Category: NHL

For the past couple of years, the aging Pittsburgh Penguins have had a few veterans linked to trade talks. So, it's nothing new when the concept is brought up. 

But a report from Saturday indicates that they may be gearing up for some actual movement on that front. 

During the Saturday Night Hockey segment on Sportsnet, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Penguins and GM/POHO Kyle Dubas are willing and ready to unload some veterans to open up some opportunity for their younger players.

"Pittsburgh has made it clear that they would move a veteran forward for draft picks or prospects to give their younger players more opportunity as they continue to transition to a younger roster," Friedman said.

The latest Saturday Headlines, courtesy of @FriedgeHNIC 📰 pic.twitter.com/xPkEjbNUqO

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 18, 2026

Of course, Friedman mentioned forwards specifically when this report came out, and at this point, it's just a report. But with the Penguins struggling to start the season at 3-5-1 - and some players in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) lighting up the AHL scoreboard - it makes sense. 

Wingers Avery Hayes (5G, 4A) and Rutger McGroarty (4G, 5A) are tied for third in the AHL in scoring with nine points, with center Atley Calvert (3G, 5A) and right wing Mikhail Ilyin 2G, 5A) right behind them. WBS is 3-2-1 to start the season, and several players - most notably, McGroarty and Hayes - appear ready for the jump to NHL action.

Hayesy stays hot 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SlHik6Bsfj

— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) October 17, 2026

In addition, center Bill Zonnon has three goals and five points, while defenseman Jake Livanavage is point-per-game (1G, 4A in 5GP).

As far as forward trade candidates on the Penguins' roster, wingers Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust stand out among the rest. Both have two years left on their current deals that pay $5 million and $5.1 million, respectively, each year, and both are 30-goal scorers. Rust has started well this season with three goals in six games, while Rakell has struggled out the gate with just two assists in nine games. 

While those two would command the best returns on the forward front, players like Tommy Novak, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Connor Dewar might also be names to look out for despite all three signing new contracts with the Penguins prior to this season. Novak's three-year extension worth $4.65 million AAV begins in 2027-28. 

Penguins Former First-Round Pick Suddenly Named Trade CandidateCould the Penguins move on from their former first-round pick?

Justin Brazeau, who is currently on injured reserve and had 17 goals and 34 points in 64 games for the Penguins last season, is another veteran player to watch. 

Although forwards were mentioned specifically, it's also worth noting that 36-year-old defenseman Erik Karlsson - who has nine points in nine games - is in the final year of his contract yet owns a full no-movement clause. 28-year-old blueliner Sam Girard, also in the last year of his contract, has produced a goal and seven points for the Penguins in nine games this season but was injured and did not return during Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Penguins have some organizational depth at both forward and defense readily available in WBS, so it will be interesting to see if any moves are made and how the NHL team performs in the coming weeks. 

Takeaways: Penguins ' Losing Streak Extends To 3 In Messy Loss To VegasThe Pittsburgh Penguins continued a disappointing Western road trip with their third-straight loss Saturday.

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Heading into Game 10 on an almost unfathomable nine-game losing streak, the Philadelphia Flyers, led by the likely suspects, finally got their first win of the season against the Ottawa Senators, holding on for a 3-1 win that was a full team effort.

As has become customary, the Flyers conceded the first goal of the evening, with Drake Batherson converting on a 2-on-1 midway through the second period after a bad pinch by Travis Sanheim left rookie Oliver Bonk back to defend by himself.

However, the Senators' goal didn't leave the Flyers shaken or fazed, and the team just kept playing, as they have been preaching all throughout this nightmare nine-game skid.

Just over three minutes after Batherson's tally, Flyers youngsters Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone answered the bell.

After recovering the puck immediately after a Jamie Drysdale turnover in the slot, Michkov pivoted and fired a pass towards the Ottawa goal, with Martone home on the doorstep to redirect the puck past a helpless Linus Ullmark.

Then, with less than two minutes left in the middle frame, Michkov found the net himself with a power play goal.

