s been the Penguins’ least productive line combination this season, and it really hasn’t been close.
Crosby, Rakell and Rust have played 35 minutes together so far this season across four games.
The Penguins are being outscored by a 3-2 margin in those minutes, and getting absolutely crushed defensively despite that trio getting the heaviest offensive zone start usage on the team (23 offensive zone starts for that group; only three defensive zone starts).
When none of those three are on the ice together, the Penguins are outscoring teams by a 10-6 margin, while their expected goal share nearly doubles, going from 34.9 percent up to 59.4 percent.
Individually, Crosby had zero goals and two assists in his first six games before scoring the two in Chicago.
Rakell has zero goals and only two assists in his first seven games.
Rust has two goals in four games.
In the cases of Crosby and Rakell, slow starts to a season are not something that is totally out of the ordinary.
This isn’t even the worst seven-game start to a season for either player in their careers. It’s not even Rakell’s worst start as a Penguins player.
Crosby had one goal in seven games to open his season two years ago. In 2021-22 he had two points in seven games. He had three points early in 2015-16 through seven games.
Sometimes it takes these guys a little bit to get rolling.
At least in Crosby’s case, I am not quite ready to say he has completely lost it offensively.
Having said that, these guys are 39, 34 and 33 years old. There can not be an older top line anywhere in the NHL, and while Crosby might still have some offensive juice to his game that is just waiting to be unlocked this season, there is going to come a point where both Rust and Rakell do start to slow down. Every player ages differently, and every “decline” portion of a career is going to look differently. A declining Crosby is still going to be really productive because he’s starting from a much higher level and is a superior talent. When an all-time great starts to slow down they’re still going to put up a lot of points. They might go from 100 or 90 points to 60 or 70 points. Still useful. Still productive. When a second-tier player starts to decline, that looks a lot different just based on where they’re starting from.
But what concerns me more than the lack of actual goal production from that trio, is the fact they are also just simply getting outplayed and not taking advantage of their situations. The Penguins are doing everything they can to put them into offensive spot, and they are not only not scoring, they are giving up way more than they are generating from a chance perspective.
It seems like every time they are on the ice they are pinned back in their own zone and on their heels defending.
And it’s usually not going well.
The results aren’t great. Neither is the process.
The only time the Crosby-Rakell duo looked good, and produced good results, was over the first two-plus games when they had Nicholas Robertson on their wing.
Just look at how much better that trio was (small sample size warning) vs. the other versions of that top line (also small sample size warning).
Line Combination
Minutes Played
GF
GA
GF/60
GA/60
GF%
xGF/60
xGA/60
xGF%
Crosby-Rakell-Robertson
32.30
3
1
5.54
1.85
75.0
5.40
3.00
64.3
Crosby-Rakell-Rust
35.40
2
3
3.36
5.04
40.0
2.07
3.85
34.9
Crosby-Rakell-Lapierre
6.50
0
2
0.00
17.40
0.0
2.56
8.31
23.5
It creates a couple of interesting questions and situations.
I get why the Penguins went back to the old trusted formula up front. It has worked well in the past, and all three players have a track record of success. You don’t want to overreact to early season noise and small sample sizes. There is a chance, and maybe even a good chance, they get it together and start producing more.
But even if that happens, that line has had some increasingly hard-to-ignore defensive issues over the past few years that are getting more concerning.
Are you going to get enough offense from them to make up for that?
The other question: Do you ever give Robertson a chance on that line again? That game against Winnipeg, and specifically that turnover from Robertson that led to a goal against, seemed to be the only margin for error he had in that spot.
On one hand, the Robertson-Blake Lizotte-Connor Dewar line has been absolutely sensational in the few games they have played together. They are outplaying every line they go up against, and are doing so in some of the toughest minutes a line could get. They are also getting more ice-time with each passing game. It might be the fourth line on the lineup sheet, but over the past two games there has been very little difference in terms of how many minutes each line is getting. In a couple of those games, the Robertson-Lizotte-Dewar line was actually third out of the four lines in terms of 5-on-5 minutes.
