Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks "3 Standouts From The Game." In this recurring series, The Hockey News' Canucks team will do a deep dive into three standouts from Vancouver's last game. This article will focus on the Canucks' most recent 6-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Leevi Meriläinen
Another night, another standout performance by Leevi Meriläinen. The Finnish goaltender kept Vancouver in this game as he stopped 37 of the 42 shots he faced. Meriläinen's best moment came in the second period as he stopped Sebastian Aho on a penalty shot to keep the score at 3-3.
Meriläinen was busy all night. Carolina recorded at least double-digit shots in each period, with their lowest total at 12, which came in the first. With the way Meriläinen has been playing, the Canucks are going to be put in a difficult position once Thatcher Demko returns from injury.
Defenceman Elias Pettersson
Tuesday was another stellar performance from defenceman Elias Pettersson. The 22-year-old was a shot-blocking machine as he led all players on either team with five. Pettersson was also physical throughout, as he led Vancouver with four hits.
Pettersson has been the Canucks' best defenceman so far this season. He is finding different ways to impact the game, which has led to increased minutes on a nightly basis. If Pettersson can keep performing at this level, he is going to be a top-four defenceman at the NHL level for a long time.
Max Sasson
Max Sasson continues to develop into a strong bottom-six forward. The 26-year-old scored his third of the campaign and was tied for the team lead with three shots. Sasson was also solid in the faceoff dot as he won eight of his 13 draws.
Tuesday was another example of Sasson using his speed to create chances. He created chances off the rush, which included his second-period goal. Sasson also played a crucial role on the penalty kill, which went a perfect five-for-five, as he logged 3:39 of shorthanded time in this game.
Oct 20, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Merilainen (31) defends against Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
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PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 22: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rutger McGroarty (2) skates in the preseason NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Detroit Red Wings on September 22, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins split their two games in Cleveland last weekend, dropping a 4-2 contest and then winning a 6-3 game on the rematch. Overall the Pens are 3-2-1 on the season and among the AHL leaders in goals (25).
Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas had some insight from his radio show on Oct 14th about the slow start for WBS (0-1-1 in the first two)
“The team was really good last year and you have guys that they feel they’re too good for the level and they go down and it’s hard,” Dubas said. “So the two home games, I don’t think the team played overly well in either.”
Dubas didn’t name names, though it’s not difficult to fill in the gaps for the natural disappointment players will feel when getting re-assigned to the minor leagues instead of sticking in the NHL. Take Rutger McGroarty, who started out with no points in the first two losses and now has nine points in the last four games. Harrison Brunicke only has two assists in the first six games, Owen Pickering has one goal, though generating offense from the blueline at the AHL level can be variable. Joel Blomqvist didn’t have the greatest of openers. McGroarty talked to Inside AHL Hockey about focusing on improving at the AHL level.
"I think that we're here right now. We're in Wilkes-Barre. We're playing in the AHL."
"You can't sit there & pout. You just have to continue to progress forward & continue to work on the little details," – Rutger McGroarty to @InsideAHLHockey ⤵️https://t.co/oEZixhTM0m
Avery Hayes had two points in the first two games and has continued to go up from there with seven points in his last four games. Broz is at a point-per-game through the opening six games. Hayes and McGroarty with nine points a piece are among the league scoring leaders, currently tied for seventh.
That will be exactly what Dubas and the Pittsburgh front office wants to see from younger players like that to give reasons for why they shouldn’t be in the AHL. If and when those players make enough of a case, it will eventually result in them getting NHL opportunities.
Here’s the game recaps from WBSPenguins.com
Overall, the Pens have to be happy with some of their more developmental players who are AHL rookies. Mikhail Ilyin has seven points (2G+5A) in his first full AHL season. Bill Zonnon has five points in six games (3G+2A) and defenseman Jake Livanavage has five points (1G+4A) in five games.
Jakub Dobes was back in net on Tuesday as the Montreal Canadiens hosted the San Jose Sharks. The Habs, who had a 4-3-1 record going in, were hoping to finally be able to get a regulation win and climb up the standings. Only one of the Sainte-Flanelle’s wins since the start of the year had come in regulation, and even Martin St-Louis acknowledged after the last game that his team needed to put games away when they had a lead.
Montreal started strong and kept the Sharks from even exiting their zone early in the first frame. Still, they couldn’t manage to maintain that dominance for very long and ultimately, an all-too-familiar scenario would play out at the Bell Centre.
While St-Louis adjusted his power play by bringing Zachary Bolduc on the first wave in the last game, the strategy hasn’t changed. The players are standing their ground and passing the puck around, but their lack of mobility makes the penalty killers’ job easy. Keeping an active stick when you don’t need to move isn't that challenging.
