The Florida Panthers are getting ready to hit the road again, and they’ll have some new faces along for at least part of the ride.
Earlier this week, Florida brought up Cole Reinhardt and Cole Schwindt from the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers while sending Sam Lafferty back down.
Schwindt skated on the Panthers fourth line during Tuesday’s practice with Boko Imama and Garnet Hathaway.
Also on Tuesday, Florida recalled another player from the Checkers, bringing goaltender Cooper Black up to skate with the national leaguers.
He was on the ice with the Cats Tuesday morning in Fort Lauderdale for their practice at the Baptist Health IcePlex.
You can check out footage from the skate in the video below:
Black’s recall is due to Panthers starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom leaving Monday’s practice early with an undisclosed injury.
Florida head coach Paul Maurice said Markstrom would be out for a week or two after being struck by a puck in a bad spot.
“He’s probably out 10-to-14 days,” Maurice said. “Just got hit with the puck.”
Markstrom also left last Monday’s game in Buffalo after the first period due to something tightening up on him, and he missed two games before returning for Florida’s 8-3 win over Seattle on Saturday.
The injuries are not related, according to a source.
Through six starts, Markstrom has a 3-1-1 record to go with a .897 save percentage and 2.21 goals against average.
As for Black, he’s played three games with AHL Charlotte, going 2-1-0 while allowing eight goals on 99 shots for a .919 save percentage and a 2.67 goals against average.
Looking ahead to Florida’s upcoming road trip, the journey begins with back-to-back games Wednesday and Thursday in Ottawa and Pittsburgh, followed by a Sunday afternoon matchup in Chicago and a second trip over the border to face Winnipeg on Tuesday.
It’s possible Black, who comes in at 6-foot-8, plays in one of those back-to-back games this week, which would be the 25-year-old’s NHL debut.
“That’s a big lad, and he moves like an athlete,” said Maurice. “He played a really strong exhibition game and looked completely comfortable, so he’s on that path. Now is the time for him to get one of these games.”
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 3: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck 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
As much as we try, it can be tough to get a read on a team, good or bad, after the first handful of games to a season. You probably need to see at least 20 or 25 games before you start to get a true sense for how good or bad a team really is. But breaking a season down into 10-game segments can be a pretty good barometer for how a team is playing during a certain stretch, and if any trends (good or bad) are starting to emerge.
After the first 10 games you can at least start to pick out some thing that are either encouraging or a warning sign.
With the 2026-27 Penguins, there are a lot of warning signs.
So much so, that if things do not start to trend in a different direction very soon it might be time to start asking if this is the year things really do bottom out for them.
We will do a progress report after every 10-game stretch to see where the team is, and how it is progressing.
This is the first of those progress reports.
The objective performance
Ten-game record: 3-6-1 (7 points, 14th in Eastern Conference, 27th in NHL)
Goal differential: minus-5 (24th in NHL)
Goals per game: 3.20 (11th in NHL)
Goals against per game: 3.70 (27th in NHL)
Power play: 23.3 percent (11th in NHL)
Penalty kill: 80.8 percent (15th in NHL)
Expected Goals For Per 60 minutes (5-on-5): 3.o7 (6th in NHL)
Expected Goals Against Per 60 minutes (5-on-5): 2.53 (17th in NHL)
Expected Goals Share (5-on-5): 54.8 percent (7th in NHL)
All-Situations Save Percentage: .867 (25th in NHL)
There is an argument to be made the Penguins have been a little unlucky offensively, at least based on the number of chances they’ve generated. And honestly, I think that passes the eye test as well. The offensive slump after the first two games largely comes down to 1) the power play being a mess until Monday’s game in Utah, and 2) not enough finishing.
I still believe in the offense, and I really haven’t seen anything to suggest it can’t still be a good offensive team. There is enough forward talent there to score goals and I have to imagine some of these guys (looking at you, Rickard Rakell) are going to find the net eventually.
The bigger problem, as we should have probably feared, is everything regarding this team’s play defensively.
The biggest wild-card with them was always going to be what the goalies do. Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov were either going to do enough to cover up their defensive flaws and help them get to the playoffs, or they were going to struggle behind a sub-par defense and help send them to the lottery.
While I’m not going to put all of the goals against numbers on them, I don’t think it’s unfair to say that they haven’t consistently bailed them out (Sergei Murashov’s game in Columbus being the obvious exception to that).
Don’t take that as too much of a criticism. Because it’s not meant to be.
There is only so much a goalie can do, and there’s only so much expectation you can have for duo that includes a rookie goalie as one half of it, and a guy that probably projects as more of a backup than a starter as the other half of it. It’s just simply a statement of fact: That was one of the wild-card things that needed to go their way, and so far, it is has not played out that way.
The bigger issue is everything else regarding the team defensively, and it’s something everybody has to own.
The thing about the defensive struggles that are especially maddening is it’s not always a constant problem.
In terms of VOLUME, the chances against are not anything outrageous. It’s not great, but it’s not as bad as it could be, or as bad as some other teams in the NHL.
The problem is that when the mistakes and breakdowns DO happen, they are cataclysmic. Like, complete, system-wide break downs involving everybody on the ice that just shouldn’t be happening.
When they screw up, they get their money’s worth out of it.
I admit, I kind of liked this defense on paper, at least compared to last year’s group, but the early returns so far have not been good. They don’t exit the zone well, they don’t defend zone entries well, and they spend too much time chasing the puck in their own zone. It is a disruption to everything in all three zones. Add in some poor support from the forwards and you’ve got a team that has allowed way too many goals, in way too few games.
Ten-game takeaways
1. You might not be able to clinch a playoff spot in October, but you can play your way out of it. The Penguins gave themselves a cushion early in the 2025-26 season by banking a lot of early points and starting off 7-2-1 through 10 games.
They are doing the opposite this season and putting themselves into an early season hole that, historically, is tough to climb out of.
