SEATTLE — To say the Rangers got Joonas Korpisalo back in their 18th game of the season Saturday afternoon wouldn’t be entirely accurate, considering the team barely had the Finnish netminder to begin with. 

Korpisalo dressed as the Rangers’ backup for one singular game — the season-opening shutout loss in Boston — before a foot infection sidelined him for the next month. The Rangers announced the 32-year-old’s timeline to return simultaneously with the season-altering news of Igor Shesterkin’s season-ending injury, which unfolded just five games after the team put Korpisalo on injured reserve. 

So for the first five and a half weeks of the season, the Blueshirts had to endure and adapt without their original goaltending plan. 

“It’s tough,” head coach Mike Sullivan said before Korpisalo made his Rangers debut against the Kraken. “That presents a unique challenge when both of your goalies get hurt for as long as they have to this point. I give the guys a lot of credit. They never look for excuses. It’s next-man-up mindset. Dylan Garand has done a real good job in goal for us, kind of taking the lead with respect to that. To get Korpy back is huge for us. He’s obviously a quality goaltender. It gives us the ability to share the workload a little bit. We’re excited to get him back in the mix, but I think the guys did a great job. 

“Nobody’s looking for excuses. We’re trying to win with the group that we have, and the expectations don’t change. That’s the mindset. That’s the approach we’ve all taken.” 

Entering Saturday’s game at Climate Pledge Arena, the Rangers had gone 5-5-1 since losing Shesterkin to a right knee injury that consisted of more than one structural issue. Shesterkin underwent his surgery, according to a source, and Sullivan has said he’s been around the team. 

Garand was the one to relieve Shesterkin in net in Washington, and the rookie netminder had appeared between the pipes in every single game for the Rangers since then — even when that wasn’t the intention. 

It’s been a big ask of a 24-year-old who came into the season with just three NHL games to his name. 

Among the 11 NHL goaltenders who have appeared in at least 12 games so far this season entering Saturday’s slate of games, Garand’s .906 save percentage ranks fourth behind only the Wild’s Jeremy Wallstedt (.922), the Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman (.913) and the Stars’ Jake Oettinger (.909). 

His 2.52 goals-against average is also good for the fourth-best in the league, currently beating out the likes of Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.75). 

While rebound control and stopping pucks off the rush have sometimes been a challenge, Garand has mostly delivered under the circumstances. The immense workload and emotional whiplash of the start to the season would overwhelm most players, but Garand has shown a maturity and mental fortitude befitting a full-time goaltender in the NHL.

That’s an encouraging sign for a Rangers team that may have to rely on a rookie in goal for the remainder of the season. 

The Rangers are banking on Korpisalo stabilizing the team’s schedule in goal and, at the very least, alleviating some of Garand’s workload. When Sullivan tried to do so following Garand’s seventh straight start, the organization signed James Reimer off his professional tryout with the team’s AHL affiliate in Hartford and put him in against the Kings. 

Reimer, who had been training with two junior teams, gave up two goals on the first two shots he saw before getting the hook after letting up three on eight shots. 

Sullivan put his hand up for putting Reimer in an almost impossible position, which subsequently deprived Garand of the rest he desperately needed at that moment in time. As a result, Garand played in 12 consecutive games before he got this break on Saturday. 

On Saturday, the Rangers put Reimer on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination. 

The addition of Korpisalo, however, should provide some much-needed relief in goal. How the Rangers deploy both Korpisalo and Garand moving forward is yet to be seen, but it will naturally be based on performance. 

“Well, there was buildup, obviously, to Korpi’s return to play, just as far as workload in practice and then getting 10 people in front of him in a game situation,” Sullivan said. “That’s sometimes difficult to simulate in practice. Based on the progression of the workload, that’s when we felt that, from a readiness standpoint, that Korpi is in a position to succeed.”

Anyone who followed the Montreal Canadiens in the 2010s will remember Carey Price and P.K. Subban celebrating team wins with their trademarked celebration, “the triple low five,” until Michel Therrien forbade it, calling it too individualistic. Therrien couldn’t control the players’ friendship or the close bond that linked Price and Subban.

As two high-profile athletes in Montreal, big pieces of the Canadiens back then, they both attracted a lot of attention and coverage, and when Subban spoke to NHL.com last week, he made a valid point about just how big Price was in Montreal:

Game 17 – Canadiens vs. Leafs: A Second In A Row In Toronto?
Canadiens Sniper Makes History
Canadiens Coach St-Louis’ Aware Of The Big Decisions He’ll Have To Make

I don’t think the Canadiens will see a goaltender who will be talked about more than Carey Price until someone wins a Stanley Cup in that city. And even then, it may not happen. To come into the NHL the way he did, to be in the net at that young age, to go through everything that, as a young professional, he went through, to be under the microscope in Montreal?

Nobody -- nobody who reads this -- would be prepared to deal with that. They have no idea what it’s like to be in that position. He handled all that stuff, and he performed. To me, that’s remarkable. That’s more of a testament to who he is as a person than even hoisting the Stanley Cup, to a certain degree.