Furthermore, they lack creativity, and the passing has become predictable. Granted, the unit misses Ivan Demiodov, but waiting for his return won’t cut it, especially since he is still wearing a walking boot. The forward was spotted chatting to Andrei Markov just outside the Canadiens’ room after the game. The two times the Canadiens had a man advantage in the first frame, it actually killed their momentum rather than building it.
First Line Takeover
While the power play didn’t generate much, the Canadiens’ first line was dominant at even strength. Juraj Slafkovsky put up multiple points for the second game in a row, and his individual effort gave the Habs a 2-1 lead less than two minutes into the second frame. From then on, San Jose looked like a team playing a second game in as many nights, which they were, but that goal was a gut punch.
Caufield doubled the Canadiens’ lead thanks to a heads-up play by Lane Hutson, which gave his teammates a four-on-two. They couldn’t convert on the initial chance, but Nick Suzuki deflected the puck on net, then picked up his own rebound and fed the sniper from behind the net, giving Nedeljkovic no chance to stop it. On that play, Slafkovsky was in the box after he and Kaiden Guhle got involved in some extracurricular activity by the Sharks’ bench.
It Should Be Over (Again)
The Habs seemed in full control at the start of the third frame, and for a while they pressed on, but then they gave the game away. It all started when Hutson was dispossessed in the offensive zone, which led to an odd-man rush that San Jose capitalized on.
Less than five minutes later, Arber Xhekaj and Michael Kesselring tussled, both hanging on to each other. Still, the Habs player was the only one to drop the gloves, then punch Kesselring in the stomach after the linesman stepped in, earning an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. Without that, the Sharks wouldn’t have had a power play on which Tyler Toffoli tied the game.
Jakub Dobes gets called for interference in OT... the Sharks head to the power-play. pic.twitter.com/f9F5TkbUv6
Fast forward to overtime, and Dobes takes a bad penalty: interference, as his team regained possession in the defensive zone. Three unanswered goals by a team that looked like it had a knee down on the mat in the second frame. Alexandre Carrier said it best:
We knew they’re a team that can come back from behind if you give them opportunities, and we knew we had to play the right way, but once again we made mistakes that cost us dearly, and when you give them life, they pick up momentum, and that’s dangerous. They have the skills to do it.
- Carrier on the defeat
From the outside, it almost looks like the Canadiens panic when they feel the game slipping away from them, but Carrier didn’t agree:
No, it’s not panic; it’s more frustration because it’s happened many times already. We know we have to fix this, and yet we did it again tonight.
Speaking to the press after the game, the coach looked like he was trying hard not to name names:
We’re leaving points on the table, and it’s our fault. You have to understand the game's score. We have 80 attempted shots against 40, maybe 50…We’re finding ways to leave points on the table, and it’s our fault. […] We were dominant at the start of the third, but there were actions that helped them. You have to cut down on the actions that help the other team. That’s all they want.
- St-Louis on the defeat
It was initially thought Dobes would be available to the press after the game, but it was ultimately decided he wouldn’t come out. That’s hardly surprising, given how the game ended. The Czech netminder wears his heart on his sleeve, and this defeat after a strong game will be hard to swallow. The coach himself hadn’t spoken to him, and he wasn’t sure whether he'd do so before the next game, or leave it in the capable hands of Marco Marciano.
Even if that kind of penalty is not always called, St-Louis has been saying over and over that players cannot give the referee the opportunity to make a call, and that’s exactly what Dobes did in overtime. He enjoys competing and being aggressive in net, but it cost him and, by the same token, the team.
Turnovers and bad penalties never win you games, no matter how well you played up to that point. In three of four games, the Canadiens gave up a third-period lead, and this time, they couldn’t find a way to win. Macklin Celibrini finished with two goals and an assist, showcasing how good a player he is, and for the third time in a row, the Sharks got two points against the Habs, this time thanks to a 4-3 overtime win.
The 21-year-old left winger had a three-point night and a plus-three rating for the Leafs, all while playing just 13:38 of ice time. He scored his first career shorthanded goal, giving Toronto a 4-1 lead in the second period.
"Yeah, I had a decent shot there," Cowan said of his goal post-game. "I think the goalie was favoring (William Nylander), which I probably would too. So, yeah, I just picked my spot."
Cowan also added a pair of assists - one coming before and after his shorthanded goal - proving to be a fit on the top line next to Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic, who both scored off a helper from Cowan.
Following Tuesday's performance, Cowan now has four goals and 10 points in 11 games, putting him on pace for an impressive campaign in terms of his production.
But beyond his ability to score, he's been a two-way presence and an effective forechecker for the Maple Leafs. And with that, he's caught the eye of his teammates and coach.
"I can't say enough good things about him," head coach Jim Hiller said of Cowan. "Honestly, he's exceeded my expectations, and I had high expectations for him. And I've told you, he told me this is what he was going to do, and so he's living up to his end of the bargain. Now he's a regular penalty killer, and yeah, he's a good player, and he's going to have a great career.