On a Martone one-timer rebound, Michkov snuck up to the side of the net and popped the puck into a yawning cage to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

"There's a lot of good passes. I think I got a good shot from the flank, and it was a rebound goal," Martone said after the game. "Not all of them are going to be pretty, so it was nice to see that one go in." 

It was an fascinatingly composted unit for the Flyers that scored the goal, too. David Jiricek had been demoted to the second unit mid-game, while Michkov elected to stay on the ice instead of changing with the first unit.

Then Michkov was rewarded for his gamble, scoring the game-winning goal in the blue paint.

"Well, I mean, it depends," Tocchet said of Michkov's extended shift on the power play. "Like, if he's on the ice and he feels it, and you know that we have possession, you don't want to change. It's a feel thing, I think."

Without confirming or denying that Michkov was supposed to change with the rest of his unit, Tocchet seemed pleased with the final outcome, a game-winning goal delivered by the power play and the Flyers' 21-year-old talisman who has been under the spotlight since Day 1 in Philadelphia,

Flyers observations

The 3-1 win over the Senators on Saturday night was an important one for everyone on the Flyers, but it's fitting that Dan Vladar helped deliver the team's first win of the 2026-27 campaign.

Vladar finished with 25 saves on 26 shots, a .962 save percentage, and 1.33 goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.

Every power play goal the Flyers have scored this season has come with David Jiricek on the ice.

Rookie Oliver Bonk continues to impress, and he finished with the fourth-most ice time amongst defensemen (19:12) against Ottawa, trailing only Nick Seeler, Jamie Drysdale, and Travis Sanheim.

Things can change if and when Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York return from injury, but he's earned the right to stay in the NHL until his play suggests otherwise.

Matvei Michkov is currently on pace for a career-high 33 goals.

Despite the breakout performance, Michkov finished Saturday night's win with 14:29 of ice time, slightly below his season average of 14:52.

In Lehigh Valley, prospect Alex Bump has scored in every AHL game he's played in this year, and he's now up to seven goals in just five games.

It will be interesting to see how long the Flyers can avoid bringing him back up to the NHL level, especially with the youngsters getting the party started against Ottawa.

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The Detroit Red Wings found themselves trailing by a 3-1 score in the third period of Saturday night's contest against the visiting San Jose Sharks, one of the NHL's most exciting young, up and coming clubs.

But they didn't wilt, and in the end, they got the last laugh.

Emmitt Finnie and Alex DeBrincat scored third period goals for the Red Wings, while Lucas Raymond scored the only goal in the subsequent shootout, resulting in a 4-3 victory at Little Caesars Arena. 

SHOOTOUT W‼️‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/MuRkkD8jDD

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 18, 2026

With the win, the Red Wings improved their record to 3-3-2 in the early goings of the 2026-27 campaign. 

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

It was defenseman Justin Faulk who got the scoring started for the Red Wings, beating former Detroit goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from the point while on the power play. San Jose responded later in the frame with a power play goal of their own from defenseman Dmitry Orlov. 

The Sharks took a 2-1 lead thanks to superstar captain Macklin Celebrini, who capped a three-way passing play with a one-timed blast over the glove of Red Wings goaltender John Gibson following a turnover from William Wallinder.

San Jose then extended their lead to 3-1 early in the third period, striking for the second time with the man-advantage. 

Lucas Raymond Still Feeling Confident Amidst Goal Drought While Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond is still searching for his first goal of the season, the confidence that's made him one of their top forwards hasn't wavered.

But Detroit began fighting their way back into the contest soon afterward. Michael Brandsegg-Nygård sent a perfect shot-pass to a waiting Emmitt Finnie at the side of the net, who had a tap-in for his third goal of the season. 

With Gibson on the bench, it was DeBrincat who once again came through in the clutch for Detroit, roofing a loose puck over Nedeljkovic from the same spot Finnie scored; it was his fifth of the season. 