In the salary cap era there have been 112 teams that won three games or less over the first 10 games of a season.
Only 21 of them made the playoffs.
That is roughly 16 percent.
Only six teams have done it since the start of the 2016-17 season.
Only two have done it since the start of the 2021-22 season: The 2025-26 Minnesota Wild (3-5-2) and the 2023-24 Edmonton Oilers (2-7-1).
So … that is what you are looking at here.
2. Perhaps the most eye-opening part of this 10-game stretch is that the Penguins played three straight games against legitimate contenders in Colorado, Vegas and Utah and were outscored 16-8 in those games. There’s a bit of a gap here, obviously.
3. Along those lines, if you are in the group of fans that thinks the Penguins might need to bottom out for a year and get a top pick, you might get your wish this season. At least as long as the defensive effort and goaltending keeps doing what they have over the first 10 games. There’s still 74 games remaining. There’s a lot of time for things to change. They’ve played a pretty tough schedule so far with a lot of travel, while also having a lot of new faces thrown in together. It was never going to be perfect. But should it be as bad as it has been?
4. While nobody has been consistently good over the first 10 games the players that have stood out the most and impressed me the most have been Ben Kindel, Nicholas Robertson, the fourth line as a whole, and Sam Girard.
5. I really do not understand the Robertson usage. He is a younger player, he brings an element of speed to the lineup that a lot of the team is lacking, he is generating chances (and goals) at a rate higher than almost every other player on the team, always brings energy, and every line he has played on has been better with him on it than when he is off of it. Not only is he a guy you should want to find out about, he is also simply one of their most effective players right now.
6. I know Kindel is on a six-game point drought, but I still like his game. There needs to be reasonable expectations for 19-year-olds. Young players will struggle at times. If you want guys like him, Murashov, Ville Koivunen and whoever else is in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to get opportunities and bring some youth into the lineup, you have to be prepared for what youth sometimes does. Sometimes it struggles. Sometimes the production is not there. Part of the process.
7. Erik Karlsson’s offense is still a major factor, but I feel like he’s played into a lot of the puck management and defensive coverage issues that have plagued the team.
8. No forward line has been more damaging to the team’s defensive efforts than the top line. It’s a problem
The Penguins have had six forward line combinations play at least 25 minutes together this season.
Crosby-Rust-Rakell is the only one that is underwater in terms of expected goal share while they are fourth in actual goal-differential. In terms of goals against per 60 minutes, they are fifth. Given the number of minutes they play (literally the most minutes) they are a shocking drain defensively. What makes it even more concerning is they are getting heavy offensive zone starts and they are still ending up moving in the wrong direction.
When none of those three players are on the ice the Penguins are actually outscoring their opponents during 5-on-5 play (it is only 13-12, but still…) with a significantly better expected goal share.
If the team is going to win games this season, that can not happen. They need more, and better, from that trio. No other way to put it.
9. The only defense pairings that have even come close to being functional and produced anything close to passable results are Girard and Kaedan Korczak, and the little bit we have seen from Kris Letang and Spencer Stastney.
10. I had reasonably high hopes for Declan Carlile, and while it’s too soon to give up on him (I am not), he has been a serious issue the past few games, even with the occasional goal.
Martin St-Louis spoke to the media Tuesday morning after the Montreal Canadiens' practice at the Bell Centre and revealed a couple of changes to his lineup: David Reinbacher will make way for Adam Engstrom, while Jakub Dobes will take over for Jacob Fowler in net.
The coach said removing Reinbacher from the lineup had nothing to do with performance; it’s about making the most of the opportunity to get these young players playing in the NHL right now. With the Jayden Struble trade and the Mike Matheson injury, there is a spot on the blueline, and the organization is clearly keen to take stock of what it has in its hands with both Reinbacher and Engstrom.
As to the fact that Dobes gets the net, the coach didn’t have much to say:
I don’t think it was a long conversation, you know. I trust Marco [Marciano].
While Fowler won his last game, a more active stick on a couple of goals might have kept the Buffalo Sabres from scoring, so it’s not entirely surprising the coaching staff decided to give Dobes the net. The same way St-Louis doesn’t want his players to give the referees an opportunity to call a penalty, it seems his goaltenders shouldn’t give him an opportunity to go with the other option. Has to be said, however, that he wants them both to have some rhythm:
Of course it’s important to keep them active. We’re very confident with our goaltenders. You must ensure that you keep them active, and we’ve got a bit of a rhythm for them
It will be interesting to see how Dobes does; historically, he hasn’t had much success against Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks. The Czech netminder was in net for both duels last season and lost both times. In his last outing, he surrendered five goals on just 23 shots against the Washington Capitals, posting a .792 save percentage. Dobes is now 1-2-1 this season, with a 4.63 goals-against average and an .842 SV. With Samuel Montembeault out of action, the situation hasn’t been dire for Dobes, but should he not find his form before the Becancour native returns, the crease could get very crowded.
To kick off their four-game East Coast road trip, the Anaheim Ducks traveled to Manhattan on Monday evening to take on the New York Rangers.
The Ducks entered play on Monday after two disappointing 4-2 home losses to the Calgary Flames and Boston Bruins, both of which the Ducks led. This game was to be the first leg of a back-to-back, as they’ll travel to face the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
The Rangers are off to a somewhat surprising hot start this season, but entered play on a two-game winless streak and were hoping to return to the win column.
Ducks captain Mikael Granlund missed the team’s previous game against Boston with an upper-body injury, but was back in action for this one. Veteran defenseman and UFA signing from the 2026 offseason Nick Jensen made his Ducks debut in this game and slotted in on the listed bottom pair alongside Pavel Mintyukov.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Killorn-Carlsson-Klepov
Vatrano-Granlund-Senneceke
Greer-McQueen-Gauthier
Malott-Washe-Caulfield
LaCombe-Warren
Hinds-Luneau
Mintyukov-Jensen
Ville Husso got his second start of the season in this game for the Ducks and saved 25 of 30 shots while under siege from puck drop. He was opposed by rookie netminder Dylan Garand in the Rangers’ net, who stopped 29 of 31.
