Give us all the lovely Swedes. | NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders won their second game in a row for the first time in this young season, casting aside their injury woes for a night and beating a team they probably needed to.
The 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks was made mostly comfortable by holding a two-goal lead for most of the game, though at 3-1 they missed a chance to finish the game with the empty net, and that nearly came back to bite them.
With under three minutes to go and a sixth attacker in effect, Alex Killorn converted a Leo Carlsson pass — the $90 million man’s ninth assist — to cut the Isles lead to 3-2 and make things nerve wracking. The Ducks also hit the post in the dying seconds, but tragedy was averted.
Ilya Sorokin only needed 15 saves for the win, but some of them were critical and one of them was outstanding and led to the Isles’ first goal. The Isles went the other way, benefited from a fortunate bounce in the neutral zone, and three rejuvenated old men combined on a pretty play to open scoring at 13:39 of the first: Anthony Duclair with the nifty slip pass to J-G Pageau, who delivered a cross slot feed to Ondrej Palat, who settled a bouncing puck to beat Lukas Dostal.
Is…is Palat good again? At least for the moment, yes.
The Isles doubled their lead five minutes later. After a Matt Kessel pinch, Victor Eklund got up from losing a size mismatch battle in the corner and sprinted to the net to backhand a rebound of a point shot for his second NHL goal.
The Ducks got one back quickly from Frank Vatrano, who was back from doing a thing in Jersey, but Simon Holmstrom restored the two-goal lead before the end of the period. He tipped in a Matthew Schaefer point shot on the power play, Schaefer’s eighth assist of the season.
The second period was scoreless and low event (outside of a fight from Mitchell Chaffee in his Isles debut) the third period even less so. Pete DeBoer’s dream of a smothering, frustrating team defense may be sinking in.
#Isles Pete DeBoer: "The last two games are probably our most complete 60-minute games. Other than sticking the puck in the net, we couldn't have done much more. We did let them hang around because of our lack of finish."
MONTREAL (AP) — Macklin Celebrini scored his second goal of the game on a power play at 2:13 of overtime to give the San Jose Sharks a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.
Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist each as Montreal (4-3-2) surrendered a two-goal advantage for the fourth time this season. Dobes made 26 saves.
Misa, who hit the post earlier in the period, cut into the Canadiens' lead at 5:36 in the third, finishing a feed from Kiefer Sherwood after Montreal defenseman Lane Hutson turned the puck over.
Toffoli tied it with 8:51 remaining in regulation when he buried Celebrini's pass on the power play with Arber Xhekaj in the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Declan Chisholm scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second period and Jake Allen made 31 saves as the New Jersey Devils beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Tuesday night.
Chisholm scored his first goal for the Devils at 12:33 on a power play, putting New Jersey in front to stay after the teams traded goals in the first.
Luke Evangelista, Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Boqvist also scored for the Devils, who recovered from a 4-2 loss at Washington in their previous game.
The 34-year-old Allen, honored before puck drop for playing his 500th career game earlier this month, improved to 4-2-0.
Gabriel Landeskog scored and Artturi Lehkonen added two late goals for the Avalanche, who lost for the third time in four games. Colorado was beaten 3-2 at Philadelphia on Monday.
Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood made 37 saves against his former team. He entered 5-0-0 with a 1.52 goals-against average versus the Devils.
Evangelista opened the scoring at 6:40 of the first with his third goal.
Landeskog tied it at 14:32 with his fourth of the season. The Avalanche captain missed more than three seasons following major right knee surgery. He returned to score 14 goals in 60 games last season.
Gritsyuk’s fourth goal came at 4:39 of the third. Boqvist scored an empty-netter at 16:05 to make it 4-1.
Lehkonen scored at 16:46, then added his team-leading eighth goal with 3.5 seconds left.
New Jersey won for the fourth time in six home games.
Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns played his 1,015th consecutive game. The 41-year-old is 49 games from tying Phil Kessel for the NHL ironman record. Burns has played 1,589 career games.
Up next
Avalanche: Host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.
Ondrej Palat celebrates after scoring the first goal of the game in the first period of the Islanders' 3-2 win over the Ducks on Oct. 20, 2026 at UBS Arena.
Play territorial, tight hockey, hound the puck relentlessly and outwork teams that are still easing into the season. Play with intensity and emotion, make quick, crisp, correct decisions with the puck. Do all of that and the players who are missing from the lineup will not be so front of mind.