The former blueliner isn’t wrong. Back then, when you went to the Bell Centre for a game, you could see jerseys numbered 31 left, right, and center. At one point, Price said he couldn’t even go food shopping anymore, and it seemed like a lot for him, but he kept going and dealt with it. Lesser men would have called it quits and asked for a trade, saying they couldn’t deal with the pressure anymore, but not Price. Yes, he did once tell the media to “chill out” in a memorable preseason post-game scrum, but most of the time it looked like none of it affected him, no matter how much pressure or attention he got.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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New look, old rival: the Colorado Avalanche debut their Hometown Remix jersey collection as their two game home stand wraps up against the visiting Detroit Red Wings.

The new threads may be a fresh coat of paint for the Avs, but perhaps revisiting a decades-old rivalry could bring them some new life to go with them.

Colorado Avalanche

The rivalry with Detroit is a far cry from what it used to be, but another late start won’t go over well in the eyes of many who believe that the Red Wings do, in fact, suck.

The Avalanche are coming off of a 3-2 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators as they head into tonight’s contest. Former Avs forward Ross Colton put the Avs down early, but Jaden Schwartz responded to tie things up. After trailing 2-1 to start the second period, Parker Kelly scored to tie things up again. Minutes after overtime began, Devon Toews would be called for a questionable hooking penalty, leading to the eventual game-winner. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped twenty-two of twenty-five shots in the game.

Over the course of the week, the Avs been forced to play catch-up to the opposition. While they were able to overcome an early two-goal deficit to Chicago on Monday, they couldn’t duplicate the same results against Columbus or Nashville. The entire first line of Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Martin Nečas have not scored a goal since Halloween. Even a slight bump in production from any of these players could have meant the difference in a close game like Thursday’s against Nashville.

In speaking to reporters yesterday, head coach Jared Bednar emphasized the importance of better defensive play over offensive output. “I would give up some [offensive] production over the first sixteen games for a better defensive effort,” he said. “That’s where I’m at. I think the offense will take care of itself.

“There’s a lot of things in [Thursday] night’s game where I’m like, ‘Man, we could be so much better offensively,’ and that’s what I’m talking about. Like, the defending side was good, now, what do we do with the puck? So, they’ll see some of the good defensive stuff because it leads to like, okay, now we’re off. Now, what are we doing with it offensively. […] We have to keep expecting a lot from our team offensively, and we’re going to expect a lot from them on the defensive side and try to build it to where it’s really consistent in our game.”

Bednar didn’t have much of an update regarding the injured Zachary L’Heureux, other than to say that it was a long-term injury and doesn’t have a timeline for his return.

Blackwood returns to the crease tonight to wrap up the home stand.

MacKinnon still leads all skaters in points (27) and assists (18). Lehkonen leads the team in goals (12).

With the exception of Winnipeg, all Central Division teams are in action tonight. A win tonight can keep the Avs within reach of Utah and Dallas, while remaining ahead of Nashville, St. Louis and Chicago in the Central Division standings. The Avs split the season series against Detroit last year, winning by a 5-0 margin on the road on January 31.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nicolas Roy
Jaden Schwartz – Nazem Kadri – T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly – Fedor Svechkov – Logan O’Connor

Defense:
Cale Makar – Brett Kulak
Devon Toews – Sam Malinski
Noah Juulsen – Brent Burns

Between the Pipes:
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Detroit Red Wings

Rather than leaning into the decades-long rivalry against Colorado, Detroit has had its hands full with a rivalry with one of their own. Captain Dylan Larkin, who’s trade demands request remains unfulfilled, informed Detroit’s front office on October 29 that he would not play for the team. The team responded by suspending Larkin without pay the same day.

“Dylan Larkin has informed us that he will no longer play for the Detroit Red Wings,” The organization announced in a statement on social media. “We are disappointed by his decision, particularly given his obligations to the organization and his teammates. We have therefore suspended Dylan without pay.”

The ongoing situation cost Steve Yzerman his general manager title over the summer, with Shawn Horcoff being named interim general manager in his place. The thirty-year old Larkin has five years remaining on his contract.

Despite the drama hanging over the team regarding their captain, Detroit has tried to soldier on as best as possible. Horcoff was especially busy as free agency began on July 01. Left wing Alex DeBrincat signed a seven-year, $91 million dollar contract extension, while free agents Viktor Arvidsson and goaltender Daniil Tarosov signed a two-year, $10 million dollar contract and a one-year, $2 million dollar contract, respectively. Right wing Keegan Kolesar was acquired via trade from the Vegas Golden Knights the same day.

Even with the moves made in the offseason, Detroit has struggled to find its footing. They sit in last place in the Atlantic Division with a 7-7-3 record and having lost three of their last four games, their most recent coming this past Thursday at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights at Little Caesars Arena by a 2-1 decision. Neither team scored until Anton Johansson scored early in the third period, but Vegas countered with two goals of their own to secure the win. Tarasov, playing in the place of the injured John Gibson, stopped thirty-one of thirty three shots on goal.