"It's hard to fulfill those expectations this early, especially some of the stuff with his game that he had to change a little bit. But he's done it. He's done it so far."
Coming out of the OHL with the London Knights, the understanding was that Cowan was someone who could put up points (scoring 39 points in 17 games in his final OHL playoff campaign). But underneath that is his work ethic and ability to hunt down pucks and be a two-way player, which makes him even more effective at the NHL level.
"He quietly has a work ethic that you don't really see," defenseman Marshall Rifai said. "I think he got to go home over the summer, and it was evident when he got back to camp. He's taking a step. He's more confident. He's quicker, more assertive. He's a really nice player we have. So I'm happy for him, and he scored a beautiful goal."
"I think it's just the physical maturity and understanding how the NHL works," Hiller explained, as the biggest change for Cowan over the past year. "It's one thing how Jr. works. It's one thing how college works. It's one thing how the American League works. How does the NHL work? And he kind of got to understand that. And I think he's gotten there."
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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 17: Dylan Larkin #71 of the Detroit Red Wings looks on against the San Jose Sharks during the second period at Little Caesars Arena on October 17, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
Luke Evangelista had two points in his return to the lineup while Declan Chisholm, Arseny Gritsyuk and Jesper Boqvist also tallied. The Devils took a 4-3 win over the Avs on Tuesday. [Devils NHL]
The list of early NHL trade candidates features some easy-to-identify names: players who have asked for trades or been the subject of rumors for months. But what about would-be trade targets who might be less obvious? [The Athletic ($)]
“At least three teams remain in the mix to trade for Connor Hellebuyck, sources told ESPN, though there’s no guarantee the Winnipeg Jets goaltender will be moved before his team-issued suspension ends Friday. If a trade doesn’t materialize this week, the Jets are likely to resume paying Hellebuyck while keeping him away from the team, according to sources.” [ESPN]
More history for Connor McDavid:
Connor McDavid (6-20—26 in 9 GP) required the fewest games in NHL history to reach 20 assists in a single season. 🍎 #NHLStats
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 3: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates in the third period during the game against the Montreal Canadiens at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 3, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Wednesday morning…
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ben Kindel is in stable condition after experiencing a “medical episode” aboard the team’s flight from Salt Lake City to Pittsburgh, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. The plane returned to Salt Lake City International Airport shortly after takeoff. Kindel, 19, was taken by ambulance to the University of Utah Hospital for further evaluation; he was conscious and alert. The team has not disclosed further details about the incident. [PensBurgh]
Prospect Tristan Broz is eager to earn more NHL playing time after making his debut with Pittsburgh last season, appearing in just one game. The 24-year-old forward is coming off a productive season with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, recording 16 goals and 39 points in 47 games, and is determined to prove he deserves a more consistent opportunity with the NHL club. [Trib Live]
The Penguins named Ted Towne as the team’s new chief financial officer on Tuesday, bringing in an executive who spent nearly two decades with the Washington Nationals. Towne most recently served as the Nationals’ CFO and previously was assistant general manager and vice president of finance. [Penguins]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Florida Panthers goaltender Jacob Markstrom is expected to miss 10 to 14 days with an injury suffered in practice on Monday, head coach Paul Maurice announced Tuesday. [TSN]
Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin has expanded his list of acceptable trade destinations to 10 teams, according to a new report. [Sportsnet]
Former Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is preparing for an emotional return to Ottawa on Wednesday when he faces his former team for the first time since being traded to the Florida Panthers over the summer. [NHL]
Los Angeles Kings (1-4-2, in the Pacific Division) vs. New York Islanders (5-3-1, in the Metropolitan Division)
Elmont, New York; Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings visit the New York Islanders after Adrian Kempe scored two goals in the Kings' 5-2 win against the Washington Capitals.
New York has a 4-1-0 record at home and a 5-3-1 record overall. The Islanders serve 11.3 penalty minutes per game to rank 10th in league play.
Los Angeles has gone 1-1-2 on the road and 1-4-2 overall. The Kings have a -10 scoring differential, with 17 total goals scored and 27 allowed.
Thursday's game is the first time these teams meet this season.
INJURIES: Islanders: Mathew Barzal: out (knee), Matias Maccelli: out (lower body), Calum Ritchie: out (lower body), Alexander Romanov: out (acl).
Kings: Jakub Dvorak: out (upper-body), Quinton Byfield: day to day (upper body), Kevin Fiala: out (leg), Jan Jenik: out (undisclosed), Alex Turcotte: out (undisclosed).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Vegas Golden Knights (8-3, in the Pacific Division) vs. St. Louis Blues (4-4-1, in the Central Division)
St. Louis; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Blues host the Vegas Golden Knights in Western Conference play.
St. Louis is 2-0-1 in home games and 4-4-1 overall. The Blues have an even scoring differential this season, scoring and allowing 29 goals.