If it is working, and it is producing results, do you really want to break that up?
But on the other hand, is it more important to have a good fourth line, or is it more important to try and give your top line a spark?
How much longer do you wait? Will the top-line break through and start producing more and give the Penguins the type of balance and depth that made them so good a year ago?
That brings up an interesting point I saw my good friend Dan Hopper make about a week ago: The narrative around the 2025-26 Penguins was that Sidney Crosby dragged a bad roster into the playoffs, willing them back into contention. It made for a good narrative, but it was not close to the reality of the situation that was actually unfolding on the ice. Crosby was simply a really good player, on a really good team, that had a lot of really good depth. The Penguins’ play when Crosby was not on the ice, and especially when he was out of the lineup entirely, illustrated that.
Crosby had better, more impactful years than last year and it didn’t produce a playoff result because the rest of the team wasn’t any good.
Last year’s team was pretty good, whether it was intended to be or not. That was the difference between making the playoffs and not making the playoffs.
That’s the new reality that you have to expect with a 39-year-old No. 1 center and captain. He might still be really good. But he’s not going to carry them the way he used to.
But they still need him, and his line, to be good to make it all work given the minutes they are still getting. So far, they have not been getting that from them. Right now it is arguably one of the things that is holding them back the most.
The Robertson line has been really good. The Kindel line has been really good. The Malkin line has been a little up-and-down, but for the most part, has been very solid.
The first line has simply been the weakness.
Getting that line going, whether through patience and letting them work through their early slumps, or by shaking things back up and giving them a different look, has to be a priority right now.
The Florida Panthers received a welcomed sight when they hit the ice for Thursday’s morning skate.
Back in South Florida after a quick road back-to-back earlier this week, the Cats’ were out at the Baptist Health IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale gearing up for their game that night against the Vancouver Canucks.
Joining the team for their morning skate was starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
It was on Monday in Buffalo when Markstrom started the game, but after stopping 9 of 11 shots during the first period, he did not return for the second or third.
Backup Akira Schmid played well in Markstrom’s stead, doing his best to hold down the fort in Buffalo before picking up a gutsy win the following night in Columbus.
For the game against the Blue Jackets, Florida called up goaltender Cooper Black from AHL Charlotte to serve as Schmid’s backup.
That’s how Florida’s goalie tandem will remain for at least the next couple games.
Speaking after the morning skate, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said that both Markstrom and injured defenseman Radko Gudas could return for Tuesday’s game in Ottawa, if not sooner.
“Both are making improvements,” Maurice said. “Jake was back on the ice, Radko might get to a point where he can play Saturday, but we’ve got three days on the other side of it so it may just make more sense to get him right. He’s purely day-to-day, he’s walking around, he’s fine, he’ll be on the ice soon. We would expect both of them to be able to play in Ottawa.”
Schmid was named the starting goaltender against Vancouver, and it’s likely he’ll remain between the pipes when Florida hosts the Seattle Kraken on Saturday night in Sunrise.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s contest with the Canucks:
Brady Tkachuk – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Reinhart – Lars Eller
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sandis Vilmanis
The New York Rangers suffered a huge blow when superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin went down with a serious injury, sidelining him for the rest of the season. With that, the Rangers are scrambling for depth in goal, especially after having a very good start to the year with a 6-2-0 record.
Rangers GM Chris Drury has looked to the Toronto Maple Leafs to help bandage New York's goaltending situation. Even with Shesterkin out, Joonas Korpisalo is also out of the picture for the next few weeks.
As a result, TSN's NHL insider Darren Dreger hinted on the Ray and Dregs Podcast that the Rangers have poked around Anthony Stolarz.
"I think they've actually kicked tires on Anthony Stolarz," Dreger said on Wednesday's episode when discussing the Rangers' goaltending options.