“Disappointing more than anything, a game like tonight,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville told media after the game. “We didn’t have much, and when I say that: possession of the puck, play recognition, second battles. They played well. We didn’t really have anything that was dangerous to them.”
Game Notes
The Ducks had improved in certain defensive aspects early in this season compared with recent years, and they’ve taken steps back in others. In this game, every area that had plagued the team in the past and present reared its head and directly contributed to goals against on the scoreboard.
Breakouts/Exits: With a young blueline and the sheer number of new faces up front, this has been the area in which the team has struggled the most this season. In this game, the young defenders, misreading time and space on occasion, reverted to sending empty rims to the near and far halfwalls in hopes their winger would win an ensuing board battle and clear the defensive zone.
Too often those wingers allowed opposing pinching defenders to jump the routes to those rims, and even when those battles were created or won, second touches out were elusive, whether it came in the form of attempted slips to centers or chips into neutral ice. Telegraphing first passes and failure to read pinches led to minutes-long cycle sequences for the Rangers.
Ville Husso: This game could have gotten out of hand far quicker had it not been for Husso’s performance against a multitude of high-danger chances. Said extended cycles could have prolonged had he not displayed quality rebound control and game management, remaining square amid flurries and finding ways to freeze pucks, allowing his teammates to reset for a faceoff.
Recoveries/rush defending: The poor exit sequences didn’t end when pucks made their way past the defensive blueline. Too often, New York won the neutral zone puck battles and turned play quickly back up ice, which took advantage of overeager forwards flying the zone and defensemen too delayed in closing gaps against transition.
When opposing rushes were defended well, there were often still sorting issues, which led to open seams and defenders struggling to recover and eliminate dangerous options.
Roger McQueen/Nikita Klepov: Though both of the Ducks’ top prospects had quality sequences in this game that showcased their ultimate potential, they performed expectedly like rookies with only a few career games under their belts.
With the puck on his stick, Klepov navigated tight spaces and read how lanes developed on the rush to a level beyond his years. He was one guilty of misreading developing or broken sequences in his end. He too often flew the zone when more support was needed and struggled to identify seams.
McQueen is translating his effective reach to both rush and cycle sequences on the offensive side of the puck and generated a few quality looks. However, in his end, though he was efficiently in position, his reads were somewhat delayed, as he squandered a handful of second touches up ice, which halted rushes before they began.
Overall, these are details that can be acquired with reps at the NHL level, but were costly in this game in particular.
The Ducks will have a chance to quickly flush this game, as they’ll head to Long Island to take on the Islanders on Tuesday at 4 pm PST.
The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to improve with each passing day. As we’ve seen so far this season, the Blackhawks can compete with teams that are middle of the pack to below average. They have big wins over the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Winnipeg Jets, who are all fringe playoff teams.
However, so far, the elite teams in the league have dominated the Blackhawks in every aspect. The Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Mammoth, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, and Dallas Stars all controlled the entire game against the Blackhawks and didn’t give them anything.
Part of getting better will be the young players leading the way. Connor Bedard, Anton Frondell, Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Spencer Knight, among others, are the core pieces relied on to take the franchise to the next level.
There are also prospects throughout the organization who are not currently in Chicago and are expected to help one day as well. The Rockford IceHogs have a few, including Nick Lardis. Lardis started the year with the Blackhawks, but a rough start to the regular season got him sent down.
Lardis already has a goal and an assist with Rockford since the demotion. Once his confidence comes back, he’ll be back in the NHL. The Hawks have already seen him make an impact, and there’s no long-term concern.
However, no other young players have made a case to be called up to the Blackhawks. In particular, AJ Spellacy, Sacha Boisvert, and Marek Vanacker clearly need a lot more time developing in the AHL. None of them has a single point in six games played, and that has made winning harder for Rockford.
It isn’t all about points, but neither of those three have played a game that forces them to the NHL. In the case of Spellacy and Boisvert, there is certainly a level of physicality that they bring, but that won't help the Blackhawks at this time. It is their size and skill that must translate when the time is right.
For now, Dominic Toninato, Landon Slaggert, and Nick Lardis will be the first called up if there are injuries or inconsistencies at the NHL level. Lardis may force his way back up regardless of what happens with the NHL lineup if he continues to fill the net in the AHL.
For guys like Spellacy, Boisvert, and Vanacker, the Blackhawks are doing them a favor by keeping them in the AHL. The most important thing is their development. The future of the organization is much brighter if these guys are making a positive impact.
The NHL is not a developmental league. The Blackhawks are trying to win. Right now, those prospects in the AHL aren't ready to help an NHL team win.
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The Boston Bruins entered Tuesday sitting atop the Atlantic Division and in second place in the Eastern Conference overall with a 7-2-0 record.
There are a lot of factors driving the Bruins’ success early in the 2026-27 NHL season.
The B’s rank fifth in goals scored per game and second in goals allowed per game. They are the only team ranked top five in both of those stats. They also have the No. 8-ranked power play and the No. 14-ranked penalty kill.
Boston’s goaltending has been superb, too. Jeremy Swayman and Michael DiPietro have combined to save 8.27 goals above expected — the third-best of any team.
But the one element of the Bruins’ success that is probably the most encouraging has been the offensive production provided by the team’s young players.
The Bruins, for the first time in a while, have a lot of young players playing key roles. And give credit to management and the coaching staff. Sending veterans such as Sean Kuraly and Michael Eyssimont to the AHL opened up ice time for some of these younger players. In previous years, the B’s rarely made these kinds of moves.
The most impressive young player to this point has been Fraser Minten. The 22-year-old center, who signed a seven-year, $50.4 million extension last month, has eight points in nine games. His four goals are tied with David Pastrnak for the team lead. Minten has taken a jump in his offensive development, which, combined with his savvy defensive abilities, makes him a strong two-way player.