Vegas is 3-1-0 on the road and 8-3 overall. The Golden Knights are 7-1-0 when scoring three or more goals.
The matchup Thursday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
INJURIES: Blues: Adam Jecho: out (personal), Torey Krug: out (ankle), Ross Johnston: out (lower body), Alexey Toropchenko: out (upper-body), Tyler Tucker: out (knee), Dillon Dube: out (neck), Logan Mailloux: out (hand).
Golden Knights: Parker Wotherspoon: out (upper body), Lukas Cormier: out (undisclosed), Victor Olofsson: out (undisclosed), Kai Uchacz: out (undisclosed).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Nashville Predators (3-2-3, in the Central Division) vs. Boston Bruins (7-2-1, in the Atlantic Division)
Boston; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Bruins and the Nashville Predators will play in a non-conference matchup.
Boston has a 3-1-0 record in home games and a 7-2-1 record overall. The Bruins are third in NHL play with 46 total penalties (averaging 4.6 per game).
Nashville has a 3-2-3 record overall and a 1-0-2 record on the road. The Predators have conceded 22 goals while scoring 23 for a +1 scoring differential.
The matchup Thursday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
INJURIES: Bruins: None listed.
Predators: Mavrik Bourque: day to day (upper body), William Trudeau: out (upper body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Las Vegas, N.V.– Time and time again, the Vegas Golden Knights have demonstrated a refusal to accept defeat or go quietly into the night. There are certainly games where they fall behind by multiple goals. Usually, they’re able to recover, and the final score is typically close. The thing about the Golden Knights is that they’re very rarely on the wrong side of a blowout.
Tonight was one of those rare occurrences.
So far this season, the Golden Knights have played very few teams who are currently in a playoff spot. The Tampa Bay Lightning were just the fourth playoff team the Golden Knights have faced through eleven games, and this matchup could have been a great test of how they stack up against one of the premier teams in the league.
Instead, the Golden Knights fell victim to self-inflicted injury after self-inflicted injury. They entered the second period tied at two apiece, but allowed three goals and never recovered. The third period was entirely noncompetitive, and the Golden Knights ultimately fell 6-2.
“We had our chances to get ourselves back in the game once it got to five,“ said Golden Knights captain Mark Stone. “They get that early one in the third, and it’s pretty tough to come back from that. We’ll stick with it and learn from it… We gotta be better in these games.”
“I thought we were a little bit out of our rhythm, a little bit out of our execution, that we had maybe been in for the last nine games. But give [Tampa] credit,” said head coach Ryan Craig following the 6-2 loss. “They did a lot to influence that as well.”
1. Unforced and Unassisted
The final score suggests an extremely lopsided game in which the Lightning thoroughly dominated the Golden Knights, but that wasn’t the case. The Golden Knights had no problem generating scoring chances, and they were extremely dangerous in transition.
The problem was that they repeatedly shot themselves in the foot.
“If you turn the puck over against those top guys, they make you pay,” said Golden Knights captain Mark Stone following the loss. I think it’s definitely unforced errors. When you play against a team like that, you’ve got to get [the puck] outside the blue line. We had chances on [goals three and four] to get it out, and we didn’t.”
The Lightning scored four unassisted goals tonight, which means that most of their offense came directly off of Golden Knights’ turnovers.
“We didn’t help ourselves. I think that would be the easiest way to put it,” said head coach Ryan Craig. “I mean, they scored four unassisted goals tonight. We probably didn’t put ourselves in good positions to get out of areas, and then gave them chances to attack.”
“It probably goes back to puck management a little bit, right? Both teams are good at checking as well, and I think some of the situations we put ourselves in didn’t help,” continued Craig. “We probably just got a little bit cute at times, which led to being up and down a little bit. But if you don’t manage the puck, that’s what it’s gonna feel like.”
2. The Golden Lining
Prior to tonight, Ivan Barbashev was in a rut. He didn’t have any problem generating offense; heading into tonight’s game, Barbashev had seven points and was tied for fourth on the team in scoring. The problem was that his offense wasn’t translating into goals. All seven of his points were assists, and for a scoring forward playing on a line with Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, that statistic had to be weighing on him.
That’s no longer an issue. Barbashev scored the first goal tonight for the Golden Knights, which tied the game at one apiece.
Barbashev can be a bit of a streaky scorer, and in the past, it only takes one goal to open the floodgates. Look for him to get on the board again on this upcoming two-game road trip to St. Louis and Columbus.
3. Game Eleven
Even after a blowout loss, the Golden Knights aren’t too concerned with their level of play.
“It’s game eleven; I don’t think there are measuring stick games in game eleven,” said Golden Knights’ captain Mark Stone following the 6-2 loss. “We’re still trying to build our game going forward. We’re playing 84 games this year, and we’re trying to build our game to go on a long playoff run. It starts at game one; we’re in game eleven. We still like where we’re at, as far as our record, but we want to get better.”