In the meantime, the Blueshirts have had no choice but to rely on Dylan Garand, and he's stood tall for the Rangers with a 4-1-0 record, a .951 save percentage and a shutout. Regardless, the 24-year-old Garand only has seven total games of NHL experience, and the hot hand can only last so long.
Stolarz is Toronto's backup netminder behind Sergei Bobrovsky, and his new contract just took effect this season. Stolarz is on a four-year agreement at $3.75 million per season and has a 16-team no-trade list on his deal.
In total, the New Jersey native has registered an .875 SP and a 3.32 goals-against average for Toronto.
Last year, Stolarz posted an .893 SP and a 3.28 GAA over 26 games. The year before that was one of the best of his NHL career, recording a .926 SP and a 2.14 GAA, which is where Stolarz earned his current contract.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 24: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins carries the puck against the Colorado Avalanche at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 24, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Coming off a loss in Chicago to open their first major road trip of the season, the Pittsburgh Penguins will now continue heading west and climb to a mile above sea level for a meeting with the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night to open a back-to-back set that will conclude on Saturday in Las Vegas against the defending Western Conference champion Golden Knights. The Penguins will then wrap up the trip with a stop in Salt Lake City to exchange pleasantries with the Mammoth.
Pens Points…
Tuesday night will not be remembered longingly by Sergei Murashov after his performance against the Chicago Blackhawks. His late game gaffe cost the Penguins at least a point, but those type of mistakes are commonplace for young goaltenders entering the league. [Pensburgh]
Coming off a forgettable start to the season, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins were looking to make amends in their second weekend of action and they did so in a big way, outscoring the opposition 13-3 in blowout road victories over Hartford and Providence. [Pensburgh]
It doesn’t matter what contract Ville Koivunen signed over the summer, his roster spot is not guaranteed and he’s well aware of that. Every night will still be an audition for Koivunen with plenty of players ready and waiting to take his spot at any moment. [Trib Live]
Forward depth will not be an issue for the Penguins this season, having already traded one forward to ease some of the log jam. By adding Ryan Johnson from Buffalo, the Penguins added depth to the blue line which is never a bad thing over the course of a long season. [Penguins]
NHL News and Notes…
Simon Edvinsson and the Detroit Red Wings remain at an impasse, with the former having lodged a trade request away from the team. Despite the current status of the situation, the Red Wings remain steadfast and have no plans on moving the young defenseman. [NHL]
In a unique bit of hockey history, the Tkachuk brothers teamed up for an NHL first on Tuesday night. Brady Tkachuk scored a natural hat trick against the Columbus Blue Jackets with brother Matthew assisting on all three tallies, the first time that has happened in the NHL. [On Tap Sportsnet]
A whopping 320 NHL players currently have a No Trade Clause attached to their current contracts. That works out to roughly 60% of the league’s rostered players who are eligible for the NTC distinction and it’s a number that just keeps growing every year. [The Athletic $$]
All your proper ‘90s colors are in play. | Getty Images
The Islanders begin a short Ontario road trip with a visit to Ottawa tonight, followed by a second visit to Toronto on Saturday. The Senators are without Brady Tkachuk (who had a hat trick the other night) due to classic Sibling Envy. Speaking of brothers, they’re also without Eklund the Lesser after a foot/ankle injury.
But they still have red jerseys of their own, at least some nights.