James Hagens has six points (two goal, four assists) in nine games. He’s tied for second in scoring among NHL rookies. He has adjusted well to the speed and physicality of the NHL game. Matthew Poitras spent almost all of the 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. He is seizing this opportunity to become a regular in Boston with five points (three goals, two assists) in six games.
Poitras’ goal against the Ducks was assisted by Hagens. The most interesting aspect of that goal was the fact that head coach Marco Sturm trusted two rookies to be on the ice in the final four minutes of a one-goal game versus a very good opponent.
JJ Peterka, the speedy winger who Boston acquired from the Mammoth back in June for two first-round draft picks, has six points (three goals, three) assists in nine games. The 24-year-old has given the Bruins much-needed speed.
Mason Lohrei has played very well on the back end with five points. Rookie defenseman Frederic has two points in six games, while holding his own defensively in 17 minutes per game. Brunet has established himself as an important part of the blue line.
The Bruins recently completed a three-game sweep in California with wins over the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Seven of Boston’s 14 goals over those three victories came from players age 25 or younger. Seventeen of the Bruins’ 34 goals through nine games have been scored by players 25 years old or younger.
Six of the team’s top 10 scorers as of Tuesday morning are age 25 or younger.
NBC Sports Boston
Sturm deserves a lot of credit for the young players’ success through nine games. He’s a great player development coach. He puts these players in positions and roles where they can thrive. And they don’t have to worry about getting benched or being demoted to the AHL if they make a mistake or two. That fear doesn’t exist, and it helps them play with confidence.
There are still 73 games remaining. A lot of season is left. But the early returns from the young core are very encouraging for the franchise.
If it continues, the Bruins will be set up for success now and well into the future.
Two of the NHL’s most electrifying superstars are off to remarkable starts this season, and on Tuesday night, they’ll share the ice when the Minnesota Wild (6-2-1) visit the Edmonton Oilers (6-1-1).
Kirill Kaprizov and Connor McDavid have been nearly unstoppable through the opening weeks of the 2026-27 season, combining for 38 points in just 17 games.
Kaprizov has established himself as the NHL’s leading goal scorer with 10 goals through Minnesota’s first nine games, while McDavid has recorded an astonishing 23 points in eight games to lead the league in scoring.
Both players are producing at extraordinary rates, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated individual matchups of the young NHL season.
But despite his incredible start, Kaprizov isn’t spending much time thinking about his goal-scoring numbers.
“I don’t know. Just doesn’t try thinking about it. Just playing, play games, and just feel good,” Kaprizov said when asked if he was surprised to have already reached 10 goals.
It’s a simple approach from a player who has become one of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive weapons.
Kaprizov has scored seven goals over his last five games and enters Tuesday’s matchup averaging more than a goal per game.
Over an 82-game season, his current pace would translate to approximately 91 goals. Over the new 84-game season, his current pace is 93.
Of course, maintaining that pace over an entire season would be an extraordinary accomplishment. But his early production has demonstrated just how dangerous Minnesota’s superstar can be when he’s playing with confidence.
And on Tuesday, he’ll face another player who has taken offensive production to an entirely different level.
McDavid has recorded six goals and 17 assists for 23 points through Edmonton’s first eight games.
That’s an average of 2.88 points per game, putting him on pace for approximately 241 points over an 84-game season.
The Oilers captain is coming off a five-point performance against Utah, recording two goals and three assists in another dominant offensive showing.
Kaprizov has taken notice.
“It should be fun,” Kaprizov said about Tuesday’s matchup. “He’s really good. I saw his last game against Utah in game before. He’s flying on the ice, and he’s a really good player.”
McDavid’s speed has long been one of his greatest strengths, allowing him to generate scoring opportunities seemingly out of nothing.
But his ability to combine that speed with elite puck skills and exceptional vision makes him particularly difficult to defend.
Kaprizov also made it clear that Edmonton’s offensive talent extends well beyond its captain.
“They have a lot of good players. Draisaitl, too, Vasily Podkolzin play really good, too now,” Kaprizov said.
The mention of Podkolzin was particularly interesting, as Kaprizov acknowledged knowing the Oilers forward who he has known well the last few years.
Edmonton’s combination of high-end skill and offensive depth has made the Oilers one of the NHL’s most dangerous teams early in the season.
And Minnesota head coach John Hynes knows his team will have its hands full.
“Edmonton’s playing really well. They got some obviously great players. McDavid’s on fire, but they’re a good team,” Hynes said following Minnesota’s 2-1 victory over Columbus on Sunday.
“They’re playing some good hockey as well. So, it’s going to be a big challenge for us.”
Kaprizov Has Been Just As Dangerous
While McDavid has been piling up assists and points, Kaprizov has been finding the back of the net at an incredible rate.
His 10 goals through nine games have put him atop the NHL’s goal-scoring leaderboard.
Kaprizov has also recorded five assists, giving him 15 points through Minnesota’s first nine contests.
The Wild winger has been a consistent offensive threat since entering the NHL, but his early-season scoring pace has been particularly impressive.
His ability to create space, find shooting lanes and capitalize on scoring opportunities has helped Minnesota establish itself as one of the Western Conference’s stronger teams to begin the season.
The Wild enter Tuesday’s matchup with a 6-2-1 record and 13 points, while Edmonton sits at 6-1-1 with 13 points.
Both teams have enjoyed strong starts, making Tuesday’s matchup an early test between two clubs hoping to establish themselves among the Western Conference’s best.
And while Kaprizov and McDavid will undoubtedly draw much of the attention, the outcome could depend just as heavily on the players tasked with defending them.
A Showdown Between Two Of The NHL’s Best
Tuesday’s matchup presents an opportunity for both teams to make an early statement.
For Edmonton, it’s another chance for McDavid to continue his remarkable offensive start.