Do all of that, and there will be a lot more games like Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Anaheim, in which the Islanders played their most complete 60 minutes of the season to improve their record to 5-3-1 with the hapless Kings coming into town Thursday.
“I think what guys really respect and are buying into this team is everyone has a role and everyone feels important,” Brayden Schenn told The Post. “[Coach Pete DeBoer] plays everyone. And it’s a tight defensive system where we know if we play that way, we give ourselves a chance to win every night with the goalies we have. So far it’s looking pretty good.”
Ondrej Palat celebrates after scoring the first goal of the game in the first period of the Islanders’ 3-2 win over the Ducks on Oct. 20, 2026 at UBS Arena. Robert Sabo for New York Post
The Islanders weren’t perfect, and missed chances to put away Anaheim in the second period, but they were hardworking and, mostly, smart with the puck.
They owned the neutral zone, suffocating Anaheim for shifts at a time. They backchecked. They looked all game like the faster team, despite being the far older team — a sign of preparedness if there ever was one.
“Other than sticking the puck in the net, we probably couldn’t have done much more,” DeBoer said. “We did let them hang around because of our lack of finish. That was the only issue I had with the game.”
Indeed, despite their efforts, the Islanders held a 3-1 lead late into the third, owning the puck while failing to tack on a needed insurance goal.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s short-handed attempt that drew iron came closest, but even as the Islanders rarely looked troubled — the Ducks had just two shots on net in the third period when they emptied their net with 3:32 to go — they were playing with fire.
Alex Killorn’s one-timer in the slot threatened to make them pay for it, with Anaheim pulling back to 3-2 at 6-on-5 with 2:40 to go. The Islanders needed to scramble to hang on with Anaheim’s net empty, and though they did so successfully, that may serve as a warning of sorts.
Ilya Sorokin defends the net during the Islanders’ win over the Ducks. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Still, it does nothing to erase what was, in sum, a terrific performance.
“We know that’s the way we need to play to be successful,” Ryan Pulock told The Post. “From training camp it’s been something we’ve been trying to build. I think we’re giving ourselves a chance every night to win just from playing good defense. That leads to offense.”
The four goals in the first period had all come in a 5:05-long flurry, starting with Ondrej Palat burying Pageau’s feed off the rush. Victor Eklund doubled the Islanders lead off Emil Heineman’s rebound before Frank Vatrano pulled one back for the Ducks, having been lost in the crease by Tony DeAngelo.
The Islanders got their third on the power play with Matthew Schaefer’s bullet from the top of the zone that was tipped in by Simon Holmstrom, denying No. 48 his first goal of the season, albeit happily so.
Kyle MacLean and Mitchell Chaffee, the two injury-induced additions to the lineup, both had solid nights on the fourth line with Casey Cizikas. Chaffee dropped gloves with A.J. Greer, the latter challenging him after a legal hit on Vatrano along the boards.
While DeAngelo had a few too many questionable decisions in his own end, there was little overall to nitpick in the Islanders’ play. Adam Pelech and Pulock had one of their better games as a pair. Schaefer was impeccable. Matt Kessel had his best game of the season. All four lines contributed.
Simon Holmstrom scores a goal on Ville Husso during the Islanders’ win over the Ducks. Robert Sabo for New York Post
This was, in whole, the closest the Islanders have come to DeBoer’s vision of what they can be.
“I think you see it right now,” Schenn said. “It’s reloads, it’s defense. It’s taking away the middle of the ice, playing the right way. Taking care of pucks. The little details and habits of the game that ultimately win you hockey games.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Ondrej Palat, Viktor Eklund and Simon Holmstrom scored first-period goals and the New York Islanders beat the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2, on Tuesday night for their second-straight victory.
Ilya Sorokin made 15 saves to help the Islanders improve to 3-0-1 in their last four games.
Frank Vatrano and Alex Killorn scored for Anaheim, which lost its fourth-straight game. Lukas Dostal finished with 22 saves.
Palat opened the scoring with 6:21 left in the first period. Jean-Gabriel Pageau found Palat streaking toward the net, and the forward fired a wrist shot past Dostal.
Eklund doubled the lead less than three minutes later. Emil Heineman floated a wrist shot from the blue line, and Eklund corralled the loose puck and buried it for his second goal of the season.