Gibson, who sustained a lower body injury during Detroit’s 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning this past Tuesday, returned to practice yesterday. His status is currently unknown as of this writing. Barring any updates as the day progresses, Tarasov will likely get the start again tonight against Colorado.

Tonight marks the beginning of a four game road trip for Detroit before hosting Boston at home on November 18. Prior to Thursday’s home game against Vegas, Detroit played in a back-to-back pair of games against Tampa and Florida to start the month.

DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond lead all Detroit skaters in points (16). Arvidsson leads the team in goals (8), while Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider lead the team in assists (10). Defenseman Ben Chiarot leads all Detroit skaters in penalty minutes (21), with Kolesar a close second (20).

Detroit defeated Colorado by a 2-0 decision during their previous visit to Denver on February 02.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Alex DeBrincat – Emmitt Finnie – Viktor Arvidsson
Michael Brandsegg-Nygård – Andrew Copp – Lucas Raymond
Michael Rasmussen – J.T. Compher – Nate Danielson
Carter Mazur – Sheldon Dries – Keegan Kolesar

Defense:
Ben Chiarot – Moritz Seider
William Wallinder – Justin Faulk
Andreas Englund – Anton Johansson

Between the Pipes:
Daniil Tarasov
Michal Postava

DENVER — One of the biggest challenges for any NHL coach is figuring out how to get the most out of every player. Some need help finding their confidence, others need to round out their game, and some simply need a coach to show them there's another level they haven't reached yet.

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has made a career out of doing exactly that.

As he prepares to coach his 800th game with the Avalanche on Saturday at Ball Arena, Parker Kelly and Martin Necas spoke with The Hockey News about the ways Bednar has helped them grow as players. Their experiences are different, but both point to the same strength: Bednar knows what he wants each player to improve and how to help them get there.

For Kelly, that meant discovering an offensive side to his game he didn't know existed. For Necas, it meant becoming more aggressive as a goal scorer and getting into the tougher areas of the ice.

Kelly joined Colorado from the Ottawa Senators and has steadily earned a bigger role with the team. Last season, he scored a career-high 21 goals, showing just how much his offensive game has developed.

He credits Bednar with playing a significant role in that progress.

"When I came over from Ottawa, I remember thinking how dialed in he is. He's very much a players' coach, his door is always open, and he's a great teacher of the game," Kelly said. "He has no problem showing you clips and helping you understand things so you can grow as a player.

"He's done a really good job of unlocking an offensive style of game in me that I didn't know I had."

Bednar's work with Necas offers another example. Last season, he saw an opportunity to make the forward more of a goal-scoring threat. Necas has an explosive shot, but Bednar wanted him to use it more instead of looking to pass. He also wanted to see more commitment to the defensive side of the game.

Martin Necas: pic.twitter.com/HJSeBFUFfr

— Ryan O'Hara (@OHaraSports) November 7, 2026

Necas responded with the best offensive season of his NHL career, finishing with 38 goals and 62 assists for 100 points. It was his first time reaching the 100-point mark.

Asked where Bednar has helped him improve the most, Necas pointed to his willingness to get into the dirty areas and become a more complete player.

"Going more into the dirty areas (of the ice) and scoring goals there," Necas said. "Just my all-around game, playing D, there's always space for improvement."

Bednar has spent 24 years coaching hockey, including 11 seasons in the NHL. His résumé includes championships at the ECHL, AHL and NHL levels, with titles alongside the South Carolina Stingrays and Lake Erie Monsters before leading Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 2022.

His approach to developing players has certainly evolved over that time, but Bednar doesn't believe the underlying philosophy has changed much.

The Hockey News asked him what, if anything, has changed in the way he works with players to help them reach their full potential.

"I'm sure there's lots of changes. I don't feel like it's that different, though," Bednar said.

He used Kelly as an example of how a player's needs change throughout his career. For someone just breaking into the NHL, the priority is earning the trust of the coaching staff and establishing a role.

"In a case of a guy like Parker Kelly, when you first break into the league, for a lot of guys, it's about survival," Bednar explained. "It's doing the things that your coach is real specific about to help you make sure you're a solid, trustworthy player, so you can stay in the league and then help the team."

Once a player has established himself, the expectations can expand beyond that initial role.

"As you get a little bit of experience, then it becomes a little bit more about, okay, you've established yourself as that type of player, like a defensive player, checker, penalty killer," Bednar said. "Then, as his next coach, it's about trying to help him grow into a more dangerous offensive player and become even more well-rounded."

The same applies to players who already bring plenty of offense. Bednar said those players need to find ways to become more reliable across the ice rather than focusing exclusively on their scoring.

"Some of our guys are really good offensive players, and we have to help shape and mold them into trustworthy 200-foot guys who just help them get more out of their game in any area," Bednar said.

For Bednar, it ultimately comes down to understanding the player and having conversations about where they want to improve.