For Minnesota, it’s an opportunity to demonstrate that its defensive structure can hold up against one of the NHL’s most dangerous attacks.
And for Kaprizov, it’s another chance to continue a goal-scoring stretch that has already made him one of the league’s biggest early-season stories.
The Wild superstar isn’t focused on chasing individual milestones or projecting how many goals he might score.
Instead, he’s focused on maintaining the approach that has helped Minnesota get off to a strong start.
“Just need to be ready and have fun and keep playing pretty similar,” Kaprizov said.
Two superstars. Two teams with 13 points. And two of the NHL’s most dangerous offensive players sharing the ice.
Tuesday’s matchup in Edmonton has all the ingredients for an entertaining night.
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The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home to face the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at 7:00 PM.
Toronto Maple Leafs - 4-4-2 - 10 Points - Won 1 - 6th in the Atlantic
Columbus Blue Jackets - 3-4-0 - 6 Points - Lost 1 - 7th in the Metro
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle has 4-21-25 in 33 career GP vs. Toronto, including a 0-4-4 effort last season on Oct. 29, 2025.
Luca Del Bel Belluz has 1-1-2 in two career matchups with Toronto and notched all points with his first career multi-point effort on Jan. 22, 2025.
Adam Fantilli has 6-2-8 in nine career GP vs. the Leafs, with multi-goal performances in each of the last two seasons (2-1-3 on Nov. 20, 2025 & 3-0-3 on Jan. 22, 2025).
Valeri Nichushkin has 8-5-13 in 14 career GP against Toronto, with a hat trick on Mar. 8, 2025 (3- 1-4), and has notched 6-3-9 in his last eight matchups as well as scoring in three of his six career home matchups against the Maple Leafs (6-2-8).
Mathieu Olivier has 3-5-8 in eight career GP and has all points in four of his last six matchups after notching his first career four-point game on Oct. 29, 2025 (1-3-4).
Zach Werenski has 2-19-21 with 6 multi-point efforts in 20 career GP, including having a 3-game overall point streak (2-4-6) as well as a 3-game home point streak (2-3-5), and has collected 2-7-9 in his last 6 overall.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 11.8% - 29th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 68.0% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 17 - 30th in the NHL
Goals Against - 23 - 12th in the NHL
Maple LeafsStats
Power Play - 27.6% - 7th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 96.4% - 1st in the NHL
Goals For - 29 - 10th in the NHL
Goals Against - 31 - 25th in the NHL
Series History vs. TheMaple Leafs
The Blue Jackets are 23-20-1-1 overall, and 10-11-0-1 at home vs. Toronto.
The Jackets have earned points in seven of their last nine matchups against the Maple Leafs (6-2-1).
The Blue Jackets have won three of the last four matchups at Nationwide Arena in the series, out-scoring the Maple Leafs by six goals (19-12).
CBJ have scored five-plus goals in five of their past six victories over the past 3 campaigns, including four instances of six-plus goals.
CBJ has gone 100 percent on the penalty kill percentage in the last six games between clubs (13-of-13).
Columbus has won the past three season series, taking two wins in each season.
Who To Watch For TheMaple Leafs
Auston Matthews leads the team in goals(6), assists(7), and points(13)
Kirill Marchenko has 4 goals and 9 points.
Goalie Anthony Stolarz is 2-1-0 with a SV% of .875
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 7 Games Missed
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 7 Games Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 7 Games Missed
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 25
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN (Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo)
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at 7:00 PM.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have snapped their three-game losing streak on Monday with a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks at Scotiabank Arena. It was a tight contest throughout the night, but Gavin McKenna scoring Toronto's second goal of the game was the breakthrough for the home team and led to the two points in the Leafs' favor.
"Yeah, that's a huge night for the group," McKenna said after the game. "I thought San Jose played a good game, but I thought we played a full sixty minutes, which you know, something we wanted to do all season. And I thought guys were working from the first line to the fourth line, so it was a huge night."
McKenna's power-play tally early in the third period turned out to be the game-winning goal, and the rookie's third of the season.
"I think that whole shift, puck was kind of bouncing around a little bit, and then a lot of battle wins from the guys," McKenna said of his goal. "Saw Auston (Matthews) won that puck battle, and then had a little bit of time and space in front, and then yeah, shot low glove, and lucky went in."
Though he believes his goal was lucky, what can't be argued is that it came at a significant moment in the hockey game for the Maple Leafs. Given their losing streak and the strength of the Atlantic Division, they couldn't afford to fall behind in the standings early, and McKenna's goal did just that.
"Even his first goal, talked about Gavin a lot, but he's just not afraid of the moment," Toronto's head coach Jim Hiller said post-game. "He enjoys the moment. You know, you saw his celebration, and you could say, 'yeah, well, shouldn't everybody do that?' There's lots there, and you have to want to be that big-time player, and that's what he has in spades."
"He's not shy at the moment at all," Matthews echoed, who had a goal and three points on the night himself. "I think, you give him a little bit of time and space like he had there, he's going to make something happen, and he did. So he's been fine his last couple games, and even what happened a couple nights ago, that stuff doesn't shake him. He keeps churning away, and it's impressive."
McKenna was asked about his ability to come through in big moments and delicate situations.
"I think it's just a confidence thing," the 18-year-old said. "For me, you want to be a guy who's known for those big moments, and when you get that time and an opportunity to be out there on the ice, you want to make the most out of it. So, I think you're playing with guys like Auston, (William Nylander) and those guys. I think it just brings confidence in itself. So, for me, that's something I've taken a lot of passion in, trying to be known as a guy who's able to perform in those situations."
