Category: NHL

Pregame

Evgeni Malkin’s illness leads to his first missed game of the season, Avery Hayes gets called up from the AHL and hops right into Malkin’s spot in the lineup. Arturs Silovs gets his third game in a row in net.

Tonight's lines vs. Nashville ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/gZ0PMH1Opu

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 24, 2026

Nashville comes to town with this lineup for the night.

#Preds lineup in warmups:

Stamkos-O'Reilly-Wood
Forsberg-Bourque-Marchessault
Pinchuk-Kerfoot-Hoglander
Colton-Drury-Edstrom

Josi-Wilsby
Hague-Struble
Skjei-Perbix

Saros
Annunen

— Brooks Bratten (@brooksbratten) October 24, 2026

First period

Nashville scores first 9:24 into the game, unfortunate bounce for the Pens when the puck goes off Steven Stamkos’ skate and in. 1-0.

Head, shoulders, knees & SKATES 🚨 pic.twitter.com/sLZIE437Nr

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 24, 2026

Elmer Soderblom draws a penalty, power play doesn’t cash in.

Pretty decent period for the Penguins, a bad bounce has them down on the scoreboard but they’re only one shot away after 20 minutes.

Second period

It takes 18 seconds to tie the game. Connor Dewar fights through to the middle of the ice and smacks a puck by Juuse Saros. 1-1.

DEW YOU LIKE THIS?! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ddKU9HkOUo

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 25, 2026

The Pens get a lot of pressure but it’s Nashville that scores next. Spencer Stastney doesn’t play a puck cleanly behind his net, it makes its way out to Jayden Struble and the defender takes a quick shot to the top of the net. 2-1 NSH.

Stroobs first goal with the #Preds is a beauty 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Sv0xcyf0WI

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) October 25, 2026

The Predators try to build on it, Silovs makes a big save on Ross Colton then has to deny Ryan O’Rielly on a 2-on-1.

ARTURS SILOVS SAYS NO 🧱 pic.twitter.com/rVxokmoSVC

— NHL (@NHL) October 25, 2026

More Pittsburgh pressure leads to Ville Koivunen setting up Hayes for a nice chance in tight. Saros is playing well and makes the save.

The Pens keep pushing, in the very dying seconds the Preds get on the counter-attack. Silovs comes way out of the crease to make a save, he does but leaves a rebound. Jack Drury finds it and jabs the puck into the open net, luckily for Pittsburgh it goes in just tenths of a second after the clock hits 0.0

Again, mostly not bad from the Pens. The difference in the game has been Saros playing really well. He’s stopped 24 of 25 Pittsburgh shots through 40 minutes.

Third period

A frenetic third period sees chances at both ends. Dewar takes a penalty to send Nashville to their first power play of the night. It’s Rickard Rakell who gets the best chance during it, though Saros stops him on a breakaway.

The Pens pull Silovs with a little over two minutes to play. It pays off with a 6v5 goal. Sidney Crosby wires a pass through the zone, Rakell is there to one-time it off Saros’ shoulder and into the net. Tie game with 1:06 remaining.

RICKARD RAKELL, FOLKS 🙌 pic.twitter.com/70JxmeLSVm

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 25, 2026

Overtime

The Pens hold onto the puck for almost all of overtime, until Koivunen ends it. He finds the extra space to wheel around in the o-zone, get to the middle of the ice and fire a wrister past Saros. 3-2 OT win.