Vatrano pulled the Ducks within a goal 49 seconds later, lifting a backhander past Sorokin off a feed from A.J. Greer.
Holmstrom restored New York’s two-goal advantage with a power-play goal with 1:18 left in the first, deflecting Mathew Schaefer’s shot from the point past Dostal.
Killorn pulled Anaheim within a goal with 2:40 remaining in the third.
On Tuesday night, Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin reportedly expanded his trade list to ten teams, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.
The teams already known to be on Larkin's list were the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals. Three new clubs have now been added, and some of them are surprising.
The first is the Utah Mammoth, who have been one of the league's hottest teams, opening the season with wins in seven of their first ten games. The second is the Carolina Hurricanes, the defending Stanley Cup champions. The third is the New Jersey Devils, perhaps the most intriguing addition.
Per @HeleneStJames, Dylan Larkin has expanded his trade list to 10 teams:
Larkin has said he wants to compete for a Stanley Cup, but he is reportedly interested only in joining an American market. That restriction leaves one notable team off the list in the Montreal Canadiens.
Montreal is coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance and has the assets to facilitate a deal, yet it remains absent from Larkin's list.
On the ice, Larkin returned to the Detroit lineup and made an immediate impact, recording a goal and an assist in a multi-point game. His production has cooled since, with one assist and no goals over his last five games.
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For this column, we’re going to construct a potential reality for you: first, let’s presume the Buffalo Sabres don’t wind up winning the sweepstakes for disgruntled Winnipeg Jets star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The Sabres are reported to have interest in Hellebuyck, and really, who can blame them? We’re talking about a Hart Trophy winner as the NHL’s most valuable regular-season player and a Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goalie. If you’re a team like the Sabres who could be seeking an upgrade in net, there may be no better upgrade than Hellebuyck.
But just because you want your first choice between the pipes, that doesn’t mean you’re going to get it. So let’s also presume another team outbids Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen for Hellebuyck’s services. If that turns out to be true, will Buffalo just ride out the season with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Colten Ellis and Alex Lyon as their three-headed goalie monster? Given that Luukkonen currently has a .860 save percentage, and Ellis has an .864 SP, that doesn’t sound like the best solution for the Sabres.
(And yes, we’ve heard Kekalainen speak of his confidence in his current goalies. What should we expect him to say – that he sees what the rest of us see, which is that there are definitely better options for the Sabres in net? He’d be sabotaging every shred of leverage he’d need to consummate a trade for a goalie. So let’s go forward with the understanding that Buffalo will still pursue a goalie.)
So, we’re proposing a different target if the Sabres don’t land Hellebuyck: Minnesota Wild veteran Filip Gustavsson. Of course, the 28-year-old Gustavsson has yet to play a game this season as he recovers from off-season hip surgery. But with young netminder Jesper Wallstedt currently thriving for the Wild, Gustavsson is likely to be the best available goalie after Hellebuyck.
Indeed, Gustavsson would be a major upgrade for the Sabres. He’s a workhorse who’s averaged 51 appearances per year in the past three seasons. He’s averaged a .911 SP in 219 career regular-season NHL games, and he’s averaged a 2.67 GAA in that span. And perhaps the best part – he’s in the first year of a five-year contract extension paying him $6.8-million per season. That’s the type of cost-certain asset that would allow Buffalo to spend in other areas.
The Wild aren’t simply going to hand Gustavsson to the Sabres. They’ll have to pony up something of value, but that’s Kekalainen’s job – he has to figure out how to sell Gustavsson on Buffalo as a team, and he’s got to sell Minnesota counterpart Bill Guerin on dealing Gustavsson to the Sabres.
That said, we see plenty of value in Gustavsson. He signed his contract extension before Wallstedt established himself as the Wild’s starter, and he no doubt is a proud veteran who doesn’t want to be relegated to the bench as Wallstedt’s understudy. In Buffalo, he’d be the clear-cut No. 1, and he’d be in that role for the long-term.
Thus, if you’re a Sabres fan and Buffalo fails to acquire Hellebuyck, don’t be despondent – there are other options out there. And from this writer’s point-of-view, the best goalie option probably available via trade – at least, right now – is most definitely Gustavsson.
Scott Wedgewood has done everything in his power to keep the Avalanche in the game, but Colorado’s defensive breakdowns and lack of offensive production have left it chasing New Jersey through 40 minutes.