The Maple Leafs' rookie now has three goals and six points in 10 games this season. Among rookies, that makes him tied for second in scoring, with only Trevor Connelly of the Vegas Golden Knights ahead with seven points.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
On Saturday afternoon, the Devils faced off against the Capitals for the first time this season. Things seemed to start positively for the Devils, at least on the scoreboard. Areseny Gritsyuk scored his 3rd goal of the season halfway through the period, giving the Devils the first goal of the game for the 3rd game in a row. Playing from behind has recently been the kiss of death for the Devils and on the flip side, their record when scoring first has been stellar. Between their expected “high” from their victory over the Rangers and scoring first yet again, no one would have blamed you for having a good feeling about the rest of this game. Well, have I got some bad news for you.
Before the end of the first period, Ryan Leonard would score a power play goal for the Capitals. It was an amazing individual effort, similar to the 2nd goal of the night scored by Luke against the Rangers. Another way to put it would be that the Devils let Leonard basically skate his way through their penalty kill in a horrible show of “defense.” Either way you wish to view it, the teams headed into the second period tied at 1.
Similar again to the Rangers game, the second period is where the wheels fell off of this game. Only this time, it was the Devils falling apart in the second. The Capitals scored less than 2 minutes into the period, and again a little over 3 minutes later to take a quick 3-1 lead. Boone Jenner scored about halfway into the period, giving the Capitals a 4-1 lead and 4 unanswered goals.
Timo Meier scored a power play goal, his first of the season, with less than a minute left in the 3rd period to make the score and game look closer than it actually was. The game mercifully ended right after, with the Capitals skating away with a 4-2 win and the win/loss see-saw that is the Devils “consistency” continued yet again.
Last Avalanche Game
On Monday night the Avalanche faced off against the Flyers in Philadelphia. Matvei Michkov got the scoring started for the Flyers with a power play goal in the first period, scoring against our old buddy, Mackenzie Blackwood. Michkov would score again for the Flyers in the second period to put his team up 2-0 before Martin Necas scored for the Avalanche to send the teams to the 3rd period with a score of 2-1 Flyers.
The teams would trade goals in the 3rd period, however the Avalanche would end their night with a 3-2 loss. Blackwood took the L as the kids say these days, however he does have a 4-2-0 record on the season along with a decent 2.86 GAA and a not so decent .890 SV%. One thing is for sure. Either way you slice it, the Devils will be facing an ex-Devil in net tonight.
Injuries, Roster for Tonight, Yada, Yada, Yada.
Per Amanda Stein on 10/19, there were no lines or pairings for practice. Instead the team worked on drills and “forcing players to be aggressive on pucks, ending plays quickly and taking out bodies in the corner.”
No lines or pairings today for #NJDevils. There was a ton of drills and plays forcing players to be aggressive on pucks, ending plays quickly and taking out bodies in the corners.
All the things HC Keefe said were severely lacking in Washington.
On the injury/illness front, Bratt, Glass, and Mantha missed practice today. However, Keefe noted that he expects Bratt, Glass, and Evangelista back for the game tonight while Mantha might be a game time decision.
Expectation is both Bratt and Glass will be available tomorrow for #NJDevils against Colorado.
Bratt has had something nagging him, he was kept out of formal practice but did skate earlier on his own.
Glass, similar to last practice, has been dealing with an issue where…
One final update that will surely make some fans happy and some upset, is that Brenden Dillon will not be playing tonight.
Keefe pointed to the return of Kovacevic and getting him “up and running” while also wanting to give Chisholm some runway to being an every day player.
Dillon will be out vs Avs.
"I don't know how many more we're going to have him on the sidelines, but he won't play tomorrow,"… https://t.co/rr6JCr0hSA
Last season (like the Devils), Grimace started the season off hot, winning the majority of his predictions early in the year. This year, not so much. He hasn’t quite turned to drink yet, like he did last year, but I am starting to notice the changes in his mood. Whether it is his mood, the changing weather, or some other sign from above, he has unfortunately predicted a loss against Colorado tonight.
Grimace’s 2026-2027 Season Prediction record currently stands at 1-2.
Your Take
What can you say about the game against the Capitals (or this team) after their last game? The victory against the Rangers produced amazing feelings of joy and positive vibes among the fan base, myself included. The game against the Capitals produced an effect 180 degrees away from the Rangers game. How can a team absolutely demolish and run a team out of the arena in one game, and then mail it in their next game? Well folks, if anyone on here knew the answer to that question, they would probably be in charge of the team. At this point, I will continue my belief that if he doesn’t know it yet, that Sunny is well on his way to figuring out what the deal is with this team.
I continue to believe that as constructed (that includes the players and Sheldon Keefe), that this team is exactly what we have seen over their first 8 games. Win some, lose some. They are the purest definition of an average (results wise) .500 hockey club. I think they have tons of talent and many great pieces. I do not think those pieces fit together and I don’t think they play nice together. We, as fans, have been asking for years not for an 84-0 record, but consistency. It is quite early in the season, but the infamous consistently inconsistent Devils are in peak form, sadly, as always.
In a shameless bit of non hockey related self promotion (approved by Chris – thanks Chris), I wanted to plug my podcast on here, if any of you are interested in listening. We have a light hearted, fun discussion about any movies, music, or video games mostly from the 1980s and 1990s. Please feel free to listen to us on any of the formats below and any feedback is welcome (positive and negative). Also, please follow us and subscribe, even if you think we stink. :).