The Red Wings not only killed off a Sharks power play in overtime, but got the only goal of the subsequent shootout from Raymond, who is still searching for his first official tally of 2026-27. 

DeBrincat and Brandsegg-Nygård were both stopped by Nedeljkovic in the shootout; he finished with 24 saves. Gibson stopped all three Sharks shooters, which included Will Smith, Celebrini, and Stenberg; he finished with 31 saves, the biggest of which was a sprawling two-pad stack on Celebrini late in the first period. 

After playing seven of their first eight games at home, the Red Wings will now embark on a four-game Western road swing, beginning Tuesday night in Seattle against the Kraken; Detroit will look to avenge their 6-3 loss to the Kraken from Oct. 9. 

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MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored his second goal of the game 54 seconds into overtime to lift the Montreal Canadiens over the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 on Saturday night.

Caufield had a breakaway after Josh Norris missed his shot on a 3-on-1 rush. He ripped a shot into the top-left corner, extending his franchise record with his 14th regular-season overtime goal.

Zachary Bolduc and Alexandre Texier also scored while Montreal built a two-goal lead before Buffalo stormed back. Juraj Slafkovsky and Alexandre Carrier added two assists each.

Jacob Fowler stopped 23 shots in his fourth start in five games.

Jack Quinn, Tage Thompson and Norris scored for Buffalo, which fell 4-3 in a shootout to the Canadiens on Tuesday. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves.

Thompson tied it at 3 with 9:48 remaining in the third period after Josh Doan found him alone at the side of the net to eventually force overtime.

The Sabres went on the power play with 2:17 remaining in regulation after Slafkovsky tripped Jiri Kulich but couldn’t capitalize despite spending the majority of the time in Montreal’s zone.

UP NEXT

Sabres: Host the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.

Canadiens: Host the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The Islanders pulled off an impressive 4-1 win in Toronto despite losing two forwards for most of the game, with both Cal Ritchie and Matias Maccelli limping off to destinations unknown in the first period.

Ritchie was the first to leave, on his first shift, but he was at least able to skate off after an awkward but not high-velocity collision on the far boards. Maccelli’s exit late in the first period looked more concerning, both in how his leg looked as it folded under him and in how he needed help to get off the ice and down the hallway.

After a surprising strong start to his tenure with the Islanders, we’re going to be without our lovable Swedish Meatball for a while.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

Anthony Duclair got the Isles on the board eight minutes into the game, following a good forecheck with a deceptive against-the-grain shot from the slot.

That was the only goal for most of the first two periods, the Isles playing a steady game with a short bench but whiffing on two first-period power plays. Bo Horvat double the lead to 2-0 late in the second off another strong forecheck and a nice move to the slot by Horvat, who ultimately put the rebound of Kyle Palmieri’s shot home. Sergei Bobrovsky was pulled out of the net to stop Palmieri’s shot, so Horvat had an empty cage to enjoy.

But Adam Pelech took a penalty that gave the Leafs a power play and opportunity for life to begin the third period. The Isles survived that penalty kill, only to have Emil Heineman called for a soft, borderline phantom tripping call to immediately put the Leafs back on the power play.

The Isles killed that one, too, despite some hairy moments, but the Leafs got on the board right after it expired with a point shot that took a perfect, fractional deflection off Matthew Schaefer, the post and in.

Clinging to a 2-1 lead in the third, the Isles were not getting any great looks as they went into survival mode. The dangerous-looking Leafs power play had one more chance to get them even when Schaefer took a puck-over-the-glass penalty at 10:10. But the Isles penalty kill held strong, and Simon Holmstrom created breathing room a couple minutes later with a whipped shot from the slot.

Holmstrom would add the empty netter, too, winning a battle behind the Isles net and carrying the puck out to center ice before scoring from the red line.

It’s a satisfying win for the Islanders, adjusting to 10 forwards and picking up three points from their two-game Ontario swing. Ilya Sorokin had 28 saves including 12 in the third period. But those injuries are going to hurt and test the Isles depth.