When will the Islanders grasp Pete DeBoer’s system? (And what is that system? And do they even have the horses to…?) [Newsday]
Kyle Palmieri’s teammates were very happy for his two-goal burst on his long comeback from injury. [Post]
Palmieri knows how lucky he is to be back at his age, especially after watching Alex Romanov go down yet again. [NHL]
The Islanders made things difficult for themselves agains the Canucks. They should really try to not do that against bad teams. [Newsday]
The Skinny: “Schaefer is also the youngest defenseman (and third-youngest player) in NHL history with an assist in each of the season’s first four home games. Wayne Gretzky and Sam Gagner also did in four straight games, but neither earned an assist in their fifth game. The record for a teenager is 10 games, set by Ron Francis.” [Isles]
The Swedish Meatball and Palmieri received the team’s post-game locker room awards. [Isles]
Give us your personal info and we’ll let you do some Bo Horvat trivia. [Isles]
Elsewhere
Behind the new official full-time EBUGs, which DeBoer says sounds like a pretty good gig. [Sportsnet]
Struggling teams and their panic meter: it’s kind of wild and tremendously funny that the Flyers are still winless. [Sportsnet]
Who says the Red Wings are a sinking ship? Alex DeBrincat just signed on for seven more years and $91 million. [NHL]
They say they aren’t trading unsigned Simon Edvinsson, either. [TSN]
Brady Tkachuks’ hat trick was the “first natural hat trick with all three assisted by a brother” in NHL history. Not even the Stastnys, apparently… [Athletic]
In which the Tkachuks sing about how nice it is to play with each other, and seem to suggest all the Hughes should gather in Minnesota. [Athletic]
The Hurricanes are dealing with some injuries, first Jordan Staal for two months and now Taylor Hall, too. [Sportsnet]
Where is Connor Hellebuyck headed, and when? [Sportsnet]
Speaking of whom, this is mostly just meaningless early-season power rankings, but “Over the last five years, only one goalie has saved more goals above expected than Sorokin and he’s currently sitting at home.” [Athletic]
Not sure why the NHLPA even needs to defend no-trade clauses that were freely negotiated, but here we are. [Sportsnet]
Faust Arp Aatu Raty is on waivers with the intention of an AHL assignment. [Sportsnet]
DENVER — The NHL can’t seem to go a season without confusing its fans with controversial officiating decisions, and Wednesday night’s disallowed goal in the Colorado Avalanche’s loss to the Dallas Stars is the latest example of a league struggling to define—and consistently enforce—its own rules.
Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored Wednesday night, but he also had a goal taken away in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars at Ball Arena. During the first period, Jaden Schwartz ripped a one-timer that bounced off Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith’s pads before deflecting off Landeskog just below his right knee and into the net.
NHL replay officials in Toronto overturned the goal, ruling that Landeskog had directed the puck into the net with a distinct kicking motion.
Credit: DNVR. Landeskog disagreed with the call.
First and foremost, this was a poor call by the officials. It’s not difficult to dissect the ruling and question the reasoning behind it. The definition of distinct is unmistakable or readily discernible. If the kicking motion was so distinct, why did it take so long to make the call? Why did it require an extended review of the replay?
Clearly, the call wasn’t as unmistakable as the rule’s wording suggests. If officials need that much time to scrutinize the footage, perhaps the motion wasn’t nearly as distinct as they ultimately determined.
After reviewing the replay several times, Landeskog’s skate does move forward. But is that really a kicking motion? Not necessarily. You have to consider the play in real time. How else was Landeskog supposed to react?
The game is faster than ever, and the players are more skilled than ever. Everything happens in a split second, leaving little time to process what’s happening, let alone consciously decide how to redirect a puck. Do we really think Landeskog had time to calculate some Jackie Chan-style maneuver to kick the puck into the net? Of course not. He was reacting to a play unfolding in front of him.
Landeskog himself seemed to share that frustration. When asked whether he felt the call was fair, the Avalanche captain pointed to the difference between watching the play in slow motion and seeing it unfold in real time.
“If you watch it in real speed, there’s no chance I can react to that and kick that puck,” Landeskog explained. “When you watch a slow-mo, it looks like a kick motion, maybe. But if you’re watching real time, there’s just, like, I have it lifted already, and I go to plant it, to skate.”
Landeskog acknowledged that the decision had been made and that it wasn’t the first time a goal had been overturned, nor would it likely be the last. Still, his explanation gets to the heart of the controversy: a movement that might look intentional in slow motion can appear entirely different at full speed.
That’s what makes this call so frustrating. There’s a difference between a player deliberately kicking a puck into the net and a puck deflecting off a skate as a player reacts instinctively. If the NHL wants to disallow goals in these situations, the distinction needs to be clearer. Otherwise, we’re left debating the same subjective interpretations that have plagued the league for years.