Because they’re only eleven games into the season, the Golden Knights can use tonight’s loss as a learning opportunity. They won’t hang onto the loss any longer than necessary. They’ll sit with it, and then move on and learn from their mistakes.
“When you play good teams, you’re not gonna come back from [being down] four in the third,” said Stone. “We have to correct your mistakes and build off some of the good stuff we did, because there was some good stuff. We had lots of chances. How did we create those chances… And what bad plays did we make to give them chances? That’s what we try to learn from.”
LAS VEGAS — The Vegas Golden Knights didn't have to look far for an explanation after Tuesday night's 6-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at T-Mobile Arena.
They had their chances. They didn't capitalize. And when they made mistakes against one of the NHL's most dangerous offensive teams, the Lightning made them pay.
Anthony Cirelli scored twice during a decisive second period, and Tampa Bay scored four unanswered goals to hand Vegas its third loss of the season.
The Golden Knights (8-3-0) entered the matchup having won three straight, but their inability to manage the puck against Tampa Bay's skilled forwards proved costly.
"We didn't help ourselves," Golden Knights coach Ryan Craig said. "I think that would be the easiest way to put it."
Vegas outshot Tampa Bay 34-21 but couldn't overcome a three-goal second period that transformed a competitive game into a one-sided affair.
Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev scored first-period goals for the Golden Knights, who twice erased one-goal deficits before Tampa Bay seized control.
The Lightning's ability to capitalize on Vegas' mistakes became the defining difference.
"They scored four unassisted goals tonight," Craig said. "We probably didn't put ourselves in good position to get out of areas, and then gave them chances."
After the teams entered the first intermission tied 2-2, Vegas appeared positioned to continue trading opportunities with Tampa Bay.
Instead, Cirelli scored twice in a span of 3:25, breaking the tie at 6:44 before extending the Lightning's advantage at 10:09.
Victor Hedman added another goal at 17:56, giving Tampa Bay a commanding 5-2 lead after two periods.
The Golden Knights generated scoring opportunities of their own, including several odd-man rushes, but failed to convert.
Stone pointed directly to the defensive-zone mistakes that allowed Tampa Bay's most dangerous players to operate.
"You turn the puck over against those top guys, and they make you pay," Stone said. "We don't get a puck out on the third goal. Jack and myself don't get it out on the fourth. They burn you."
Craig agreed that the breakdowns extended beyond Tampa Bay's pressure.
"I think it's definitely unforced errors," Craig said. "You play against a team like that, you just gotta get it outside the blue line."
KEY STAT: Six Goals on 21 Shots
The Golden Knights finished with a 34-21 advantage in shots, but Tampa Bay's efficiency told the story.
The Lightning scored six times on 21 shots, while Vegas went scoreless over the final 40 minutes despite generating numerous quality opportunities.
Stone said the Golden Knights had several chances to change the momentum, including four or five two-on-one opportunities.
"We had our chances to get ourselves back in the game," Stone said. "Once it got to five, and they get that early one in the third, it's pretty tough to come back from that."
Craig acknowledged that his team struggled with execution and puck management, particularly as the game became increasingly open.
"I thought we were a little bit out of our rhythm, a little bit out of our execution that we maybe had been in for the last nine games," Craig said.
"But give them credit. They did a lot of that probably to influence that as well."
WHAT A KNIGHT: Mark Stone
Stone provided one of Vegas' few highlights when he scored shorthanded late in the first period to tie the game 2-2.
The captain recognized an opportunity to pressure Tampa Bay's puck carrier and capitalized after teammate Brett Howden made a strong read.
"I kind of took a look and I didn't have anybody coming back, so I tried to forecheck, and Howden made a great read as well," Stone said.
The goal was Stone's eighth of the season and briefly restored momentum for Vegas.
But his most revealing contribution came afterward, when he rejected the notion that Tuesday's matchup represented an early-season measuring stick.
"It's Game 11," Stone said. "I don't think there's a measuring-stick game in Game 11."
Stone emphasized that the Golden Knights are still building toward their ultimate objective rather than allowing one October result to define their season.
"We're still trying to build our game going forward," he said. "We're trying to build our game to go on a long playoff run."
Craig echoed the need for improvement without overreacting to one result.
"If you don't manage the puck, that's what it's gonna feel like," Craig said.
UP NEXT
The Golden Knights begin a two-game road trip Thursday against the St. Louis Blues before visiting the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
For Stone, the response begins with correcting the mistakes while maintaining confidence in what the Golden Knights have accomplished through their first 11 games.
"You're gonna have these types of nights," Stone said. "You have to correct them. You have to correct your mistakes and build off some of the good stuff we did."
The Golden Knights will have an opportunity to do exactly that when they return to the road.