Gabe Landeskog’s first-period equalizer briefly erased an early deficit, but an unfortunate own goal from Brock Nelson put the Devils back in front, leaving the Avalanche trailing 2-1 while being outshot 32-13 heading into the third period.
First Period
The Avalanche were outplayed, outshot and on their heels for much of the opening period, but Gabe Landeskog ensured they had something to show for it on the scoreboard. Despite surrendering 14 shots and managing just four of their own, Colorado escaped the first 20 minutes tied 1-1 with the New Jersey Devils, thanks to Landeskog’s late equalizer.
The defensive issues that plagued Colorado against the Flyers carried over into its matchup with the Devils. New Jersey came out flying, recording seven shots on goal in the opening five minutes while the Avalanche failed to register a single shot of their own.
Nathan MacKinnon endured a difficult start as well, getting knocked to the ice in his own defensive zone by Devils forward Dawson Mercer while away from the puck. Despite what appeared to be a clear interference penalty, no call was made.
New Jersey broke the deadlock at 6:40, capitalizing on a defensive miscue by Colorado. MacKinnon was unable to corral a loose puck in the defensive zone, allowing the Devils to regain possession. The puck eventually found Luke Evangelista, who fired it past Scott Wedgewood to give New Jersey an early 1-0 lead.
Landeskog responded with 5:28 remaining in the period, bringing the Avalanche back even. Cale Makar shook off a defender before slipping a backhanded pass to Landeskog at the top of the right circle. Landeskog fired on goal and buried his own rebound to tie the game at 1-1.
Colorado’s defensive struggles continued late in the frame when Artturi Lehkonen was called for delay of game after shooting the puck over the glass with 1:38 remaining. The Devils immediately pressured the Avalanche net, crashing the crease and forcing Wedgewood to come up with several difficult stops to keep the game tied.
After 20 minutes, the score remained 1-1, but the shots on goal told a different story. New Jersey held a commanding 14-4 advantage, leaving Colorado with plenty to clean up heading into the second period.
Second Period
The second period brought more of the same, with Colorado struggling to generate offense as New Jersey continued to dictate the pace and pile up scoring chances.
Seven minutes into the period, the Devils held an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal, keeping Wedgewood under relentless pressure. The Avalanche netminder stood tall, turning aside one shot after another to prevent New Jersey from extending its lead.
As the period approached its midpoint, Parker Kelly provided a rare spark for Colorado. Coming off the bench, Kelly drove hard to the net and attempted to slip a puck past Devils goaltender Jake Allen with one hand, but Allen turned him away.
New Jersey eventually regained the lead with 7:29 remaining in the period, though the goal came on an unfortunate bounce for Colorado. Declan Chisholm unleashed a slap shot from the point that deflected off Brock Nelson and into the Avalanche net, giving the Devils a 2-1 advantage.
Colorado struggled to mount a meaningful response as the period wound down, leaving Wedgewood with little margin for error despite his strong performance between the pipes.
After 40 minutes, New Jersey held a 2-1 lead and a staggering 32-13 advantage in shots on goal. Wedgewood has kept the Avalanche within striking distance, but Colorado will need a much stronger third period offensively and a significant improvement defensively to avoid letting this one slip away.
Third Period
The Avalanche came out with more life to start the third, generating a flurry of chances. Martin Necas tested Jake Allen with a backhand before setting up a one-timer that led to a rebound opportunity for Nathan MacKinnon. Cale Makar even dove into the crease trying to jam the loose puck home, but Colorado couldn’t find the finish.
That brief burst of hope was cute while it lasted. Arseny Gritsyuk then picked MacKinnon’s pocket, skated past Necas, shrugged off Devon Toews, and buried a backhand past Scott Wedgewood to make it 3-1. A defensive disaster from start to finish, and another reminder that New Jersey had no intention of letting Colorado back into the game.
The Avalanche finally earned their first power play of the night with 11:17 remaining after Evan Rodrigues was called for hooking Gabriel Landeskog, giving Colorado a chance to claw its way back into the game.
The Utah Mammoth have called a player up from the AHL for the first time this season, and it’s one of their top defensive prospects.
On Tuesday, the team recalled Artem Duda from the Tucson Roadrunners. The defenseman has three points in six games with the Roadrunners this season. He is tied with Zac Jones for the team lead in points among defensemen. Duda is also a plus-six, the best plus-minus rating on the team.