"Just studying it and communicating with the players to where they think they can grow and finding a mutual ground on that, and just trying to help them out," he said.

That philosophy has helped Kelly uncover a new part of his game and pushed Necas toward becoming an even more dangerous offensive player. With 800 games behind Colorado's bench approaching, Bednar's ability to get players to buy into their own development remains one of his biggest strengths.

The Bruins will be without James Hagens for at least a few games, as the team announced on Saturday morning that the rookie forward has been placed on injured reserve.

The B’s didn’t get into specifics about the injury itself, though we know when it occurred:

Given the area in which he was crosschecked, you can speculate on ribs, a bruised kidney, a back injury, etc., but the main takeaway is that Hagens will now be out for at least seven days.

Marco Sturm, however, seems to think Hagens may miss a bit more time, telling the media today that he expects Hagens will be out “a few weeks.”

With Hagens on the shelf, the Bruins recalled forward Mikey Eyssimont, who has been on quite a heater down in the AHL.

Eyssimont leads the AHL in goals with 13 in eight games, including three hat tricks on the season.

His latest hat trick came just last night in Hamilton, as Eyssimont helped the P-Bruins erase a two-goal deficit with a natural hat trick in the last three minutes of the third period.

Eyssimont scored with 2:08, 1:08, and 25 seconds left to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 5-4 win.

You can certainly see why the B’s would turn to the hot hand to potentially fill Hagens’s spot.

Based on how he has played at the AHL level this season, Eyssimont certainly deserves some NHL ice time, even if it’s on a short-term basis.

Eyssimont put up 8G-10A-18PTS in 56 games with the NHL Bruins last season.

He appeared in two postseason games as well, recording no points.

With the Bruins off on Saturday and Providence playing relatively nearby in Hamilton, ON, on Friday, Eyssimont should be available for Sunday afternoon’s matinée game against the Florida Panthers at TD Garden.

The Florida Panthers will take on the Washington Capitals today, but they'll do so with center Anton Lundell.

The 25-year-old was said to be out by coach Paul Maurice shortly before game time with an undisclosed injury. Lundell has played in every Panthers game up to this point, scoring four goals and six points in 16 games.

Lundell had a tough start offensively to his 2026-27 NHL season, but he has begun to turn things around. On Oct. 30, Lundell recorded a hat trick in a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets.

With Lundell out of today's lineup, Cole Reinhardt will rejoin the squad. Reinhardt has been in the press box for quite some time now, most recently playing on Oct. 22. He's played just one NHL game this season, failing to register a point but recorded 10:03 of ice time.

Reinhardt will skate on the third line with Lars Eller and Eetu Luostarinen. Reinhardt will play on the right wing with Eller shifting back to the middle of the ice in Lundell's absence.

Following this afternoon's fixture, the Panthers are back in action on Sunday against the Boston Bruins. Lundell's availability for tomorrow's matchup is undetermined.

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The Buffalo Sabres are reportedly on the outside looking in of the Dylan Larkin sweepstakes, as a variety of NHL insiders have indicated that the Detroit Red Wings former captain will not expand his list of preferred teams from the 10 clubs his agent provided, but that fact may not be stopping the Wings from doing their due diligence and scouting teams outside Larkin’s preferred destinations. 

At Buffalo’s 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday, Red Wings Assistant GM Kris Draper was in attendance. Draper was reportedly in Toronto on Tuesday for the Utah - Leafs game, and has been piling up the frequent flyer miles with both Larkin and RFA Simon Edvinsson on the block. 

Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen has been rumored to be seeking to add a scorer since the departure of Alex Tuch last summer, and there have been reports he approached Detroit with a significant offer for Larkin. TSN’s Darren Dreger, Chris Johnston, and Pierre LeBrun, David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman have all indicated that there are teams outside of the 10 clubs who have expressed interest.    

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

The impasse between the Wings and Larkin may be taking a back seat to the ticking clock involving Edvinsson, the top pairing blueliner who has to sign a contract by December 1 to play in the NHL this season. There has been no hint that the 23-year-old will sign a deal with Detroit, which could mean that completing a trade for him is their top priority.    

The Sabres broke out offensively on Friday, scoring five goals on Blue Jackets goalie Jet Greaves, but other than blips such as their 7-6 win over Anaheim, and their 5-4 overtime win in Toronto last month, Buffalo has struggled to generate consistent offense this season at even strength and on the man advantage. 

Kekalainen has a dilemma, since most teams are not looking to shake up their rosters until after US Thanksgiving, and teams out of the playoff race are not ready to sell off their rentals until the New Year or closer to the trade deadline. Detroit may be playing the long game with Larkin, hoping that he will become frustrated with the Wings dragging their feet and become willing to expand his list.    

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

While the Montreal Canadiens will be in Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs on Saturday, at least one friendly face will be involved in the likely ceremonial faceoff. It’s induction weekend at the Hockey Hall of Fame, and former Habs netminder Carey Price is in this year’s class alongside Patrice Bergeron, Pekka Rinne, Keith Tkachuk, Brian Burke, and Cindy Curley.