Up Next

The Islanders return home for another Tuesday-Thursday sequence, hosting the Ducks and Kings before heading out on a three-game Central Division tour.

TORONTO — Zoom in, focus only on Saturday’s outcome and the Islanders gave an excellent accounting of themselves.

They overcame two first-period injuries, played most of the night with 10 forwards, locked things down and retained the lead throughout on the road to take a 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs and three of four available points on a two-game trip through Ontario.

“That was probably our most complete game of the year and our smartest game of the year,” coach Pete DeBoer said. It’s hard to argue with that.

Big picture, though, those two injuries to Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli overshadow the game itself and then some.

The Islanders already have lost Alexander Romanov for the season with a torn ACL. They are already without Mat Barzal, or a timeline for his return, due to lingering issues around his kneecap.

Coach Pete DeBoer reminded everyone Saturday morning that “We don’t have a [Connor] McDavid and [Leon] Draisaitl” — in fact, the Islanders forward group is quite thin on offensive firepower, even at full strength.

But that was before Ritchie left the game after his first shift with an apparent left leg issue after a Nick Blankenburg hit along the neutral zone boards. And it was before Maccelli’s left knee bent the wrong way after Darren Raddysh’s stick got caught in his skate and he had to be helped down the tunnel.

DeBoer said both players would be evaluated upon the team’s return to New York.

To their credit, the Islanders — who had gone up 1-0 on Anthony Duclair’s goal prior to Maccelli’s injury — played airtight hockey in a rough situation to come away with two points.

Bo Horvat put away Kyle Palmieri’s rebound at 18:33 of the second to add a much-needed second goal, but this was mainly a defensive effort.

They held the Maple Leafs without a high-danger chance at 5-on-5 in the third period — Troy Stecher’s goal was a seeing-eye shot from the point — and went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, including a huge kill when Matthew Schaefer took a delay-of-game penalty with 9:50 to go.

Shortly after the Islanders killed it, Bo Horvat found Simon Holmstrom in the slot to extend the lead to 3-1. Holmstrom tacked on an empty-netter to seal it.

“Guys dug deep. They battled. We battled for one another,” Casey Cizikas told The Post. “We did all the right things out there and just kept it as simple as possible.”

Cizikas and the players who started the night as his linemates — the lines became nominal given the injuries — were some of the Islanders’ best players. With Ondrej Palat on the ice, the Islanders out-attempted Toronto by a ridiculous 19-1 margin.

“He’s one of the leaders on our team right now,” Cizikas said.

The Islanders didn’t just end the game with 10 forwards, but the two they were missing represented one-third of their top six, and Maccelli had come into the night tied as their second-leading point-getter.

The Finnish winger was the Islanders’ only free agent signing of the summer to make the roster — they added Logan Stanley after training camp — and had played well above expectations. He’d earned his way onto the top line and impressed everyone with his skill and tenacity.

Ritchie had gotten off to a slower start, but the 21-year-old is one of the players the Islanders have staked their future on. Throwing an injury into the mix is the opposite of what anyone needed.

“Over the course of the season you always encounter [injuries],” Kyle Palmieri told The Post. “Sometimes they unfortunately come in little bunches and you just gotta battle through it.”

The lack of forward depth in the organization now becomes a problem too. Kyle MacLean, a healthy scratch in all eight games this season, can come into the lineup without an issue, but if the Islanders need to call up two forwards, they aren’t flush with options.

Liam Foudy and Pierre Engvall both have plenty of NHL experience but neither did much at training camp or grabbed onto opportunities with the Isles in the past. Mitchell Chaffee does too, and could play as a grinder in the bottom six, but is unlikely to fill an offensive hole. Cole Eiserman is tempting in that sense, but if the Islanders believed he was ready, the Boston University prospect would have made the team out of camp.

With two days before facing Anaheim on Long Island, the Islanders can hope that at least one of the injuries proves not to be as bad as it looked Saturday.