This is Duda’s first-ever NHL call-up. He was originally drafted in the second round in 2022 by the Arizona Coyotes. Last season, Duda only played 27 games, producing 13 points before suffering a season-ending injury that resulted in knee surgery.
However, the defenseman worked hard over the summer to regain strength in his leg before having an impressive rookie camp and a very solid training camp. He was one of the final cuts, alongside Ben McCartney, as the Mammoth sent him down right before the season started.
Duda has mentioned that he has never felt better, and early results have shown that he’s not lying.
“I feel like I’m the strongest person I’ve ever been,” Duda said. “Everything is good. The knee is good. I’m skating and playing physically. I just have to keep going like that.”
The Mammoth are currently starting to deal with injuries. John Marino did not play in Monday’s game vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins, forcing Nick DeSimone to sub in his place. Michael Carcone was placed on injured reserve on Tuesday with an upper-body injury. The forward has not played since Oct. 8 in a game against the Boston Bruins.
It’s unclear if Duda will actually play in his first NHL game during this call-up. Last season, the Mammoth called up Maksymilian Szuber, Kevin Connauton, Scott Perunovich, Dmitri Simashev, and Maveric Lamoureux throughout the season. Only the latter two names appeared in games with the Mammoth.
Duda is also ineligible for waivers, meaning he doesn’t have to clear them to be returned to the Roadrunners, which could mean a quick return to the AHL if needed. It could be a reason why the Mammoth opted to call him up over someone like Jones, who has to clear waivers.
The Roadrunners will likely play their first two games without Duda this weekend as they travel to Nevada to play the Henderson Silver Knights. They have options to fill that void with Cal Thomas and Brandon Holt, both deserving of the opportunity to play.
The Mammoth will play their next game on Thursday as they travel to Climate Pledge Arena to take on the Seattle Kraken.
Carter Hart will look to keep the Vegas Golden Knights rolling when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday, with the red-hot club riding high after a 6-2 rout of Pittsburgh and sitting at 8-2 on the season.
Vegas has been getting production from all over its lineup, and that was on full display against the Penguins on Saturday. Mark Stone led the way with a goal and two assists, while rookie Trevor Connelly chipped in a goal and an assist. Defensemen Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin and Shea Theodore also found the back of the net, and Brett Howden added an empty-net goal.
Jack Eichel picked up two assists in his 700th NHL game, while Mitch Marner also finished with a pair of helpers. The balanced scoring has helped the Golden Knights build momentum early in the season, with different players stepping up on a nightly basis.
Hart is expected to get the nod against Tampa Bay and will look to build on his work so far this season. The goaltender has a 3-2-0 record through five appearances with Vegas, along with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.
He was also in net for the Golden Knights' recent 6-2 win over Calgary, stopping 28 shots to help the team secure another comfortable result. Hart will now have a chance to keep things going against a Lightning squad that could present a tougher test.
Vegas has received strong play from Adin Hill as well. Hill stopped 22 shots against Pittsburgh to improve to 4-0, giving the Golden Knights another reliable option in goal as they navigate the early part of the schedule.
The offense has been clicking, but the matchup with Tampa Bay will require Vegas to stay sharp defensively and avoid giving the opposition easy chances. Hart's performance could be an important factor if the Lightning manage to put pressure on the Golden Knights' end.
With an 8-2 record and confidence building throughout the lineup, Vegas will try to extend its strong run on home ice. Hart, meanwhile, has an opportunity to add another win and continue establishing himself as a dependable part of the team's goaltending rotation.
The Buffalo Sabres are in the middle of the pack in the Atlantic Division nearly one month into the 2026-27 regular season, but we throughout the year will keep tabs on former Sabres around the NHL.
Devin Cooley - Calgary
The 29-year-old played for Rochester and was called up by the Sabres during the 2023-24 season, but never played. He was later traded to San Jose for a 7th round pick and played six games for the Sharks. Last season, the California native signed with Calgary and had a 2.69 GAA and 909 save % in 31 games. This season, he is 1-2-0, with a 4.01 GAA, and .868 save % with the struggling Flames.
Matthew Savoie - Edmonton
The former Sabres first-rounder was dealt in the summer of 2024 for Ryan McLeod, and after a strong year in the AHL (54 points in 66 games), the 22-year-old made the Oilers and scored 37 points (18 goals, 19 assists) in 82 games as a rookie. Savoie suffered an injury in the offseason and was placed on LTIR. He is expected to return sometime in November.