While Price has yet to make his official retirement announcement, he did have a retirement party this summer, and it seems like a foregone conclusion that he will never wear goalie pads in the NHL ever again.

Game 17 – Canadiens vs. Leafs: A Second In A Row In Toronto?
Canadiens Sniper Makes History
Canadiens Coach St-Louis’ Aware Of The Big Decisions He’ll Have To Make

The netminder spent his whole 15-year NHL career with the Canadiens and became the winningest goaltender in team history. In 712 NHL game in put together a 361-261-79 record with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage. In 10 of those 15 years, he led the Canadiens to the playoffs and posted a 43-45 record with a 2.39 GAA and a .919 SV. He made it once to the Stanley Cup Final back in 2021 when both he and captain Shea Weber were playing through significant injuries and ended up losing 4-1 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

We’ll never know whether he could have made it there in 2014, when he had a tremendous postseason that was cut short in the first game of the Eastern Conference Final against the New York Rangers, thanks to that now-famous collision with now-Hab Chris Kreider.

While he never won the Stanley Cup, he did win a Hart Trophy, a Ted Lindsay Trophy, a Vezina Trophy, a William M. Jennings Trophy and a Bill Masterton Trophy. He also won a Calder Cup when he joined the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs, in the 2007 playoffs.

Injuries forced him to sit out the last four years of his eight-year contract which was eventually moved to the San Jose Sharks to give the Habs more financial flexibility, but he never played with them, despite former teammate with the Habs Tyler Toffoli playing a practical joke on his younger teammates, making them believe that Price would be donning the pads again with the Sharks.

Speaking to NHL.com, Maple Leafs center John Tavares had only good things to say about the former masked man:

It was quite a challenge to play against him. I remember the year he won the Hart Trophy, he was pretty much unbeatable that season. He was unbelievable at the Sochi Olympics.

When you played on his team, he allowed you to play with so much confidence. And when you played against him, he was taking it away. He made it look like everything was easy in front of his net.

Clearly, Tavares wasn’t the only one who thought highly of Price, as players voted him best goaltender in the league in the NHPA player poll for three straight seasons, from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Price fully deserved induction into the Hall, and I expect debate for years to come over whether his number should be raised in the Bell Centre rafters. Had he won a Cup, there would be no debate, and one has to wonder what he could have done if he had played with the kind of firepower the Canadiens now have.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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The Calgary Flames returned home looking to get back into the win column, but a strong start wasn’t enough as the Anaheim Ducks scored four unanswered goals to earn a 5-3 win at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Calgary came out with some early jump and opened the scoring just 2:23 into the first period. Yan Kuznetsov got the puck to Zayne Parekh, whose one-timer was stopped by Lukas Dostal. The rebound kicked out to William Stromgren, who made no mistake, backhanding his second goal of the season into the net to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

The advantage didn’t last long.

On the following shift, Simon Nemec turned the puck over in the corner, allowing Jeff Mallot to walk out in front and slip a shot past Dustin Wolf to even things up at 2:50.

Calgary responded late in the opening frame. Morgan Frost put a shot on goal that produced another rebound, and Joel Hanley stepped into a slap shot that beat Dostal to restore the Flames’ lead.

The Flames added some insurance in the final minute of the period on the powerplay. Parekh found Joel Farabee with a cross-seam pass, and with Dostal caught well out of position, Farabee fired the puck into the open net to make it 3-1 after 20 minutes.

Anaheim started chipping away in the second period.

At 12:02, Tristan Luneau ripped a shot past Wolf to bring the Ducks within one. It was a much-needed response for Anaheim, who had spent much of the opening period chasing the game.

The comeback continued early in the third.

Just 55 seconds into the period, with the Ducks on the power play, Leo Carlsson took a pass from Beckett Sennecke and blasted a shot past Wolf to tie the game at three.

Anaheim continued to push, and with just 1:34 remaining, Cutter Gauthier finished a one-timer to give the Ducks their first lead of the night.

Nikita Nesterenko added an empty-net goal to seal the 5-3 victory, completing the comeback and leaving Calgary with another difficult result.

Three Takeaways

1. Zayne Parekh continues to show his offensive instincts

Parekh looked engaged early, moving the puck well and creating opportunities from the blueline. His cross-seam pass to Farabee on the power play was a great example of the offensive instincts that make him such an intriguing young player. He’s continuing to show what he can bring to Calgary’s lineup.

2. William Stromgren finds the scoresheet again

Stromgren continues to make the most of his opportunity since being recalled. The forward picked up his second career NHL goal in his third game since returning to the Flames, getting himself into the right spot to capitalize on the rebound.

3. Morgan Frost continues to produce

Frost picked up two assists on the night, adding to his recent offensive contributions. He reached the 200-point mark in his previous outing, and continues to provide the Flames with an important offensive presence through the middle of the ice.