The Saturday Night Special ™️ pic.twitter.com/xQr62Zwuwa

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 25, 2026

Some thoughts

• Down three top-six forwards (Malkin, Chinakhov, Rust) and two defensemen from the opening night lineup (Girard, van Riemsdyk), not to mention Kindel, it was always going to be an uphill climb for the home team tonight. Didn’t help that Saros can be one of the top goalies in the league when he’s on his game and he was certainly on his game tonight. Saros was the reason this wasn’t a Pittsburgh regulation win, it’s a shame for him to give up two late goals and end up taking the L as a result. He didn’t truly deserve that.
• Had a note written up here about the struggles for Rakell, highlighted by his denial on a breakaway in the third period. Luckily he was able to tie the game late and shake that off. Captain obvious statement, but that ended up being a really, really big goal. Without it the Pens might have lost in regulation at home to a team that isn’t exactly a powerhouse and fall to a 4-7-1 record on the season. Rising up to 5-6-1 might not sound THAT much better on the surface but the difference is a swing from a .375 points% to a .458% and is pretty sizeable.
• That nice play aside, the first line is in shambles. Crosby didn’t have a shot on goal for the second game in a row. Rakell was able to come through when it mattered most in a 6v5 situation, brings little elsewise. Novak, for his talents, hasn’t given a boost there. Great to see Crosby create the game-tying goal late in the third period, it was a frustratingly quiet game for him up to that point. About the only notable moment for him was the linesman accidentally judo chopping the captain in the face.
• It’s a minor note, yet still something to point out that the Lapierre-Koivunen pairing has been impressing. Lapierre is good at holding pucks and rotating all over the ice in the offensive zone. Koivunen does about the same. It looks like the two of them operate on the same level, mentally. Nice little connection there. The Pens didn’t have a lot of options for a 3v3, but credit the coaches for throwing that pair out there in OT. It ended up winning them the game.
• Similarly, it can be hit or miss but liked the flashes at times from Soderblom. He drew the only Pittsburgh power play of the night. He got an assist, his first point on the season. He made a couple of dekes and power moves to use his size and reach in the offensive zone. That all happened in the first half of the game and then Soderblom wasn’t standing out much in the latter part. As close as it seems sometimes for him to fully break out and start to make progress then sometimes it seems like he recedes into the background too much.
• Avery Hayes has the gift in making you want to see more of him. That always seems like the case and surely was tonight in his NHL season debut. Five shots on goal, three hits and a takeaway in under 13 minutes of action. His game is simple, yet he’s going to be a factor with the high energy level he brings. As we’ve said before and will say again, there’s a lot of Tyler Kennedy in his game for an up-tempo player that never passed up an opportunity to put the puck on target when the chance pops up. A lot happens in Hayes’ minutes. Most of it is good for his team.
• It’s been rare for a goalie for the Penguins to start three in a row like Silovs did tonight. Based on his efforts, wouldn’t be surprised or against him getting a fourth on Monday. Silovs made a couple of the important saves that he needed to make to hold his team in the game. It ended up paying off in the end. Another strong effort for him and nice way to build off the last game.

This was a gutsy effort by a depleted team, and now they get a respite from the schedule with four days off before Utah comes to town on Thursday. That’s coming up at the right time and hopefully the Pens can get some bodies back by the next time they have to play. Tonight, it wasn’t the prettiest, but taking two points at the end of the night is the most you can ask for.

They say it’s sometimes the trades that you don’t make that make the team better. 

But other times, the trades you don’t make have a negative impact. And now that the trade for star goalie  Connor Hellebuyck has been completed, we have to ask – why weren’t the Buffalo Sabres ready, willing and able to beat the offer the New Jersey Devils gave to the Winnipeg Jets to make Hellebuyck a Sabre?

Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen spoke out this week about his goaltending situation – almost as if he were doing some pre-emptive damage control. But when you look at the meagre trade package the Jets got for Hellebuyck – a mid-level forward in Dawson Mercer; a young prospect in Alexander Command; a couple meaningless draft picks, and a forward in Nick Bjugstad who may not play a game for Buffalo – it’s not unfair to ask, was that all it took to land a Hart Trophy and a three-time Vezina Trophy?

It’s true Kekalainen tried to make a major transaction last season when he attempted to acquire defenseman Colton Parayko from the St. Louis Blues. Parayko wound up kiboshing the trade thanks to his no-trade clause. And to be fair, he did pull off a heist when he traded defenseman Bowen Byran for the fourth-overall draft pick. 

But failing to put together a trade package that would appeal to the Jets borders on criminal for Kekalainen and the Sabres. It’s not as if Buffalo is bereft of trade capital. The Sabres currently have some dynamic young players, and that’s great. But what they do not have is a superstar netminder with a track record for doing big things, both in the NHL and on the international stage. 

And the thing that really ought to grind the gears of Sabres fans is that Hellebuyck is a cost-controlled asset on a very team-friendly contract paying him $8-million for another four seasons after this one. That contract is highly-likely to look better and better as the salary cap ceiling continues to rise in the coming years. And Buffalo’s inability to acquire a true difference-maker like Hellebuyck is an indictment of Kekalainen and a form of trade paralysis that doesn’t serve the Sabres well at all.

At some point, Buffalo fans are going to start demanding that a needle-mover gets acquired. Kekalainen can talk all he wants about trusting and believing in his current group of players. But fans are a different story, and long-suffering Sabres fans deserve to have a legitimate star acquired via trade. That just doesn’t happen, though, so it’s clear why Buffalo fans would be let down that the Sabres couldn’t beat the Devils’ offer.

Hellebuyck is a workhorse who would’ve easily amped up the confidence level of Buffalo players. Instead, it’s the same old story when it comes to acquiring an elite player – ‘coulda, woulda, shoulda’ – and Sabres fans are no doubt exhausted by all the excuses.

Sabres fans – the paying public – would’ve been elated to welcome Hellebuyck to Buffalo. And imagine how a Hellebuyck trade would’ve invigorated the Sabres’ dressing room. But now, seeing what the Devils gave up for him, it’s fair for Sabres fans to say ‘how come we couldn’t beat that offer?’ It’s not every day a top-level netminder comes available, and Buffalo could’ve swooped in at any point in the off-season or now with a strong trade package that Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff couldn’t say ‘no’ to. 

Instead, the Sabres turned out again to be the bridesmaid and never the bride when it comes to acquiring a high-profile NHLer like Hellebuyck. And if Kekalainen doesn’t pull off a trade that brings a name-brand player to Buffalo, the Sabres will rightly be ripped by media and fans alike.