Joel Armia - Los Angeles
The former Sabres first-rounder played one game for Buffalo before being included in the Evander Kane-Tyler Myers deal with Winnipeg. He spent three years with the Jets, and seven years with Montreal before signing with the Kings last season. This year, he has one goal in six games for Los Angeles.
Is Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen a part of the Sabres future?
Michael Kesselring - San Jose
The big righty blueliner was supposed to be the centerpiece of the JJ Peterka trade with Utah in June 2025, but that turned out to be Josh Doan. Kesselring struggled with a variety of injuries last season, and was limited to 34 games, playing mostly bottom-pairing minutes and posting only two assists. After being dealt to the Sharks for a swap of first round picks, the 26-year-old is playing in San Jose’s top-four, averaging nearly 20 minutes a night, and has two assists in nine games.
Brandon Montour - Seattle
Montour played parts of two seasons in Buffalo before being dealt to Florida for a third-round pick in 2021. His career thrived with the Panthers, where he won a Stanley Cup in 2024, and then signed as a free agent with Seattle. In his third season with the Kraken, Montour has five assists in eight games.
Luke Schenn - Vancouver
The veteran journeyman was acquired by the Sabres at the trade deadline, and with his 10th NHL club, he played four regular-season and two playoff games. Schenn signed a free agent deal with Vancouver and is playing in his third stint with the Canucks. In seven games, the 36-year-old has two assists.
Jack Eichel - Vegas
The Stanley Cup and Olympic gold medal winner is off to a red-hot start for the Golden Knights and is on pace to exceed 100 points for the first time. In 10 games, the former second overall pick has 18 points (5 goals, 13 assists). Former Sabre Victor Olofsson also started red-hot, with four goals in four games, but has been sidelined after being checked into the boards earlier this month.
Sharks captain Macklin Celebrini is used to hearing cheers at SAP Center, but opposing crowds during San Jose’s current road trip haven’t been as excited to see the young star in their arenas.
That was the case Tuesday night at Bell Centre as Montreal Canadiens fans booed the 20-year-old every time he touched the puck. It didn’t take long for Celebrini to quiet them as he put together a three-point night that ended with a game-winning goal in overtime — his second score in San Jose’s comeback 4-3 win.
“How could I not?” he told reporters postgame. But, it certainly served as fuel for both the young captain and the rest of Team Teal.
“I think it’s probably expected wherever he goes now,” Michael Misa told reporters after the game. “Fans are going to boo him because he’s that good. But yeah, maybe a little extra motivation for us. You don’t like to see your captain get booed, but I think he shut them up there in OT.”
But San Jose’s advantage didn’t last long. Montreal scored three unanswered goals to take a 3-1 lead entering the third period. And while the Sharks have had their own share of late-game struggles in recent seasons, they flipped the script against the Canadiens and their hostile home crowd.
Misa got things started in the third period with his first goal of the year to make it a one-score game — a weight finally off the shoulder of San Jose’s 2025 No. 2 overall draft pick.
“I’m hard on myself,” Misa said. “I hold myself to a high standard, try and play the best I can every night. When the puck’s not going in, you just got to keep it simple. There’s a lot of games in the season, so I was happy to get one. Got to keep rolling now.”
After one of the younger Sharks put San Jose within one goal, veteran Tyler Toffoli came through with a game-tying score with 8:51 left in the game that eventually forced overtime and set up Celebrini’s game-winning moment.
“The resiliency, we needed that,” Celebrini told Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda on “Sharks Postgame Live” after the win. “Especially after the blown leads we’ve given up, to come back and get one, get two points on the road here, especially against that team is good.”
Celebrini, who also got the assist on Toffoli’s goal, hopes the Sharks can use Tuesday’s win as momentum moving forward.
“I think this should be a good propeller for us, especially that last 20 minutes,” Celebrini said. “Just knowing the way we need to play — that’s the recipe right there.”
J.T. Compher is making the trip with the Detroit Red Wings, but he'll have to wait a little longer to get back into game action.
The 31-year-old forward traveled with Detroit for its four-game road trip but will miss his seventh straight game Tuesday when the Red Wings face the Seattle Kraken.
Compher has been on injured reserve, and there's still no clear indication of when he'll be ready to play. Getting back on the road with his teammates is one thing, but the Red Wings are still waiting for him to be cleared.