Otherwise, their season just got that much harder.

TORONTO (AP) — Bo Horvat scored the winner and added an assist to help the New York Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on Saturday night.

Simon Holmstrom scored twice, the second into an empty net, and Anthony Duclair also connected for New York (4-3-1). Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves.

Colton Sissons replied for Toronto (3-4-2). Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 16 shots for the Maple Leafs. They have dropped three straight games and four of their last five.

The Islanders jumped out to a 1-0 lead at 8:18 of the first period when Duclair took a pass in the slot and changed the angle before firing through a partial screen on Bobrovsky.

Coming off a hat trick Thursday night in a 5-4 home shootout loss to Buffalo, Maple Leafs winger Kirill Marchenko had a couple of chances that Sorokin turned aside in the second.

No. 1 overall pick Gavin McKenna, who was benched for the second half of Thursday’s contest, had an opportunity it late in the second period on a partial breakaway, but fired high and wide. The Islanders raced the other way, with Horvat eventually beating Bobrovsky with 1:27 to go.

Sissons got Toronto — which topped New York 2-1 at Scotiabank Arena on Sept. 30 — within one at 3:54 of the third on a tipped shot through traffic, but Holmstrom restored the two-goal lead with 5:52 to go off Horvat's setup before firing into the empty net with just over two minutes remaining.

The Islanders' Matias Maccelli left in the first period and didn’t return with an apparent lower-body injury. The winger, who spent last season with Toronto, stepped on the stick of defenseman Darren Raddysh and fell awkwardly.

Up next

Islanders: Host Anaheim on Tuesday night

Maple Leafs: Host San Jose on Monday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The Philadelphia Flyers finally have their first win of the 2026-27 season.

Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone each had a goal and an assist as the Flyers (1-6-3) defeated the Senators 3-1.

It was a rough night all around for the Sens (6-3-0) who've scored just four regulation goals in their last three games. Not only did the Flyers first win come at their expense, but they also lost captain Thomas Chabot to injury.

Chabot appeared to hurt his right arm/wrist area, which has given him trouble at various times in his career for four or five years now.

In just nine games, the Senators have already had a season's worth of injuries on their blue line. Chabot joins Jake Sanderson, Artem Zub, Nikolas Matinpalo, and Cam Crotty as defensemen who've missed time due to injury.

Chabot not finishing the game is worrisome. Zegras’s skate appears to go directly on his right wrist/hand. He seemed to be favouring it right away in the penalty box as he was called tripping on the play in the first period. pic.twitter.com/Nu2ozaEw4i

— Steve Lloyd (@TSNSteveLloyd) October 18, 2026

The loss is the first of the season for Linus Ullmark (6-1-0) who made 26 saves in the loss. Dan Vladar had 25 saves for the Flyers.

After a scoreless opening period, the Senators finally broke through at 5:55 of the second when Drake Batherson finished off a beautifully executed two-on-one with Claude Giroux. Giroux delivered a perfect cross-ice pass, and Batherson made no mistake, burying a one-timer for his fourth goal of the season. Tim Stützle picked up the secondary assist.

But the Flyers responded just over three minutes later, thanks in part to a couple of mistakes by Chabot, who threw the puck away in his own zone, then lost track of Porter Martone in front of the net. Martone tipped home a Matvei Michkov shot at 9:03 to tie the game at one.

Philadelphia then grabbed its first lead of the night with just 1:27 remaining in the period. On the power play, Michkov pounced on a rebound in front and knocked it home for his fourth goal of the season, with Martone and David Jiricek drawing the assists.

The Flyers carried the 2-1 lead into the third period.

About five minutes into the third, the Sens picked up the pace, with Warren Foegele ringing one off the iron for the second straight game.

The Sens got a late power play after Tyson Foerster flipped a puck over the glass. Interestingly, after his first unit tried and failed to tie it up, Travis Green opted to close a crucial power play with Warren Foegele, Ridly Greig, and Fabian Zetterlund up front.