Who: Pittsburgh Penguins (5-9-2, 12 points, 7th place Metropolitan Division) @ Los Angeles Kings (5-7-2, 12 points, 7th place Pacific Division)

When: 9:00 p.m. ET

How to Watch: Locally televised game on ABTV and Sportsnet Pittsburgh, streaming for out of market at ESPN+

Pens’ Path Ahead: The Penguins have less than 24 hours from tonight’s puck drop before the team’s next game starts at 8 p.m. ET Sunday in Anaheim. The Pens will then stick around on the West Coast for a Wednesday game against the San Jose Sharks before returning to Pittsburgh to play the Ottawa Senators next Saturday.

Opponent Track: The Kings opened the season on a six-game losing streak but have since gone 5-3, most recently claiming a 7-2 win Wednesday over the visiting San Jose Sharks.

Season Series: The Penguins will see the Kings again Dec. 17 in Pittsburgh.

Hidden Stat: The Kings were the last team in the NHL to record their first win this season after their 0-4-2 opening to the campaign, per The Athletic’s Eric Stephens.

Getting to know the Kings

Projected lines

FORWARDS

Artemi Panarin – Alex Laferriere – Adrian Kempe

Trevor Moore – Quinton Byfield – Corey Perry

Andre Lee – Scott Laughton – Martin Chromiak

Erik Haula – Kenny Connors – Joel Armia

DEFENSEMEN

Erik Gustafsson / Brandt Clarke

Joel Edmundson / Drew Doughty

Mikey Anderson / Brian Dumoulin

Goalies: Darcy Kuemper, Anton Forsberg

Potential scratches: Alex Turcotte (day to day), Cody Ceci, Samuel Helenius

Injured Reserve: Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Fiala (LTIR)

• The most dangerous part of the Kings’ lineup is the first line, which has combined for more than a third of the team’s total production so far this season. Adrian Kempe, in his first game back from an absence due to illness, scored his first hat trick of the season in Wednesday’s win against the Sharks.

• Kenny Connors, who was recently called up from the AHL, made his season debut and recorded his first NHL point during the Kings’ Wednesday win over the Sharks.
• There are a few ex-Penguins playing in Los Angeles. Brian Dumoulin, who is in his second season with the Kings, recently skated in his 800th career game. Cody Ceci has appeared in seven games but has become a regular healthy scratch from the roster.

Special teams notes

• The Kings have struggled with one of the NHL’s least effective power plays early this season, but the unit might be bouncing back now that Kempe has returned to the lineup. Los Angeles went 3-for-5 on the man advantage Wednesday against the Sharks.

• Penalty killing is still a problem for this team. The Kings allowed two power-play goals from the Sharks and currently rank last in the NHL with a 62.2 percent success rate on the man disadvantage. The Penguins will hope that sparks some life in their own power play, which has fired at just a 16 percent success rate over this 2-7-1 stretch.

Season stats
via hockeydb

There are a lot of similarities between the Kings and Penguin rosters at first glance. The Kings are one of the oldest teams in the NHL. They’re not getting much production outside of their veteran players. And they’re stuck in the awkward spot between a retool and a rebuild after getting eliminated from the first round of last year’s playoffs.

The Kings might still be hoping this team is one superstar away from contention. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported earlier this week the Kings have “already talked about” a potential trade for Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov and “would be all over it if possible.”

And now for the Pens

Projected lines 

FORWARDS

Tommy Novak – Sidney Crosby – Rickard Rakell

Egor Chinakhov – Ben Kindel – Evgeni Malkin

Ville Koivunen – Hendrix Lapierre – Justin Brazeau

Connor Dewar – Blake Lizotte – Nick Robertson

DEFENSEMEN

Sam Girard / Erik Karlsson

Spencer Stastney / Kaeden Korczak

Declan Carlile / Kris Letang

Goalies: Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov

Potential Scratches: Andrei Kuzmenko, Ilya Solovyov

IR: Ryan Graves, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Elmer Soderblom, Bryan Rust

• Jake Livanavage didn’t see any action before he rejoined the Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins for their Friday night game.
• Both Penguins goaltenders will likely be in action this weekend given the upcoming back-to-back coming against the Anaheim Ducks.
• Despite the Penguins’ struggles, Nick Robertson has proved to be one of the most effective offseason additions in the NHL. Per Pens PR, he ranks fifth in goalscoring among players that joined a new team ahead of the season.
• The Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks are the only two teams in the NHL heading into Saturday with fewer standings points than the Penguins.
• The Penguins are on their second four-game losing streak of the season. The Pens last lost more than four games in a row last December, when the team went 0-4-4 from Dec. 7 to Dec. 20 before rallying to win seven of their next eight games.

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Cutter Gauthier broke a tie with 1:34 left to extend his goals streak to five games and help the Anaheim Ducks beat the Calgary Flames 5-3 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory.

The Ducks are the first team since the 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins to score at least five goals in seven consecutive games.