PHOTO CAPTION
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart (79), defenseman Shea Theodore (27) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Jake Guentzel (59) react to a shot into the second period at T-Mobile Arena.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Logan Stankoven and Nikolaj Ehlers each scored twice and had an assist and the Carolina Hurricanes beat Vancouver 6-3 on Tuesday night to take the NHL points lead and hand the Canucks their eighth straight loss.
Nicolas Deslauriers also had two goals for the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes (8-2-1). Jackson Blake added three assists, and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 14 shots, They rebounded from a 3-2 loss at Calgary on Sunday night.
Linus Karlsson, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Max Sasson scored for the Canucks (2-8-1).
Leevi Merilainen provided a bright spot for Vancouver with 38 saves. He stopped Sebastian Aho on a penalty shot in the second period after Canucks center Elias Pettersson was caught throwing his stick.
ST. LOUIS -- The start of a five-game homestand gave the St. Louis Blues a chance to recalibrate after a tough stretch to begin this 2026-27 season in which they played six of their first eight games away from Enterprise Center.
Blues coach Jim Montgomery said Monday the hope was for the Blues to be above .500 when they opened one of their biggest homestands of the season starting with the Winnipeg Jets but that wasn't the case, so they had to start anew and being more dominant at the confines of home would be a good place to start.
And winning a tightly-contested, low-scoring game is not a bad place to start, and against the Jets, that's usually the case, and the Blues prevailed and got back to .500 with a 2-1 win on Tuesday.
Philip Broberg's power-play goal was the difference in the game, and Joel Hofer stopped 32 shots to help the Blues get back to .500 at 4-4-1 while dropping the Jets to 4-3-2, winning for just the second time in the Central Division this season (2-4-0).
Let's get to those key points ...
* 'Bro' was best player on the ice bar none -- Montgomery referenced Broberg's game on a scale of 1-5 as a "five-plus" on Saturday in their 5-2 loss to the Nashville Predators and had even more praise for his No. 1 defenseman, who had his handprints all over this game on both sides of the puck.
"I think he’s gone from neutral to overdrive to Lamborghini style here in the last two games if you’re comparing him to a race car," Montgomery said. 'It’s just so fun to watch because he has so much intensity within him and when you watch him skate, he reminds me of (former Minnesota Vikings running back) Adrian Peterson. He ran like he was mad. This guy skates sometimes like he’s mad. ‘I’m going to take it right through your net,’ and it’s inspiring, I think."
He finished the game playing 23:41, had a game-high six shots on goal and had a hand in both goals scored, including the game-winner when he and Robert Thomas played pitch-and-catch before Broberg stepped into a one-timer from the high slot to beat Stuart Skinner:
Power play goal for St. Louis!
Scored by Philip Broberg with 11:13 left in the 3rd. Assisted by Robert Thomas and Jake Neighbours.
“Good pass and I just shot it,” Broberg said. “It was good, good to see it go in.
“You try to read where the PK’ers are and where it’s open space and I think ‘Tommer’ and takes a lot of attention to him there, so they drive to him and good pass and I just tried to hit the net there.”
Thomas was just glad to get another opportunity, as he jokingly referenced, to get another chance to tee up a puck for Broberg.
"I’m surprised he passed it back to me," Thomas said. "My first pass was terrible to him. Nice he gave me another opportunity to pass it back to him, but that whole goal starts with 'Snuggy,' 'Holly' and 'Jakey.' We lose the face-off there and that usually that results in a clear and those three guys had great jumps. They kept the play alive and ultimately won us the game by doing it. It was a great all-around effort."
Broberg was also involved in Jimmy Snuggerud's goal at 12:30 of the first period for a 1-0 Blues lead, getting a couple cracks at the net, puck retrievals, one puck saved at the blue line and a direct seam pass to Dylan Holloway, who quietly extended his point streak to five games (one goal, six assists) before Holloway slid a puck to Snuggerud into the slot before it caromed in off his skate:
St. Louis goal!
Scored by Jimmy Snuggerud with 07:30 left in the 1st. Assisted by Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg.
Broberg took shifts in this game with Justin Barron, Colton Parayko and Brandon Carlo. His ability to shut down plays with his skating ability enables him to join the rush simply by using his speed.
"I try to help the team in any way I can," Broberg said. "I like to join the rush and skate with the puck a little bit. I like to play good defensively and join the rush, so I think I just want to keep building on that."
When Broberg, who has scored in back-to-back games, affects the game, he's in fact doing plenty.
"A little bit of everything," Thomas said. "He plays against the top pair a lot of the time a lot of the time. He’s power play, penalty kill, a huge part of the team. You can see it in the … especially the last two games, he’s been a monster out there. He’s starting to gain that confidence that he can be a top defender in the league and it’s super-exciting for us."
Hofer added, "He’s fast. He’s all over the ice. He’s shooting it more, which is great. I keep harping on him to keep shooting it. He’s doing that and he’s getting rewarded.