You can’t blame Buffalo fans to have been envisioning Hellebuyck in a Sabres uniform. And another GM – say, Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka – would’ve moved heaven and earth to acquire a player of Hellebuyck’s stature. But meek little Buffalo just shrugs their shoulders and plugs away with the cast they’ve got. If you’re a Sabres fan, it all feels so underwhelming. And not finding a way to beat New Jersey’s offer is a significant error and missed opportunity for Buffalo.

A former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman is on the move. 

This is because the Washington Capitals have claimed defenseman Jack St. Ivany off of waivers from the Winnipeg Jets. With this news, the former Penguins defenseman is now a member of one of Pittsburgh's biggest division rivals. 

St. Ivany played in four games this season with the Jets before being claimed off waivers by the Capitals. During them, he recorded zero points, five blocks, six hits, and a minus-1 rating. 

St. Ivany will provide the Capitals with more defensive depth with this waiver claim. The 27-year-old will now be looking to impress with the Capitals from here.

St. Ivany spent each of his first three NHL seasons with the Penguins from 2023-24 to 2025-26. In 53 games with the Penguins over that span, he posted nine assists, 63 blocks, 116 hits, and a plus-1 rating. His best season with Pittsburgh was this past campaign, though, he recorded a career-high seven assists in 20 games.

The Penguins traded St. Ivany to the Jets this off-season in exchange for forward David Gustafsson. Now, with this news, his time in Winnipeg is already over. 

DALLAS — The day before a game in which he’s set to be the main character, Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer was typically understated regarding his own return here. 

“I’ve done this a few times [in] a few different spots,” DeBoer said after the Islanders practiced Saturday. “Your first game back’s always a little special. Just because a lot of people you spend time with and work with and players. So it was a great chapter in my coaching career. I’m now coaching the Islanders and focused on that.” 

Some exits are smoother than others, though, even in a profession where you are hired to be fired. 

DeBoer’s exit from Texas might be described as memorable for the wrong reasons. 

After coaching the Stars to the Western Conference Final for the third time in as many seasons, DeBoer’s club fell behind 3-1 in the series and 2-0 on the Oilers’ first two shots of Game 5, prompting him to shockingly pull star goaltender Jake Oettinger for Casey DeSmith. 

The Stars lost anyway. In the game’s immediate aftermath, DeBoer, in essence, tossed Oettinger under the bus. 

“We had talked endlessly in this series about trying to play with a lead, and obviously, we were in a 2-0 hole right away,” DeBoer told reporters. “I didn’t take that lightly, and I didn’t blame it all on Jake, but the reality is: If you go back to last year’s playoffs, he’s lost six of seven games to Edmonton. And we gave up two goals on two shots in an elimination game. So it was partly to spark our team and wake them up. And partly knowing that status quo had not been working and that’s a pretty big sample size.” 

Less than a week later, the Stars let go of DeBoer. 

Having already stated regret about those comments in a September 2025 interview with the NHL’s website, saying he “should have redirected the topic to reflect that this wasn’t about [Oettinger], this was about all of us,” when questions about the goaltender came up, it’s not altogether shocking that DeBoer didn’t want to get into it Saturday. 

Did he run into Oettinger when both were in Milan for the Olympic Games last February? 

“I did run into Jake and chatted with Jake; yep,” DeBoer said. 

Having been out of the league until the Islanders hired him with four games to go last season, that would have been the only immediately obvious opportunity for the two to speak. DeBoer didn’t go into any of that detail, but Oettinger was far from the only one of his former players he ran into while in Italy. 

“You’re running into all kinds of players. I had [Marek] Zidlicky, who I coached at the New Jersey Devils; he was coaching with the Czech team. I ran into him in the meal room,” DeBoer said. “I ran into all the Finns, obviously, that I coached in Dallas. We had a big contingent of Finnish players that I really enjoyed working with. So I ran into all of them. Just about everybody.” 

With the Islanders, DeBoer so far is thriving. Heading into a three-game trip that begins Sunday against the Stars, the Isles had points in five in a row and looked like a noticeably more detailed team under his tutelage. 

“I think right now, you just keep building your game,” Ryan Pulock said. “I think we keep working on all our little details in practice, talking about them daily. You’re starting to see it in game: limiting chances, limiting time spent in our own zone, doing a good job in the neutral [zone]. 

“We played some skilled, fast teams and we’ve controlled the neutral zone pretty well. I think what he brings in is his structure, his leadership. Everything that he preaches, guys listen. It’s really starting to show in the way we’re playing.”

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Brett Pesce scored the go-ahead goal and Jake Allen made 12 saves as the Devils beat the Los Angeles Kings, 3-1, on Saturday for their third-straight win.

Anthony Mantha and Artemy Gritsyuk also scored for the Devils, who also beat Colorado and Anaheim on their current homestand. New Jersey has won five of six. Allen improved to 5-2-0 this season.