Maybe the NHL needs to rethink the wording of the rule. Perhaps it should remove the word distinct and simply refer to a kicking motion. At least then, the argument would be more straightforward. Landeskog’s skate moves forward as the puck makes contact just below his knee. You can make a case that there was a kicking motion, even if I disagree with the decision to overturn the goal.
But the word distinct matters. It implies something clear, obvious and unmistakable. And after watching the replay, I don’t believe the evidence meets that standard. What stands out most isn't the clarity of the kicking motion, but the inconsistency with which these types of plays seem to be judged across the NHL.
And I guarantee we’ll see another controversy like this soon. Much like goaltender interference, the distinct kicking motion could become another source of frustration for players, coaches and fans who are left wondering what the rule actually means from one game to the next.
Now, before this turns into an exercise in making excuses for the Avalanche, let’s give credit where it’s due: Wednesday night was an incredible game. Both teams played well, and Colorado and Dallas had plenty of opportunities to add to the score. Did the disallowed goal mathematically affect the final result? Of course. A goal changes the circumstances of a game, and nobody can say with certainty how things would have unfolded if it had counted.
But that doesn’t mean the call alone decided the outcome. Both teams contributed to a competitive game that ultimately went to a shootout, and either side could have found another way to win.
That’s precisely why the officiating deserves scrutiny on its own merits. This isn’t about pretending the Avalanche played a perfect game or suggesting that one decision explains everything. It’s about asking whether the NHL got a crucial call right and whether its rules are being applied consistently.
The NHL needs to be more transparent about how these decisions are made. Explain the standard. Show fans how the rule is being interpreted. Establish consistency so that players and teams know what to expect.
Because if a goal can be overturned based on a motion that remains debatable even after repeated reviews, then the league has a problem that goes beyond one game.
In my view, this was not the right call. And if the NHL doesn’t do a better job of clarifying and consistently enforcing the rule, it’s only a matter of time before we’re having this same conversation again.
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 14: Goaltender Casey DeSmith #1, Tyler Myers #57 and Lian Bichsel #6 of the Dallas Stars defend against Gavin Brindley #54 of the Colorado Avalanche during the third period at Ball Arena on October 14, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Andrew Maclean/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche took on the Dallas Stars for the second night of a back-to-back, and ultimately lost 3-2 in a shootout. It was a wild ride which saw two Avalanche goals called back, another shorthanded goal given up and another game against Dallas decided in a shootout.
Let’s take a look at all the action from tonight.
First Period
It initially looked like Colorado had scored at two different points, but one goal was called back due to being offside, and the other one was called back for the puck being kicked into the back of the net. Jaden Schwartz converted on another beautiful setup from Fedor Svechkov but it didn’t count, then the refs decided Gabe Landeskog kicked the puck. Therefore the first period would end in a scoreless tie and the Avalanche held a slight 9-7 shot advantage.
Second Period
After the first intermission the Avs finally got on the board (officially), with a goal that counted from Landeskog, who was able to put a great tip on the puck to deflect it past Dallas netminder Casey DeSmith for the 1-0 lead.
That was not all the scoring as Dallas would tie the game at 1-1 late into the second period, with a shot from Miro Heiskanen who was completely uncovered and beat Scott Wedgewood cleanly. Thus, setting up a big third period to come.
Third Period
The Avalanche had four power play chances in this game but Stars would take the lead early into the third period with a breakaway short-handed goal from Arttu Hyry, making it 2-1 in Dallas’ favor.
Brock Nelson was able to tie it up in regulation, as he was able to find the puck right near the goal, and put it past DeSmith to make it 2-2, and we would head to overtime after that.
Overtime & Shootout
Neither team would ultimately score in overtime with it being incredibly low event and the Stars getting the only shot on goal in the five minute period. Therefore a shootout was needed. First Jason Robertson converted on Scott Wedgewood but Nazem Kadri tied it up. Nathan MacKinnon couldn’t score as the last shooter in the third round but then Roope Hintz was able to get one in the fourth round and Dallas would take this game in the shootout by a score of 3-2.