Gauthier one-timed a pass from Mikael Granlund. He has scored 10 of his 12 goals this season during the five-game streak.

Jeff Malott, Tristan Luneau, Leo Carlsson and Nikita Nesterenko, into an empty net, also scored for Anaheim. Granlund and Beckett Sennecke each had two assists.

William Stromgren, Joel Hanley and Joel Farabee scored for Calgary. Morgan Frost and Zayne Parekh each had a pair of assists as the Flames’ five-game home winning streak ended.

Lukas Dostal got the start for Anaheim, but was chased after giving up three goals on 11 shots in the first period. Ville Husso, who gave up seven goals in his last appearance, came on in relief and stopped all 10 shots he faced. He improved to 2-3-0.

Dustin Wolf, making his third straight start, had 24 stops for Calgary.

SABRES 5, BLUE JACKETS 2

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Norris scored twice, defenseman Owen Power had three assists and Buffalo beat Columbus.

Norris ended a six-game goals drought to help Buffalo win for the fourth time in five games.

Jack Quinn, Rasmus Dahlin and Josh Doan also scored, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 24 saves.

Kent Johnson and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus, and Jet Greaves made 32 saves. The Blue Jackets have lost three straight road games.

Quinn opened the scoring at 6:50 of the first period with his ninth of the season, and Johnson tied it with 4:00 left in the period with his eighth. Norris made it 2-1 with 1:50 to go in the first with his first goal since Oct. 17.

Dahlin made it 3-1 with a one-timer 4:30 into the second period. Norris’ second goal at 9:46 made it 4-1. Doan made it 5-1 1:07 later.

Werenski’s power-play goal with 1:39 left in the third made it 5-2.

WILD 4, SHARKS 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his NHL-leading 16th goal and added three assists in Minnesota's victory over San Jose.

Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists, and Maxim Shabanov and Zach Bogosian also scored for the Wild. They are 6-0-1 in their last seven games and have 27 points, tops in the Western Conference.

Jesper Wallstedt stopped 23 shots for his 11th victory in 16 starts, both tops among NHL goalies.

Macklin Celebrini scored and Yaroslav Askarov made 25 saves for the Sharks. They are 1-6-0 in their last seven games

Shabanov broke a 1-1 tie with a power-play goal with 5:45 left in the second period. Kaprizov zipped a cross-ice pass through the slot that Shabanov redirected past Askarov at the far post.

Hughes made it 3-1 when he skated across the high slot before sending a wrist shot over Askarov’s shoulder at 6:55 of the third period.

Bogosian later added his first goal of the season to seal the win for Minnesota.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up a hard-fought 5-4 overtime win against the Utah Mammoth on Nov. 5. 

Canadiens defenseman Adam Engstrom had a big moment in the contest. This is because he scored his first career NHL goal at the 14:54 mark of the third period, which forced overtime. 

Engstrom's goal was a good one, too, as he showed patience with the puck before beating Mammoth goaie Sebastian Cossa with a nice snap shot. 

Engstrom scoring an important goal like this is certainly big for him. The 22-year-old defenseman is trying to prove that he is ready to be a full-time NHL defenseman. Having a clutch moment like that will certainly help his chances of becoming just that. 

Engstrom is a promising prospect in the Canadiens' system and has the tools to become a good NHL blueliner. Thus, the 2022 third-round pick is certainly a defenseman who the Habs are hoping continues to trend in the right direction with his development. 

Engstrom took a nice step forward last season in the AHL with the Laval Rocket, as he posted 10 goals, 34 points, and a plus-14 rating in 45 games. Now, he is beginning to show off his skill at the NHL level, and he will be a big player to watch as this campaign rolls on because of it. 

The Chicago Blackhawks are as lousy as any team in the National Hockey League. At 4-12-1, their playoff hopes are over, and it is still multiple weeks before American Thanksgiving. At some point, changes are going to be made, as they always are with underperforming NHL teams. 

However, no team lacks silver linings. For the Chicago Blackhawks, one of those is rookie forward Roman Kantserov. Sometimes he plays center, and other times (especially recently) he plays on the wing. 

In Kantserov's last 7 games, all on the top line with Connor Bedard, he has a point in all of them. He is the first Blackhawks rookie to have a 7-game point streak since Jonathan Toews did so in 2007-08. Toews's went all the way up to 10. 

Only Toews and Jeremy Roenick have had such a point streak as a rookie over the last 40 years. That is some elite company to find your name next to. 

Entering action on Friday, while the Blackhawks are idle, Kantserov leads all NHL rookies with 8 goals. His 10 points are only 2 off the rookie scoring lead, which he is tied for 4th. If this type of goal-scoring and point-producing production continues, his name will start to be involved in the inevitable Calder Trophy conversations. 

Anton Frondell is the other high-end rookie on the Blackhawks. He is the better all-around player, but offensive statistics are usually what catch the eyes of voters. Frondell is great defensively for a first-year player, and he is a top-ten rookie scorer with 8 points, but Kantserov's offensive totals are slightly more impressive at this time. 