Scott Laughton scored for Los Angeles, which saw its two-game winning streak snapped. Anton Forsberg made 23 saves.

Pesce beat Forsberg at 8:08 of the third period after the defenseman found a clear lane through traffic in the Los Angeles zone. Luke Evangelista and Gritsyuk assisted on Pesce’s first goal this season.

Before the game, the Devils introduced newly-acquired goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. The 33-year-old Hellebuyck won 345 games in 11 seasons with Winnipeg and is a three-time winner of the Vezina Trophy.

New Jersey included goaltender Nico Daws, who won against Anaheim on Thursday, in the trade for Hellebuyck on Friday. Remi Poirier, who has yet to play an NHL game, dressed as Allen’s backup on Saturday.

Laughton scored at 15:57 of the second, driving the puck past Allen for his second goal.

Mantha tied the game about three minutes later with his third goal.

Gritsyuk scored his team-leading sixth goal into an empty net at 18:55.

The Kings had a power-play chance when New Jersey’s Timo Meier was called for tripping at 12:59 of the third but were unable to tie the game.

Los Angeles was coming off road wins over Washington and the New York Islanders to start its four-game trip after losing its first six games.

Up next

Kings: At the New York Rangers on Monday.

Devils: At Dallas on Tuesday.

The injury woes of the Pittsburgh Penguins continue to pile on only 11 games into the 2026-27 regular season.

And, this time, it's affecting their blue line.

With defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk already on injured reserve (IR), the Penguins added to the list Saturday, placing the left-shot Samuel Girard on IR with an upper-body injury. He was injured during the Penguins' 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 17 and has not appeared in a game since.

The placement of Girard on IR gives the Penguins three forwards and three defensemen officially on the IR shelf, with forward Egor Chinakhov also designated as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. In addition, forward Evgeni Malkin will miss Saturday's game against the Nashville Predators with an illness. 

Defenseman Sam Girard has been placed on Injured Reserve. 
 
Forward Avery Hayes has been recalled from the @WBSPenguins (AHL). pic.twitter.com/tKFocB7Nxm

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 24, 2026

In a corresponding move to Girard, the Penguins recalled forward Avery Hayes from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), and he is expected to be in the lineup Saturday.

The 24-year-old forward has five goals and nine points in nine AHL games to start the season, and he registered five goals in 16 games at the NHL level last season. The 5-foot-10, 189-pound native of Westland, Mi. is in the final year of his two-year entry-level contract and has yet to play an NHL game in 2026-27. 

Including Hayes, the Penguins - without Malkin and Chinakhov - have just 12 healthy forwards and one extra defenseman, as they recalled right-shot blueliner Chase Pietila from WBS Thursday.

Pittsburgh Penguins V. Nashville Predators Preview: Lineups, Where To WatchThe Penguins are 7-0-2 in their last nine games against the Predators.

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Saturday evening marks the final time the Detroit Red Wings will face the Calgary Flames at the historic Scotiabank Saddledome, which is set to close following the 2026-27 NHL season.

The Flames have called the venue home since October 1983 but will soon move to the nearby Scotia Place, which is currently under construction and scheduled to open next fall.

The occasion is reminiscent of a decade ago, when the Red Wings were playing their final season at historic Joe Louis Arena, which had served as their home since 1979.

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

The Saddledome has been the scene for several memorable moments in Red Wings history, including the October 1995 debut of the Russian Five. It marked the first time in NHL history that five Soviet/Russian-born players took the ice together as one unit.

The venue also holds significance for Mike Vernon, the 1997 Conn Smythe Trophy winner who began his NHL career with Calgary and helped the Flames win the Stanley Cup in 1989.

"He's Feeling Good": Lucas Raymond Heating Up For Red Wings Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond now has three goals in his last two games, including a two-goal performance on Thursday in Detroit's 5-2 win over the Canucks.

In 2004, Martin Gelinas ended Detroit’s season with an overtime goal in the Western Conference Semifinals. Three years later, Johan Franzen scored the series-winning goal in double overtime to send the Red Wings to the next round.

In regular season play, the Red Wings have a record of 30-32-2-2. 

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After snapping a four-game skid on Thursday in a commanding 4-0 win over the Florida Panthers, the Pittsburgh Penguins will look to build on that when they take on the Nashville Predators Saturday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins played a full 60 minutes Thursday, getting contributions from up and down their new-look lineup. They were without the services of forwards Bryan Rust and Ben Kindel - who were both placed on injured reserve Thursday - and it appears they will be without another forward Saturday.

Forward Evgeni Malkin, who missed Friday's team practice with an illness and who registered a goal and two points in Thursday's win, was ruled out by Penguins' head coach Dan Muse after the morning skate, which Malkin participated in. Forward Egor Chinakhov, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury, is expected to miss his second consecutive game.

In addition, defenseman Sam Girard was officially placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury, and the Penguins recalled forward Avery Hayes from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) to fill Malkin's hole in the lineup. 