Takeaways
Honestly, after a frustrating game (to say the least) like this, I’ll more than happily take a point. Coming out of a back-to-back with 3/4 points is good work, in my opinion, and if you were to tell me that would be the outcome at the beginning of this back-to-back, I would have been more than happy to hear that. Now, that doesn’t change that there were still some frustrations during the game, despite the overall outcome. Obviously, the two overturned goals were frustrating, and the special teams were also incredibly frustrating to watch tonight.
Giving up a shorthanded goal is not at all what you want to see, and yes, it’s early in the season; we’re at game seven right now, but I feel like something still needs to be done, and quickly considering that was the third shorthanded goal given up already. We were in this boat last season watching the power play, and we’re already back here early in the season. On a much more positive side, this was a game where the second line looked really solid; obviously, Landeskog had the first goal of the game, and Nelson was the one to tie the game up in the third period after the Stars scored a shorthanded goal. There was a ton of line blending as Bednar continues to try and find a top six mix that can consistently generate offense.
For those keeping tabs on the roster, Cale Makar did play after his wife delivered twin boys this morning. Nic Roy was a surprise scratch and the team said he’s healing with a lower-body injury. Zach L’Heureux is also still out with an upper-body injury. Gavin Brindley was recalled and the Avalanche still only had 11 forwards to dress. More roster news should be forthcoming in the coming days,
Upcoming
Next, the Avalanche welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to town on Friday, October 16. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. MT.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Tuch scored twice and added an assist and the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on Wednesday night.
Jordan Kyrou had a goal and assist, Justin Holl and Ivan Miroshnichenko also scored and Charlie Lindgren stopped 26 shots to help the Capitals snap a two-game losing streak.
Josh Anderson scored twice and Lane Hutson and Nick Suzuki added goals for the Canadiens.
Montreal got off to a quick start when Anderson, alone at the net front, buried a feed from Alex Newhook 4:56 into play. Minutes later, Kryou responded, cutting to the middle before rifling a quick shot past Jakub Dobes.
Roughly halfway through the first, Montreal regained the lead, as Hutson, playing against younger brother Cole for the first time, beat Charlie Lindgren on a quick shot from the slot. With 25 seconds to go in the period, the Capitals tied it 2 on a power play. Ivan Miroshnichenko’s backdoor feed to Tuch went off Anderson’s stick and in.
Washington took a 3-2 lead 6:16 into the second period, when Tuch had a short-handed goal. Anderson tied it again from close range.
Justin Holl broke the tie with 7:31 minutes to go, beating Dobes on a point shot through traffic. Tuch added an insurance goal minutes later for his fifth of the season.
STARS 3, AVALANCHE 2, SO
DENVER )(AP) — Roope Hintz scored in the fourth round of the shootout and Dallas beat Colorado in a game where the Avalanche had two early goals disallowed.
Hintz sent a wrist shot past Scott Wedgewood. Casey DeSmith secured the win by stopping Brock Nelson.
Miro Heiskanen and Arttu Hyry scored for the Stars, who split a back-to back set of games with the Avalanche. They lost 3-2 at home the night before.
Hyry nearly won it in overtime but sent a bouncing puck off the post. Hyry’s short-handed tally off a steal against Cale Makar gave the Stars a 2-1 lead early in the third period before Nelson tied it with 11:39 left.
The Avalanche had quite a night of disallowed goals and close calls. Jaden Schwartz saw his score overturned in the first period after the Stars successfully challenged for offsides. Later in the period, Gabriel Landeskog’s goal was taken off the board when it was ruled the captain made a kicking motion to knock in the puck.
In the third, Gavin Brindley thought he scored and even began celebrating with teammates. But the officials never ruled it a goal and replays showed it glanced off both posts and didn’t go into the net.