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 19: The Utah Mammoth celebrate a win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Delta Center on October 19, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Eli Rehmer/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
In hopes of salvaging something positive from an otherwise rotten road trip, the Pittsburgh Penguins headed to Salt Lake City on Monday evening to take on the Utah Mammoth. Proceedings could not have started better for the Penguins, scoring just over a minute into the game on an Erik Karlsson power play goal. That lead, only their second of the entire road trip, lasted all of five minutes before the Mammoth drew even then eventually pulled away in the end for a 5-4 victory, sending the Penguins back to Pittsburgh on a four game skid. [Pensburgh]
Pens Points…
Good news for the Penguins? Last week was tough but now it’s behind them and this week is a fresh slate with a return home on the horizon. Bad news? That fresh slate will present another gauntlet of challenges that will test the Penguins. Don’t worry, I’m sure next week will be easier (it won’t). [Pensburgh]
If the Penguins can’t rebound from this slow start to the season and they are in a hole they don’t think they can recover from, it could put them in selling mode. There are several veterans who could be trade targets, but any return they get won’t provide immediate help to the lineup. [The Hockey News]
Declan Carlile signed with the Penguins this offseason as an under the radar player who was waiting to prove himself and stick in the NHL. His small sample size with the Penguins through nine games has brought good and bad moments, but he looks the part of an every game blue liner. [Trib Live]
NHL News and Notes…
It’s been a difficult few weeks between the Winnipeg Jets and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. After requesting a trade, Hellebuyck was suspended and has yet to join the team for any hockey activities this season. With no end in sight, everything remains in a holding pattern between the two sides. [NHL]
The aforementioned suspension for Hellebuyck that was issued by the Jets is set to expire on Friday. That means they will have to start paying him, but could ask him to remain away from the team, and there is no guarantee any trade gets done before that deadline hits. [ESPN]
Connor McDavid has been the best hockey player in the world for some time now. In case you forgot how good he was over the offseason, he’s been reminding you every time he steps on the ice season as his torrid pace has him sitting among the greatest players in hockey history. [Sportsnet]
Blue and orange meets orange and orange. | NHLI via Getty Images
The Islanders begin their life — well, technically it began late in the first period in Toronto Saturday — with two more regulars out as they host the Ducks and Tough Negotiator Pat Verbeek on Long Island Tuesday.
The prognosis for the two newest injuries is not as bad as it could’ve been, but opposite what I at least expected. Center Cal Ritchie, who skated off on his own power, is expected to miss four to six weeks, while winger Matias Maccelli, who needed help off the ice and down the hall, is listed as two to four weeks.
Of course, with Mat Barzal still out despite “maybe being ready by opening weekend,” we’ll view all prognoses with even more suspicion than usual.
Regardless, Mitchell Chaffee gets the emergency recall and Kyle MacLean gets a turn in the lineup.
San Jose Sharks (4-4-1, in the Pacific Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (4-3-1, in the Atlantic Division)
Montreal, Quebec; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT
LINE: Canadiens -211, Sharks +171; over/under is 6.5
BOTTOM LINE: The Montreal Canadiens host the San Jose Sharks after Cole Caufield scored two goals in the Canadiens' 4-3 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres.
Montreal is 4-3-1 overall and 3-2-0 at home. The Canadiens have committed 43 total penalties (5.4 per game) to rank fifth in league play.
San Jose has gone 2-2-1 on the road and 4-4-1 overall. The Sharks have given up 31 goals while scoring 22 for a -9 scoring differential.
The teams meet Tuesday for the first time this season.
INJURIES: Canadiens: Florian Xhekaj: out (lower-body), Ivan Demidov: out (lower-body), Mike Matheson: day to day (lower-body), Lucas Condotta: out (undisclosed), Bryce Pickford: out (undisclosed), Samuel Montembeault: out (lower-body).
Sharks: Kyle Keyser: out (upper body), Quentin Musty: out (upper body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins had one more opportunity to salvage points from a four-game Western road swing that, so far, had not gone their way.
Unfortunately, they came up empty.
Despite a late push that nearly tied the game, the Penguins dropped their fourth-straight game, this time at the hands of the Utah Mammoth, 5-4. The loss ended their road trip at 0-4, and they dropped to 3-6-1 on the season.
Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Declan Carlile found the back of the net for the Penguins, while goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 Utah shots. The Penguins had a late push in the final minute during 6-on-5 play, but it wasn't enough to overcome what was yet another deep-dug hole.
Pittsburgh actually opened up the scoring in this one when Erik Karlsson, just a minute and 11 seconds in, threw a puck toward the net on the power play that hit Mackenzie Weegar on the way in and trickled past Mammoth netminder Sebastian Cossa to make it 1-0.
However, the lead didn't last too long, as Lawson Crouse connected on a nice pass from down low to Clayton Keller breaking through the slot with his speed, and he put it past Silovs to tie the game six minutes in. Kevin Stenlund gave the Mammoth the lead just past the midway point.
The Penguins got another power play opportunity just before the seven-minute mark of the second period, and just eight seconds into the power play opportunity, Rakell got the puck down low around the net. He used his reach on a stuff attempt, and it was a success, giving him his long-awaited first goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2.
But Utah hit back with some momentum of their own. Nate Schmidt potted one from the point a few minutes later to retake the lead for the Mammoth, and a few minutes after that, Kailer Yamamoto beat Chinakhov on a play to make it 4-2.
A minute and a half into the third, Utah added to their lead with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, who scored his team-leading fifth man-advantage goal of the season. But the Penguins did respond in the form of Chinakhov's second goal of the season less than a minute and a half later, which also marked the first points for Andrei Kuzmenko and Spencer Stastney as Penguins on the assists.
After a long stretch without a shot, the Penguins grabbed momentum in the second half of the final frame. To cap off a nice cycle by the first line, Declan Carlile broke down the left side and finished a play to bring the Penguins to within one at 5-4.
And, at the end of the game, they came very close to tying it. Pittsburgh was getting some sustained pressure with the goaltender pulled, and they even forced a few icing calls to keep tired Utah players on the ice. After a few blasts by Karlsson and Rakell missed the net, Karlsson finally did put one on net, and Cossa let a rebound squirt to Ben Kindel on the doorstep.
Kindel shot it toward the net with the seconds ticking off the clock, and Cossa made a pad save in desperation to preserve the Mammoth lead and send the Penguins home pointless.
Here are a few takeaways from the Penguins' most recent loss:
- The result wasn't what the Penguins wanted. But there are some good things that happened in this game that the team can build on, especially after some pretty drastic lineup changes.