Goaltender Arturs Silovs - who posted a 25-save shutout Thursday - will get his second consecutive nod in goal Saturday.

There were no line rushes during the Penguins' optional morning skate, and it is difficult to tell where Hayes will fit into a lineup that was already shorthanded to a pretty large degree. He has had some legitimate chemistry with Rutger McGroarty in WBS, and both had nine points in six AHL games, so it won't come as a surprise if they begin the game on the same line.

Takeaways: Penguins Deliver Near-Perfect 60-Minute Effort In 4-0 Win Over Panthers To Snap Four-Game Losing StreakAfter a disastrous, winless four-game Western road trip, the Penguins put together their best effort of the season Thursday against Florida.

Here are the projected lines from THN - Pittsburgh for Saturday's game:

Forwards
Tommy Novak-Sidney Crosby-Rickard Rakell
Andrei Kuzmenko-Hendrix Lapierre-Ville Koivunen
Avery Hayes-Blake Lizotte-Rutger McGroarty
Elmer Soderblom-Connor Dewar-Nick Robertson

Defense
Spencer Stastney-Erik Karlsson
Declan Carlile-Kaedan Korczak
Ilya Solovyov-Kris Letang

The Predators are coming into this one 3-3-3 to start the season, and the Penguins are 7-0-2 in their last nine games against Nashville. They currently sit seventh in the Central Division standings and have a minus-7 goal differential. 

36-year-old center Steven Stamkos has started the season hot with four goals and 10 points in nine games, and projected starting goaltender Juuse Saros is 3-2-2 with a .906 save percentage in seven appearances.

Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X."

Former Penguins' Defenseman Placed On WaiversLost in the headlines for the Winnipeg Jets Friday was the placement of an ex-Penguin on the waiver wire.

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The Florida Panthers had some new-look forward lines when they took the ice on Saturday in Chicago.

Fresh off a pair of lopsided defeats in Ottawa and Pittsburgh, the Panthers will be looking to get back on track when they face the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon at United Center.

Florida head coach Paul Maurice was not pleased with his players following the back-to-back losses and said he would be looking for a way to turn things back around ahead of Saturday’s skate.

“I think it looked the way I thought it did from the bench,” Maurice said. “We’ve got some things we’ve got to clean up in our game and we have an opportunity to do that tomorrow.”

When the team took the ice, it was apparent that Maurice had done some tinkering with the forward groupings.

The top line and the fourth line remained the same, but Maurice made a not-so-subtle move to his middle six.

Exciting young forward Sandis Vilmanis was bumped up to the second line, where he skated alongside Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe.

Vilmanis was a healthy scratch on Thursday.

“It’s just a little different look,” Maurice said. “When he was with Lundell and Luostarinen, I liked it early on but it’s starting to fall off a bit for me. We gave him a little bit of a reset, so he should have some good legs and good urgency in this game.”

Dependable forward Lars Eller, who Maurice has complimented several times during the early stages of the season, was on the left side of the Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen line.

In terms of defensive pairings, Radko Gudas was back with Dmitry Kulikov after being a healthy scratch during Thursday’s loss to the Penguins.

That was the only change on the blue line, as the top two pairings remained intact.

Between the pipes, Florida will turn back to Akira Schmid after giving rookie Cooper Black his first taste of NHL action on Thursday.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Saturday’s showdown in Chitown:

Brady Tkachuk – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk

Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Reinhart – Sandis Vilmanis

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Lars Eller

Boko Imama – Cole Schwindt – Garnet Hathaway

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Dmitry Kulikov – Radko Gudas

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Photo caption: Jan 10, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers left wingSandisVilmanis(95) chases the puck in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. (Marc DesRosiers-IMAGN Images)

The Philadelphia Flyers jumped out to 2-0 and 3-2 leads thanks to Matvei Michkov, Porter Martone, and Tyson Foerster, but the team collectively fell asleep for the last half of the second period and first half of the third period, dooming them to a 5-4 loss at home ice and snapping a three-game win streak.

Michkov opened the scoring for the Flyers on a 5-on-3 power play, rifling a shot from the high slot through screens from Foerster and Martone, beating Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal cleanly from range.

To set up the 5-on-3, rookie defenseman Hunter McDonald drilled Ducks forward Sam Colangelo with an open-ice hit, which prompted tough guy A.J. Greer to chase the Flyers defenseman down and initiate a fight.

McDonald escaped the fracas with only a five-minute penalty for fighting, while Colangelo was tagged for roughing and Greer was whistled for instigating and instigating, earning a 10-minute misconduct in the process.

After Michkov's goal on the 5-on-3, Martone joined in on the fun on the ensuing 5-on-4 chance, streaking back door and tapping in a pass from Travis Sanheim.

The Flyers went into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead and a commanding 11-6 shots on goal advantage, but the Ducks quickly came to life in the middle stanza.