"I’d say he’s just driving the play. His speed’s obviously the biggest thing. Up and down the ice, he’s been great for us. He’s been very steady back there for us and getting a goal tonight’s great for him too."
* Hofer controlling pucks key -- The Jets are a big, heavy and physical team. When they bog you down in the offensive zone, they like to get traffic at the net and pucks aplenty to the goalie.
For Hofer, who faced 33 shots and stopped 32 of them, only allowing a Cole Perfetti backhand through the wickets 32 seconds into the third that tied the game 1-1, making sure the puck stuck to him like velcro was imperative, or else Winnipeg would be able to convert on those loose pucks when they sent plenty of bodies his way.
"That was in the pre-scout that they go to the net hard and they're hungry around there," Hofer said of his hometown team. 'It was obviously a key point, but I thought our 'D' did a good job boxing out and keeping them to the outside, and if there was a rebound, they didn't get much, so it was good."
* Important penalty kill -- Yes, technically the Blues killed Snuggerud's high-sticking penalty that spilled over into the third period by a second, but Perfetti's goal was like a power-play goal, but they had another huge kill to get through when Colton Parayko was whistled for interference with 6:18 to play protecting a one-goal lead.
They did that and then some, minimizing the Jets' zone entry and with Montgomery being so confident in that unit at the start of this season, he was even comfortable enough to utilize Otto Stenberg and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki on it late to cap off an impressive kill that yielded zero shots on goal.
"I'm really comfortable using those two," Montgomery said. "They're smart hockey players, especially on the PK side of things. We have four vets that do a really good job that have been doing it all year, but to have two kids that can spread out the ice time on the bench makes a big difference in how everyone's ice time ends up pretty even."
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EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Evan Bouchard scored on a power play at 3:32 of overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.
Connor McDavid set up Bouchard's goal for his third assist of the game, pushing his NHL-leading points total to 26 and extending his season-opening points streak to nine games.
Leon Draisaitl scored twice, Mathieu Joseph also connected and Devon Levi made 27 saves. The Oilers (7-1-1) have won two in a row and seven of eight.
Joel Eriksson Ek, Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman scored for Minnesota (6-2-2), and Jesper Wallstedt stopped 28 shots. Kaprizov leads the NHL with 11 goals.
Kaprizov and Hartman scored in the third period as Minnesota overcame a 3-1 deficit to force overtime.
The Pittsburgh Penguins' struggles on the blue line to open the 2026-27 season have been well-documented up to this point. Each of the team's regular starters on defense this season have seen some good and some bad, with much of the bad accompanying the Penguins' four-game road trip that ended winless with a 5-4 loss to the Utah Mammoth on Monday.
Of course, it's still early. The season is only 10 games young, and every NHL team is battling the results of a shortened training camp and preseason, with some seeing more success than others.
But the big question facing the Penguins is how long a leash they'll have with the current defense corps as is before they look to call on some of their younger talent.
Even though a similar situation presents itself on the forward front for the Penguins - and that was made even more interesting with a report from NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman on Saturday claiming the Penguins and GM/POHO Kyle Dubas are willing to trade veteran forwards to make way for youth - the situation on the blue line is, arguably, just as interesting.
The Penguins have some defensive depth in their system, with prospects Owen Pickering, Harrison Brunicke, and Jake Livanavage, in particular, knocking on the door of NHL opportunity. However, part of the trouble is that the Penguins loaded up on defensemen this summer, subtracting Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea but bringing back Ilya Solovyov and bringing in Declan Carlile, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Kaedan Korczak.
And during the small runway of the 2026-27 season so far? They've already added two more NHL-fringe blueliners in Spencer Stastney and Ryan Johnson via trade, both left defensemen.
While defensive depth is great, it doesn't make much difference when the guys playing in the NHL simply aren't getting it done. And it becomes borderline counterproductive and problematic when younger players in the system are playing up to a certain level to earn playing time from struggling vets.
Even though it's unrealistic to expect Erik Karlsson to come out of the lineup unless he has anything to say about leaving the Penguins altogether at some point, the standard for everyone else should not be the same. Solovyov has only played in one game, and Stastney has actually looked pretty good in five games so far for the Penguins, with the most recent outing coming on the top pairing with Karlsson.
But everyone else? Let's take a look at the list and some of the numbers in the early going (with the emphasis that it's very early):
- Carlile: Despite having three goals and five points in 10 games, the 26-year-old Carlile - who signed a two-year, $3 million contract with the Penguins this summer - is a minus-4 and, according to HockeyStatCards, is in the 1st percentile for defense rating at minus-2, making him one of the very worst defensive blueliners in the league through 10 games. And, per Moneypuck, his 4.63 expected goals against per 60 minutes is the second-worst mark on the Penguins to Bryan Rust's 5.81. The left blueliner has made several costly errors in his own zone, and it's becoming a bit too much of a theme at this point.
Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Declan Carlile's HockeyStatCard as of 10/21/2026
- Kris Letang: Surprisingly to some, the advanced stats, defensively, bode well for Letang so far, as HockeyStatCards has him in the 100th percentile for defensive rating this season at plus-2.5. His offense, though, has all but fallen off entirely. He hasn't been the biggest problem to begin the season by any stretch, and objectively, he has been one of the Penguins' better defensemen in a sheltered third-pairing role. But he still leads the team in giveaways (22) and defensive zone giveaways (11), and he'll be turning 40 this season, making load management a reasonable thing to ponder for the veteran right defenseman.
- Korczak: He began the season pretty steady defensively on the right side of the second pairing, but his play has waned along with the Penguins' general play. Acquired over the summer from the Vegas Golden Knights for Wotherspoon, he is signed for four years at $3.25 million per year, so Korczak is likely to have some runway. He has shown some decent ability on breakouts and frequently gets himself in shooting and passing lanes, second only to Carlile (20) in blocked shots with 18. But he hasn't shown that upside two-way ability consistently enough yet.
- Sam Girard: Offensively, the left-shot Girard has been outstanding for the Penguins so far this season, as he is in the team-leading (among defensemen) 94th percentile league-wide for offense rating, again, per HockeyStatCards, at 1.8. But, the fact that, other than Letang, Girard has been Pittsburgh's most consistent defensive defensemen, too, isn't exactly encouraging, as he is only in the 23rd percentile defensively and still makes some poor own-zone decisions. Still, he's been Pittsburgh's best all-around defenseman through 10 games, and he's on the final year of his current contract paying him $5 million annually.
Pittsburgh Penguins' defenseman Sam Girard's HockeyStatCard as of 10/21/2026
- van Riemsdyk: The 35-year-old veteran, formerly a Washington Capital, has only played in five games due to a lower-body ailment he is currently on injured reserve for, and his last couple of games did not look so good. However, in the first three games, his veteran-level own-zone stick work was at play, he showed an ability to clear out the net-front, and he was a steadying presence for Letang on the left side despite being a right shot. He signed in free agency for two years and is generally reliable - and his versatility is a plus - but, like Letang, he needs to show the ability to string good performances together despite his age. He's a guy who probably doesn't need to play every night.
The moral of the story here is that there has been next to zero game-to-game performance consistency on the blue line for the Penguins this season, Stastney aside. There is, arguably, not a true top-four left blueliner at all on the Penguins' NHL roster, and two guys on the right side are 36 and 39, with respect to Karlsson and Letang.
Because the Penguins have so many new faces on the blue line, it's fair to give the coaching staff some runway to figure out the best pairings and allow guys some time to gel. The sheer number of new faces on the back end is a disadvantage Pittsburgh has had to deal with in comparison to other NHL teams with regards to the shortened preseason and less practice time as a result.
However, the length of the leash on each of these guys should probably not be too, too long. Pickering, 22, is a towering 6-foot-5, 213-pound first-round pick (22nd overall in 2022) who was outstanding for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) down the stretch and into the Calder Cup Playoffs last season. He is the Penguins' best hope in their system as a shutdown-type left blueliner, which is something that the NHL club needs in short order.
Brunicke, 20, is finally AHL-eligible, and he is far and away the best defensive prospect the Penguins have. He was, arguably, WBS's best player in the playoffs last season despite not being with the team for most of the year, and he had three goals and 15 points in 26 combined games between the AHL regular season and playoffs in 2025-26 and has two points in six games, along with a plus-7, to begin this season. He has handled top-pairing minutes well in his short AHL sample, he plays in all situations, and he has improved many of the defensive details the Penguins asked him to.
Livanavage, 22, was signed to a two-year NHL entry-level contract out of the University of North Dakota near the end of the 2025-26 NHL campaign and has performed a bit under-the-radar. After a pretty impressive camp, he has a goal and five points in five AHL games to start the season, and he has largely been quarterbacking the top power play unit for WBS. He has a booming one-timer and enough two-way upside to be intriguing, even if the defensive side of his game could use some tinkering in the AHL before full-time NHL duties.
In addition, WBS is currently rostering eight defensemen, even after sending Maleek McGowan to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL Wednesday, as David Breazeale came the other way. With Pittsburgh's forward logjam, it's difficult to see them carrying eight defensemen once van Riemsdyk is healthy enough to return.
The bottom line, though, is this: If the current crop of blueliners on the NHL club can't begin to bring some consistency within the next few weeks, and these three guys earn their opportunities through their AHL play in the meantime, how long will the holdup be for these guys to see NHL action? If Pittsburgh is going to struggle on the back end, it might not be the worst thing for the struggle to be coming from the younger players who are supposed to be part of the future.
These next couple of weeks will tell a lot about the direction the Penguins are headed this season. Yes, it's early.
But the returns have not been good enough so far, and if things don't improve in short order, youth and development needs to become the priority.