It's no small thing that Rakell and Chinakhov both scored in this game. And not only did they score, they were two of the game's best players, with Chinakhov flanking Crosby's left and Rakell on Kindel's right. If those two - the Penguins' two best pure goal-scorers - can get going, they will be much better for it.
The power play also stayed hot and scored on both of its opportunities in this game. It's three for its last three opportunities, and if that unit can get hot, the Penguins will - again - be much better for it.
Karlsson, who did record his first goal of the season, registered his team-leading 10th and 11th points of the season to give him 11 points in 10 games. His 11 points is tied for third in the NHL among defensemen, as he only trails Evan Bouchard (16 points) and Quinn Hughes (12 points).
And the push in the back half of the third showed that this team is capable of finding another level. Kindel was so, so close to tying that game, and Cossa made the save. The effort was too little, too late, but it's something to build on.
- As far as the defense? Yeah, it hasn't looked great. The details haven't been there. The own-zone coverage has been atrocious, to put it nicely.
But there is a very large something to be considered here.
The Penguins have five new players on their blue line. Three or four of them are playing on any given night, and every pairing has at least one new face.
Yes, every team in the NHL has been forced to work around a much-shortened preseason and training camp. But no team in hockey has as many new faces on the blue line as the Penguins. It's well-known that it typically takes defensemen a bit more time to adjust to new teams, new partners, and new systems.
The defense has been a letdown, but if there can be a neutral take from this, much of the inconsistency and utterly baffling breakdowns can probably trace back to the fact that these guys simply have not had a lot of runway together. It's the same thing on the forward front, but it's even more true on the blue line: It's going to take some time for the coaching staff and the players to figure out the right combinations on the back end.
Maybe this defense is far worse than last season's, maybe it isn't. The simple fact of the matter is that it's game 10, they have four of those five new defensemen on the NHL roster and playing, and more time and experimentation is needed to truly determine what things are probably going to look like for the remainder of the season.
If the same issues and breakdowns persist with this frequency two or three weeks from now, yes, that's a different conversation. But, for now, the blue line needs more time to figure out what works and what doesn't. The shortened camp did not afford the opportunity for any runway whatsoever, especially with prospect-heavy preseason action.
Even if it's not entirely an excuse, it has certainly been a factor.
- That said, yes, Carlile did score a goal, and a big one.
But he has displayed some problematic defense for several games now.
In a few previous games, defensive zone turnovers were the culprit. It was clear that he and Karlsson were not meshing as a pairing, so he was put on a second pairing with Kaedan Korczak in this one, while Stastney was stapled to Karlsson.
The culprits in this one for Carlile? Two blown net-front coverages. He failed to win a net-front battle against Stenlund on his goal, and his failure to box out Jack McBain at the net-front resulted in him screening Silovs on Schmidt's goal.
Then, on the power play goal, Schmaltz was left completely uncovered at the net-front prior to his goal, and Carlile was all the way up at the point like a forward. On the surface, this isn't a problem because of the Penguins' rotating PK, but Carlile is in this position frequently on the PK. He should probably have stayed down low with Karlsson prior to that sequence.
There is far too much risk in Carlile's game right now, and both Spencer Stastney and Ilya Solovyov, the latter playing his first NHL action of the season, were serviceable in this game. If Sam Girard is ready to go Thursday - or Trevor van Riemsdyk - I'm not sure that Carlile has been playing well enough to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis.
- Bryan Rust was injured sometime during the second period in this game, and he did not return. The only thing known up to this point is that it's a lower-body injury.
If he isn't good to go for Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers - and if he goes to injured reserve - I'd expect Avery Hayes or Rutger McGroarty to get the call, as they are lighting up the AHL right now with nine points each in six games.
In any case, that's a tough break for Rust, who was injured out of camp to start the season. This guy's biggest knock in the last decade has been his inability to stay healthy, and it's a shame because the Penguins are a better team when he's in the lineup.
- The Penguins are now 3-6-1 after 10 games. The Philadelphia Flyers - who took 10 games to win a hockey game - are now tied with them points-wise and have just one less win. And the Columbus Blue Jackets are just one point behind them in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
That said, the Penguins are still only four points removed from a playoff spot in the early going.
They take on Florida Thursday. Last season, they were 3-0 against the Panthers and outscored them, 19-9.
This is not last year's Florida team by any means, but it's also a depleted team. Brad Marchand is out for six weeks. Aleksander Barkov is out for a couple of months. Jacob Markstrom and Radko Gudas are both out day-to-day, with their statuses for Thursday uncertain.
I'm not quite as high on this Florida team as some others, but it will be a real test for the Penguins to see if they can put together a full 60-minute effort back in front of their home fans. Their last showing at home was a clinical 2-1 winning effort that ended in a shootout win against one of the league's best two-way teams in the Dallas Stars.
It's early. But they need to right the ship soon. They took some encouraging steps against Utah, but Thursday, in some respects, feels as near to a must-win as a game in October possibly can.
Going into the 2026-27 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins began with the most players on injured reserve and/or designated non-roster with 10.
They've slowly been crawling back to full health. But they may have been dealt another blow Monday, and it involves one of those players who were injured to start the season.
Forward Bryan Rust, who began 2026-27 on IR with an upper-body injury and missed the opening three games of the season, left the second period of Monday's game against the Utah Mammoth with a lower-body injury and did not return.
Rust, 34, has three goals in six games on the season.
The Penguins have dealt with several injuries to their forward unit so far this season, as Rust, Justin Brazeau, Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov have all missed games. In addition to the NHL squad, forwards Tristan Broz, Oliver Okuliar, and Melvin Fernstrom were also on IR to begin the season, although all have since returned.
On the blue line, Sam Girard was injured during Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and Trevor van Riemsdyk is still on IR with a lower-body injury and rehabbing in Pittsburgh.
The Penguins next play Thursday at home, when they host the Florida Panthers. No further update on Rust has been provided.
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