Punishing a Nick Seeler turnover behind the net, Flyers archnemesis Cutter Gauthier set up Leo Carlsson for a goal from below the goal line, and Greer, back from his misconduct, tied the game at 2-2 with a fluky goal that bounced off the post and off Joseph Woll's skate, with the puck settling just enough past the goal line to count.

Foerster bought one back with a fluke goal of his own, racing down the ice on the penalty kill and flinging the puck at Dostal, who was beaten between the legs to allow the Flyers to take a 3-2 lead.

Rasmus Ristolainen Finally Returns from Injury for Flyers vs. DucksAfter a three-week absence, Rasmus Ristolainen officially returns for the Philadelphia Flyers.

Ducks forward Judd Caulfield tied the game at 3-3 only 1:15 later, cashing in on a wacky bounce in Woll's crease.

At the start of the third period, the Flyers still looked out of it, and Tristan Luneau's goal, which went through Woll, felt like a back-breaker. Trailing for the first time, the Flyers didn't begin to push back until Beckett Sennecke's redirect gave the Ducks a 5-3 lead, which was ultimately insurmountable.

Michkov, staying scoring hot, crashed the net 1:07 after Sennecke's tally to pull the Flyers within one, and despite a last hurrah that carried them through the end of the game, the Flyers came away empty-handed.

Although the Flyers were out-scored 4-1 at 5-on-5, special teams were the difference one way or another; the Flyers went 2-for-7 on the power play after starting 2-for-2, and the Ducks finished 1-for-4.

"Today good power play, a couple goals, and I think we need to stay hot on power play and five on five we have chance. We need score. We have today lots of chance. Five chances, one score. This is no good. We need hard work for chances. Chances we need score, score, score. Hard concentration, just one moment," Michkov assessed in the locker room after the game.

Denver Barkey Playing 'Underrated' Role in Flyers' Youth MovementThe Philadelphia Flyers are loving the detailed play they're getting from second-year pro Denver Barkey as the youth movement continues to expand.

In the end, the Flyers spent far too much time on special teams, and while their opponents contributed, the Flyers did themselves no favors in that regard, either.

Noel Acciari, who drew three penalties in Saturday afternoon's loss, took a retaliatory penalty by tackling Tim Washe, coming to the defense of Trevor Zegras, while Sean Couturier made the mistake of inadvertently pulling Jeff Malott's helmet off in a scrum, earning himself an unnecessary roughing penalty.

Flyers react to the loss to the Ducks

The Ducks didn't score on either penalty, though Luneau's goal came very shortly after Acciari left the penalty box.

"I think there's some undisciplined penalties that we got to stop doing. I mean, guys get hit, so what? Back in the day, we used to do all that stuff. I don't think you can do that nowadays," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said postgame.

"It's a clean hit. Take the guy's number, do it a different way. Everybody's got to be alert. I'd like us to be a little more disciplined."

Tocchet shared the assessment of Martone, who felt the sheer number of penalties affected the flow of the game.

Martone played 18:25 against the Ducks, but 6:29 of that came on the power play. For Michkov, it was 18:15 in total, and 5:59 on the power play.

The Flyers' two young stars combined with Noah Cates to provide the Flyers' only 5-on-5 goal of the afternoon.

"Lots of penalties. It kind of ruins the flow of the game," Martone said. "But I know this group, we want to win, everyone in this room. The way we fought back, the way we got one there in the third, we just couldn't buy another one."

In the loss, the Flyers eclipsed three goals for the first time this season. They're now 3-7-3 with a home game against the 3-5-0 Columbus Blue Jackets coming up on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.

In his 12 years as an NHL goalie, Connor Hellebuyck has strung together quite the resumé.

Since winning the Mike Richter Award, recognizing the strongest goalie in the NCAA, in 2014, he's become a three-time Vezina Trophy winner (2020, 2024, 2025), the first American-born netminder to win the Hart Trophy as the league-wide MVP (2025), and a three-time NHL All Star (2020, 2024, 2025). He's twice recorded the lowest goals against average across the NHL (2024, 2025), and most recently, he backstopped the United States men to their first Olympic gold since the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" Games.

But there's one honor that has evaded Hellebuyck so far: a Stanley Cup.

The 33-year-old said he believes that New Jersey is where he'll finally achieve that goal.

"[New Jersey's plan] aligns perfectly with where I'm at in my career. I'm here to win, and the only thing I've got left on my resume is a Stanley Cup," Hellebuyck said at his first news conference as a Devil on Saturday. "Seeing that these guys have got their vision tight on that as well, it's just going to fit perfectly."

Hellebuyck joins the Devils after a months-long trade saga that began after he requested to be moved from the Winnipeg Jets this summer. When the offseason came to a close with no agreement in sight, Hellebuyck failed to report to training camp on time, resulting in his suspension from the team.

The suspension was set to end on Friday. Instead, Hellebuyck found himself headed to the other side of the continent in a new set of colors. 

He hasn't played an NHL game since April 13, a 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. While he admits that his self-managed personal practices over the last several weeks don't quite match up to the NHL-caliber environment he's been missing, Hellebuyck is confident he'll find his ice legs again soon enough.