They had another slow start, allowing a goal less than a minute into the first period before rookie goaltender Sergei Murashov allowed a backbreaking goal with 4:18 left in the third period. The Penguins had rallied from two goals down to tie the game in the third before losing 5-3.
There were a couple of positives to take from the game (like Sidney Crosby's performance), but there were also plenty of negatives, including Rickard Rakell's continued slow start.
Rakell has played in all seven games to start the year, but has only two points (all assists). To make matters worse, he hasn't come close to scoring and has been a net negative each time he's on the ice. He's not doing anything offensively or defensively, whether it's at 5v5 or on the power play.
Rakell has notoriously been a slow starter throughout his career, but he's never looked this bad to start a season since becoming a Penguin. Because of this, it makes the most sense to move him further down the lineup and promote someone else to the top line.
For example, Nick Robertson scored his fourth goal of the season on Tuesday and has done most of his damage in a fourth-line role. He should get another crack on the top line with Crosby and Rust, especially since Crosby and Robertson showed at least a little bit of chemistry at the start of the year.
You could move Rakell down to the third line to play with Ben Kindel, who's had a rotating cast of linemates at the start of the season. It'd be a fascinating fit, but it could jump-start Rakell since Kindel won't be afraid to let him rip the puck.
The fourth line could then feature Elmer Soderblom with Connor Dewar and Blake Lizotte. The staff needs to give Soderblom more looks, especially after he played so well against the Stars on Saturday.
This would make the Penguins' lineup a bit more balanced, and it would still give Rakell a chance to rebound. He won't have to play almost 20 minutes a night like he's playing right now.
Now, if Rakell's play doesn't rebound after a demotion, then the Penguins have a bigger problem on their hands.
DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche have battled overturned goals, a flurry of penalties and a costly turnover, but they refuse to go away quietly against the Dallas Stars.
After Gabriel Landeskog finally put Colorado on the board in the second period, Dallas answered through Miro Heiskanen before Arttu Hyry capitalized on a Cale Makar turnover to give the Stars a 2-1 lead early in the third. But Brock Nelson came through with a timely rebound goal at 8:21, tying the game at 2 and reigniting the crowd as the third period continues at Ball Arena.
First Period
Colorado appeared to get off to a quick start when Jaden Schwartz buried a rebound just 1:55 into the game off an initial shot from Fedor Svechkov. However, Dallas challenged the play for offsides, and the goal was overturned.
The Avalanche soon found themselves shorthanded after Brent Burns was called for tripping Colin Blackwell. Colorado’s penalty kill came through, keeping the game scoreless.
Nazem Kadri following practice on Monday at Family Sports Center.
Things got chippy at the 7:24 mark when Jamie Benn reached down and pulled Artturi Lehkonen’s helmet off during a battle along the boards. The officials caught the move, sending Benn to the box for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Colorado nearly paid for it anyway. Dallas turned the early stages of the power play into a 2-on-2 rush, with Arttu Hyry closing in on Scott Wedgewood, but the Avalanche goaltender shut the door with a glove save.
Colorado thought it had finally found the back of the net again moments later. Schwartz fired a one-timer that bounced off Casey DeSmith’s pads, and Gabriel Landeskog knocked in the rebound off his right skate. The officials ruled that Landeskog kicked the puck in, wiping away Colorado’s second goal of the period before the midway point.
The penalties continued when Brett Kulak dropped Tyler Seguin following a post-whistle slash, earning a roughing minor. Colorado killed that one off as well, then nearly took the lead when Sam Malinski fired a wrist shot through traffic, only for DeSmith to come up with a glove save.
Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen gave Colorado another power-play opportunity with a tripping penalty on Nathan MacKinnon with 5:50 remaining. The Avalanche couldn’t capitalize, but another penalty followed when Mikko Rantanen tripped Malinski after the two exchanged cross-checks.
Colorado finished the period scoreless, with 17 seconds remaining on Rantanen’s penalty.