Chicago is unlikely to climb out of the hole that they have dug themselves into. However, there is room for the team to improve and not let this season go totally to waste. Seeing where Kantserov can take his goal (and point) totals is important for the future of the team.

Last season, Kantserov led the KHL in goal scoring at such a young age. During that time, he caught the attention of the hockey world and made it clear that he had what it takes to produce in the NHL. When they made him a 2nd-round pick (44th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft, there was a lot of faith that he'd be a good player. So far, he's exceeded expectations. 

Right now, Kantserov is on pace for 40 goals. That would be an impressive goal total for Connor Bedard or Patrick Kane in his prime. For Kantserov to reach a number like that would be as impressive a total as any rookie goal scorer has had in Blackhawks history. 

Is it likely he gets that many? No. But if he can finish in the 20s and perhaps flirt with 30, he will make it clear that he is a long-term piece for their top-nine forward group as an above-average sniper in the NHL. 

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When Cole Caufield scored the overtime game-winning goal on Thursday night, it was more than just the goal that helped the Montreal Canadiens beat the Utah Mammoth; it also helped him set a new NHL record.

With that lamplighter, the 15th of his career in overtime, he became the fastest player in league history to score 15 overtime goals. The American winger took just 384 games to reach that milestone. In the process, he overtook some elite players in the 15-overtime-goals club. Connor McDavid held the record until Thursday night, having needed 559 games to reach the milestone. Sebastian Aho is now in third place; he needed 645 games to reach the 15-OT-goal club, while Alexander Ovechkin did it in 653 games.

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In other words, it took Caufield 175 games less than it took McDavid to score 15 OT goals. The mark needs context; the young Canadiens haven’t always been good at closing out a game in regulation or protecting a lead, which gave Caufield plenty of opportunities to score overtime goals. Not trying to take anything away from the sniper, but Montreal has struggled to win in regulation for quite a while.

GOAL CAUFIELD MAKES HISTORY 🔵⚪️🔴 pic.twitter.com/IylhNf7bgZ

— NHL (@NHL) November 6, 2026

In 2020-21, the Habs only had 17 wins in 60 minutes; in 2021-22, the Canadiens were dead last in regulation wins with just 16. The year after, in 2022-23, they were 27th in the league with 21 regulation wins. In 2023-24, they were 28th with just 20 victories before extra time. In 2024-25, they climbed to 21st place with 30 regulation wins; last season, they were ninth in the league with 34.

In 2020-21, despite playing only 10 regular-season games, the sniper scored two overtime goals; in 2021-22, Caufield added two more. In 2022-23, he played only 46 games and scored no overtime goals. In 2023-24, he had 3, followed by 1 the following year, five last season, and two in just 16 games this year.

Whichever way you slice it, Caufield remains an incredibly clutch player, and the Canadiens can thank their lucky star that he fell all the way to 15 in the 2019 draft. Given how many goals he can score, it shouldn’t surprise anyone when other players try to get him off his game, just like MacKenzie Weegar did on Thursday night.

Embarrassing stuff by Utah’s Mackenzie Weegar pic.twitter.com/QiU5oDUCIy

— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 6, 2026

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The Buffalo Sabres wasted an excellent performance from Colten Ellis in the opener of their four-game homestand against Ottawa on Wednesday, as Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio scored in the final 10 minutes of regulation to hand the Atlantic rival Senators a 2-1 victory. 

After the game, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated he was not pleased with his club’s effort, stating that they were outskated and outworked, and because of that, the Sabres have scratched two players who have been in the lineup for every one of their 15 games. 

Center Ryan McLeod, whose lost defensive zone draw and failed coverage led to Pinto’s tying goal, did not take line rushes at the club’s morning skate on Friday in preparation for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Defenseman Louis Crevier, who played a team-low 8:05 on Wednesday is also expected to be a healthy scratch. 

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Prior to Wednesday’s game, Ruff said that both forward Jiri Kulich and defenseman Conor Timmins were ready to return to the lineup. Kulich took McLeod’s spot on the wing with Josh Norris and Jason Zucker, while Timmins is expected to pair with Zach Metsa. 

"(McLeod) knows he needs to be better,” Ruff said. “He’s taken full responsibility (for the miscue) and understands. It's not about not playing tonight; it's really about what the next game is going to look like. When you meet with a player and you go through details of the game, there’s a lot more to the game than just that faceoff." 

Crevier, who signed a four-year, $16 million extension before the season, has just one assist in 15 games after scoring 25 points with Chicago last season, but Timmins, who was injured in the preseason after an excellent showing in the playoffs, is ready to make his first start of the campaign.  

The Sabres will start Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in goal, The Blue Jackets are coming off a 2-1 shootout victory over Dallas on Thursday and will go with Jet Greaves in goal in the second of back-to-back games. Buffalo announced that they have placed defenseman Jack Rathbone on waivers. Rathbone was injured during training camp and needs to clear to be demoted to the AHL Rochester Americans.

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