"I don't think, at this point in my career, it's going to take me long," he said. "That being said, I think that's just one of those challenges. You adapt, and you adapt quick, but I thankfully have some experience under my belt." 

Rumors swirled as the 2026-27 campaign got underway about which teams were interested in Hellebuyck. Though he has struggled in the playoffs historically, posting a 24-34 record across seven postseason campaigns, he offers a reliable veteran presence in net that could offer a significant boost to many teams around the league.

Hellebuyck entered the negotiation period with a complete no-movement clause, giving him full control over his destination. He said he was drawn to New Jersey due to the organization's skill, size on defense, culture, and willingness "to do whatever it takes" to earn a championship.

"Sitting at home for so long was getting to me," he said. "I'm joining a very skilled group. I know that they're bringing me in for a really specific role, and I'm really excited to try to fill that role — not only on the ice, but off the ice as well ... There's nothing to not be excited about."

The trade — which sent three players, a prospect drafted just this summer, and two draft picks to Winnipeg — slashed New Jersey's forward pool. But Devils general manager Sunny Mehta said Hellebuyck was worth it, especially if it means earning the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 2003. 

"Everything is about winning," said Mehta, who the Devils hired on April 16. "Everything is trying to make this team better every single day. That's been my goal since I got here."

Sharks let chance to win ‘slip away' vs. Bruins as they blow another late lead originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Sharks secured seven of 12 points on their six-game road trip, but they certainly feel like they let plenty of opportunities pass them by — especially after a tough 6-4 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at TD Garden.

San Jose fell apart again late in their trip-ending loss, allowing four Bruins goals in the third period after entering the frame with a 3-2 advantage. The defeat, which gave them a 3-2-1 road trip, marked the fifth time during the young 2026-27 NHL season the Sharks have blown a third-period lead, but just the second time it has resulted in a loss.

“We just shoot ourselves in the foot again,” Sharks defenseman Dmitry Orlov told reporters after the game. “I think it’s kind of happened almost every game. We’re not winning the battles when we have to. We’re not playing more hungry for the battles, for the puck, and that’s why we give up some goals. …

“It’s obviously frustrating, but we’ve played games and there’s a lot of games coming up. We have to learn and not do the same mistakes.”

After game-tying goals from Michael Misa in the first period (to make it 1-1) and Kiefer Sherwood in the second (making it 2-2), Orlov’s power-play goal 4:03 into the third gave the Sharks a 3-2 advantage, and it looked like they could leave Boston with two points after losing to the Bruins 6-3 at SAP Center on Oct. 13.

The Sharks power play does it again 😤 pic.twitter.com/WlRAhsF0lX

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) October 25, 2026

But Boston scored three unanswered goals before Will Smith’s fourth score of the season made it 5-4, which is all the fight the Sharks would muster before the Bruins put the game away with an empty-netter as less than 30 seconds remained.

WILL SMITH HOCKEY SAID NOT SO FAST 🤯 pic.twitter.com/1FTt5dvM09

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) October 25, 2026

Smith put the onus on the Sharks’ defense after the game, after goalie Alex Nedeljkovic posted an .853 save percentage in the loss.

“I think we’ve just got to be better in front of net,” Smith told reporters. “There’s a couple of goals there, especially when our line’s out there, we can’t let it happen, and definitely think we should have won that. …

“[The goals are] very preventable. We’ve got to help Ned out and defend right there.”

Nedeljkovic also viewed the defeat as a should-have-been win that slipped through San Jose’s fingers, but he’s viewing the road trip as a whole in a positive light.

“We had chances, we had momentum and just let it kind of slip away and didn’t finish,” he told reporters. “It’s a tough one to swallow right now. Definitely leaves a sour taste in your mouth, at least for me. It’s a tough one.

“But we did a lot of good things. I think there’s still plenty of room for us to grow in certain areas and get better at. So, we’ll take the .500 record. It’s a tough trip. It’s a long trip. Played in some tough buildings. So, take the record and regroup at home, and hopefully come out swinging on Tuesday.”

Nedeljkovic and the Sharks will look to get back in the win column when they return to The Tank to face the Buffalo Sabres at 7:30 p.m. PT on Tuesday.

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While the Montreal Canadiens took on the Chicago Blackhawks Friday night, their alumni enjoyed a bonding dinner ahead of Saturday night’s alumni game against the former Winnipeg Jets. It’s been so long since the Habs played an outdoor game that only Paul Byron was in the lineup when the Habs took on the Ottawa Senators in the NHL 100. Go back one more year, and P.K. Subban, David Desharnais, and Andrei Markov all played in the 2016 Winter Classic against the Boston Bruins. While he attended the dinner, Subban won't play in the game.