It's been a frustrating start to the season for Compher, who managed just two games before getting hurt. He has yet to record a point.
Compher was never the biggest name on the roster, but he was there when the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, playing all 20 playoff games and finishing with five goals and three assists.
Compher had spent years working his way into a dependable role with the Avalanche, making his NHL debut for the club in 2017 and recording 194 points across 423 regular-season games.
He left Colorado in 2023, signing a five-year, $25.5 million contract with Detroit. The move gave him a fresh start, and the Red Wings brought in a player with championship experience and the ability to play in different situations.
Compher has, to put it bluntly, taken a step back since leaving Colorado, though Detroit's struggles certainly haven't helped. The Red Wings haven't made the playoffs since 2016, back when Joe Louis Arena was still home. Little Caesars Arena opened in 2017, and Detroit has yet to play a postseason game there. At this point, the Red Wings' playoff drought has aged about as well as a Little Caesars pizza left out overnight.
The chatter regarding Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck has reached a fever pitch, as the Hart and Vezina Trophy winner reportedly will come off suspension for not reporting to training camp, and will be reinstated by the club on Friday. There continues to be speculation that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is looking to move Hellebuyck, possibly as soon as this week.
Rumors persist that the Buffalo Sabres are in the mix for Hellebuyck, something that GM Jarmo Kekalainen deflected on an appearance on WGR 550 radio on Tuesday.
"We have a lot of good players, so teams call us all the time about, 'Would you trade that guy?' 'Would you trade this guy?' 'If we gave you this or if we gave you that?' So that doesn't mean that we're looking to make a move." Kekalainen said. "We're always looking for ways to get better. So if there's something out there that we think could make our team better, we (are) prepared to make the move, even if it's a big or unpopular one. We were always looking for ways to make the team better, but I don't really pay attention to the rumors."
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed on his 32 Thoughts podcast earlier this week that the Sabres maintain their interest in Hellebuyck, and that the 33-year-old is open to being dealt to Buffalo, but Cheveldayoff has to make a deal with a significant return.
Friedman also indicated that the New York Rangers (as a middleman to a possible trade), because of the season-ending injury to Igor Shesterkin could be involved in some way, and that other teams (Utah Mammoth, Los Angeles Kings, and Carolina Hurricanes) could be in the mix.
A potential trade between Buffalo and Winnipeg did not take place around the NHL Draft in June, and Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen being included in the trade is thought to be unlikely after his five-team no-trade protection kicked in on July 1. Speculation regarding Luukkonen and the New York Rangers increased last week after Rangers goalie scout Scott Clemmensen was spotted in Montreal on Tuesday, but Kekalainen reiterated his belief that he is the goalie of the present and future for Buffalo.
“We believe in our goaltending; they had really good numbers last year. They were good for us, all three of them,” Kekalainen said. “Alex Lyon has been hurt, and he’s close to coming back, and we’ll see where he’s at when he does. Colten Ellis played some excellent games for us last year. He hasn’t been quite as good as he was…but we believe he’ll get there again…..Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is a really good goaltender that has a lot to give to the Buffalo Sabres and will be a big part of our future”
The 2026-27 NHL season hasn't met Kings fans' and players' expectations, as the Kings are dead last in the NHL and the only winless team. The Kings have faced tough opponents early in the season, but that is no excuse, as the Flyers picked up their 2nd win against the Colorado Avalanche. The Kings have to start winning soon, and tonight is a great chance to end this nightmare start.
Anthony Beauvillier - Jonny Brodzinski - Ryan Leonard
Jakob Chychrun - Matt Roy
Martin Fehervary - Vincent Desharnais
Cole Hutson - Timothy Liljegren
Logan Thompson
Charlie Lindgren
Game Notes
Darcy Kuemper is set to make his 1st start since being pulled in the game against the Edmonton Oilers, and it is against his former team. The Capitals will likely start Logan Thompson tonight. The Kings will be without Alex Turcotte (undisclosed) and Kevin Fiala (leg surgery) but will have Mats Zuccarello back in the lineup tonight. The Capitals will be without Rasmus Sandin (knee), Pierre-Luc Dubois (illness), and Justin Sourdif (illness).
The Kings will need to play their best tonight to get their first win of the season. The Kings have shown they can play good hockey against strong NHL teams at times this season, but they need to play the whole game to secure the win.