Second Period
The Avalanche finally broke through at 4:55 of the second period, and it was a well-worked goal.
Malinski kept the puck alive at the point before sliding it over to Nazem Kadri, who found Landeskog in front of the net. The Colorado captain redirected the pass past DeSmith to give the Avalanche a 1-0 lead.
After having two goals overturned in the opening period, Colorado finally had one that counted. The Avalanche now have the lead as the second period continues.
Dallas tied it with less than five minutes to go in the period after former Av Mikko Rantanen fed Miro Heiskanen, who snuck into the zone undetected in the low slot, with a one-timer that sizzled by Wedgewood.
We entered the third period with a tie game.
Third Period
After Rantanen committed his second penalty of the game early in the third after tripping Nazem Kadri, Cale Makar made a $20.4 million turnover as he was stripped of the puck by Arttu Hyru, who beat Wedgewood on the breakaway to give Dallas a 2-1 lead.
And Gavin Brindley had everyone fooled. He fired what appeared to be a goal, but it rang off the post as 18,000 fans roared only for reality to strike moments later when no celebratory goal horn ensued.
Colorado's luck finally turned around at the 8:21 mark when Brock Nelson was just in the right place at the right time to capitalize on a rebound off a howitzer one-timer from Artturi Lehkonen and knocked in the rebound to tie the game at 2. Credit goes to Nazem Kadri as well, who took a big hit along the boards as he got the pass of to Lehkonen.
Nadeau, 21, has appeared in 15 total NHL games, registering three goals and four assists in that span.
The 2023 first-round pick has been a prolific goal scorer throughout every step in his career, having scored over 60 goals in the AHL across the past two seasons.
Beyond the scoring touch though, Nadeau has continued to grow his game, focusing more on his two-way play and his physicality.
While he didn't make the team out of training camp, he was one of the final cuts and he looks ready to be an NHL regular. The only roadblock was the Hurricanes depth, but this could be the opportunity he needs to prove himself.
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The Vancouver Canucks have placed center Aatu Räty on waivers. If cleared, the 23-year-old will be eligible to be assigned to the AHL. This season, Räty has played four games and recorded one goal.
Räty has struggled to get into the lineup so far this year. In his four games, he has averaged 10:10 of ice time and recorded four shots on goal. As for his faceoffs, that is an area where Räty continues to excel in, posting a win percentage of 56.8%.
If cleared, Räty will most likely be assigned to the Abbotsford Canucks. He has not played in the AHL since the 2034-25 season. In 140 career games with Abbotsford, Räty has scored 37 goals and recorded 104 points.
Oct 3, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Aatu Raty (54) celebrates his goal against the Calgary Flames in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
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The New York Islanders and former General Manager Lou Lamoriello made a blockbuster trade that changed the franchise four seasons ago, on January 30, 2023.
That day, the Islanders acquired then-Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat for Anthony Beauvillier, top prospect Aatu Räty, and a first-round pick.
Horvat has become the Islanders' captain and leads the franchise in goals since the day the trade was made.
Horvat's been nothing but a perfect Islander in every sense, and been worth every piece of that deal.
Beauvillier bounced around the league for a couple years after the trade, eventually settling in with the Washington Capitals.
The Canucks flipped the first-round pick for Filip Hronek.
Räty, a second-round pick for the Islanders, was seen as the coin flip that would decide the trade and who won it. He was a 20-year-old forward that broke out into the NHL just two years after getting drafted.
Wednesday afternoon, the Canucks placed Räty on waivers, with the intention of assigning the 23-year-old forward to the AHL.
While it's unlikely the forward gets claimed, it shows where he currently fits into the rebuilding Canucks' future.
Back on the day the trade was made, Räty had surged into being the Islanders' top prospect, and made his NHL Debut, and looked good as an NHLer.
He played 12 games with the Islanders before the deal. Since then, he's struggled to consistently break through with Vancouver.
Räty has shown flashes throughout his career to be a contributing bottom-six forward. His 60% face-off win percentage makes him valuable depth for any team.