The Canadiens alumni enjoyed a dinner ahead of today’s Alumni game #GoHabsGopic.twitter.com/hOvgpn5Q6X

— Karine Hains (@KarineHains) October 24, 2026

Of course, some players have been retired for a long time, including Chris Nilan, Patrice Brisebois, Maxim Lapierre, and Stephane Quintal. In net, Jaroslav Halak and Yann Danis will split the workload, and they’ll have their hands full against a Jets roster that includes Dustin Byfuglien, Blake Wheeler, Andre Ladd, Bryan Little, and Tobias Engstrom. At the time of writing there were still some tickets available for the old-timers game are still available on Ticketmaster. If you are in Winnipeg for tomorrow’s event, you might as well splash out to enjoy the full experience.

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If you didn’t make the trip but want a memento, the Canadiens have already put their outdoor games auction online, including the jersey the Habs alumnus will wear in Saturday night’s game. Buyer beware, however: Mike Cammalleri’s jersey clearly states it’s only prepared and won’t be worn or autographed, suggesting the fan favorite might not be at the event; he wasn’t in the dinner photo. The game will be available to watch on the Jets’ website.

Hopefully, everything goes smoothly tonight, and there are no accidents. 10 years ago, in 2016, ahead of the alumni game between the Habs and the Boston Bruins, Denna Laing played in the women’s game between the Boston Pride and Montreal Canadiennes. Unfortunately, she fell and went headfirst into the boards, breaking her neck and suffering a serious spinal cord injury, which has left her in a wheelchair. To this day, she remains an inspiration and a spokesperson for those who suffer a similar fate.

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Near the end of his press conference Saturday, after answering questions about his New Jersey knowledge and his Olympic memories and how he can be the missing piece for this Devils core, Connor Hellebuyck fielded one about the Winnipeg fans.

About his message to them after the 33-year-old spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Jets before a messy breakup that ultimately ended with a blockbuster Friday — when Winnipeg sent him to New Jersey in exchange for forwards Dawson Mercer and Nick Bjugstad, goalie Nico Daws, Alexander Command, a 2027 seventh-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.

Hellebuyck requested a trade in the offseason, didn’t show up to training camp and was then suspended by the Jets, but he said he hopes that the Jets fans “know I care about them” while deflecting any further reflection until a later date.

“I mean, there’s a lot,” Hellebuyck told reporters Saturday, when he was introduced by the Devils. “There’s a lot that I need to say, but they have the Heritage Game coming up — so out of respect for them and for the celebration of hockey, I’m gonna postpone that to a later date.”

It was the saga — along with Dylan Larkin in Detroit — that defined the NHL season to this point, especially with his suspension reportedly set to end and a potential return to Winnipeg, of all things, after months of drama, still on the table.

But a trade had always appeared to be the most likely solution, and after joining Martin Brodeur as high-profile goalies to play for the Devils this century, Hellebuyck, who hasn’t played in a game since the end of last season, said Saturday he doesn’t think he’ll need long to ramp up before returning.

He said that sitting at home for so long, as the rest of the NHL continued operating around him, “was getting to me,” and Hellebuyck oozed with excitement when talking about the chance for a fresh start that doubles as a reunion with Team USA hero Jack Hughes — who Hellebuyck watched score the game-winning goal in Milan from the other end of the ice.

Hellebuyck will also have a chance to fix perhaps the Devils’ most glaring weakness and help them have a chance to finally make a deep postseason run with a core that includes Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt.

“It aligns perfectly with where I’m at in my career,” Hellebuyck said. “I’m here to win, and the only thing I’ve got left on my résumé is a Stanley Cup. So seeing that these guys have kinda got their vision tight on that as well, it’s just gonna fit perfectly.”

Luke Glendening is expected to make his New York Rangers debut on Saturday night against the Ottawa Senators.

The Rangers signed Glendening to a one-year, $850,000 contract on Thursday after bringing him in on a PTO.

The Rangers will be without Joe Veleno for at least three months as he recovers from a lower-body injury and have been searching for a fourth-line center in the wake of his absence.

With the Blueshirts sending Justin Dowling down to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, it opens the door for Glendening to take his spot as the team’s fourth-line center and is a clear indication that he’ll be in the lineup on Saturday night.

“Luke obviously has a significant body of work in the league,” Sullivan said. “The type of player that he is, he’s been a real reliable, conscientious player. Kills penalties. Really good in the face-off circle. He built a career on that element of his game and prides himself on that.

“Obviously, we've got a little bit of challenge with respect to depth at the center position, and I think Chris (Drury) and his guys thought that we'd bring him in and see if potentially he could help us.”

The 38-year-old forward was signed to a PTO by the Tampa Bay Lightning during training camp, and while he didn’t make the Lightning’s opening-night roster, he admitted that the experience “reinvigorated him.”

Glendening started the 2026-27 season without a job, but the Rangers came to him with an opportunity on Oct. 19, offering him a PTO. Just a few days later, they signed him to a full-time contract.

“I went from playing dress up and Barbies to playing in the National Hockey League, so it’s a wild ride,” Glendening said.

Throughout his 13-season NHL career, Glendening has played for the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers, recording 85 goals, 90 assists, and 175 points.