The Sens pulled the goalie and pressed again for the equalizer until Trevor Zegras iced it with an empty net goal to give the Flyers the 3-1 win.

The moral of this hockey story: It's difficult to match the desperation of a winless team. That's a big reason why Philly was the better team on the night.

After failing to kick the Flyers while they were down, the Senators are now off until Wednesday when they host Brady Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers.

It will be interesting to see if the current captain will be healthy enough to face the old one.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

This story first appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa. For more Senators coverage from THN Ottawa, click one of the headlines below:

Brady Tkachuk Calls Panthers Fans "The Best in the NHL"

Brady Tkachuk Calls Panthers Fans "The NHL's Best," Just Days Before His Ottawa ReturnThe former Senators captain has put up back-to-back hat tricks, and his post-game comments that Florida has the NHL's best fans won't make next week's return to Ottawa any friendlier.

Sens Nation Podcast: Halliday Gets Chance On Senators Top Line
Report: Former Senators Forward David Perron Signs On For A 20th NHL Season
Inside the Senators' Gamble on Samuel Ersson, And Why They Believe It Can Work

Talk about the game with Pens fans here!

CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks were at the United Center for Saturday night hockey against the Dallas Stars. After winning two in a row, both at home, the Blackhawks came in feeling good about their game. 

The Stars came in after a lackluster 3-3-1 start to their season, looking to get back on track. Their record is better than Chicago's, but they have legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations, with a roster loaded with stars at every position, so expectations are different. 

It was an interesting first period. For most of it, the Dallas Stars controlled play. Jason Robertson scored a goal at one point to give the Stars a 1-0 lead, but it was reviewed and waved off for offside. The scoreless tie went through the first intermission. 

In the second period, Robertson didn't miss his chance to score one that counts. While on the power play, he made it 1-0 at 15:02. Robertson finished off a pretty passing play with Mikko Rantanen and Thomas Harley for the goal. 

At 5:50 in the middle frame, Artuu Hyry scored to give the Stars a 2-0 lead. With the way the Stars have been controlling the game, this definitely became a tough hill to climb for the Blackhawks. Hyry's goal came off a neat feed from Sam Steel on a 2-on-1. 

The 2-0 lead that the Dallas Stars built up held through the second intermission. It would have been worse if it weren't for Spencer Knight; things would likely have been worse for the Blackhawks through two. 

Hyry wasn't done there. Shortly into the third period, he scored his second of the game on a nifty backhand shot that beat Knight. Later in the third, Roope Hintz made it 4-0 with a snipe. That did it for the Blackhawks. 

The 4-0 score became the final at the end of regulation, and Chicago's winning streak ended at two. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

The Chicago Blackhawks didn't score a goal in the loss. There were some chances, but nothing was able to beat Jake Oettinger, who now has three shutouts. In fact, all three of his wins were shutouts. 

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks are now going to be off game action for 6 days. This gives them plenty of time to rest, practice, and come back ready for a long stretch of games against good teams. Next Friday, they will face the Montreal Canadiens. This will be the first time in 2026-27 that the Blackhawks wear their black alternate sweaters. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

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It’s been a pretty solid few days for the Florida Panthers.

Florida has now won three straight games during the young season, extending the streak thanks to Saturday’s dominant 8-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken.

It didn’t take long for the Panthers to get things started on the right skate.

Just 65 seconds into the game, Sam Bennett jumped on a Matthew Takchuk rebound, swatting the puck out of midair and into the Kraken net to give Florida a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately for Bennett and the Cats, they didn’t stay ahead for very long.

Former fourth overall draft pick Sane Wright got his stick on a shot by Berkly Catton, getting just enough of the puck to change its direction and get it past Jacob Markstrom to knot the score at one at the 4:51 mark.

That’s how the score would remain for the majority of the period, with both goaltenders coming up with some big saves.

With just over two minutes left until the first intermission, Carter Verhaeghe one-timed a puck from the left faceoff circle over Joey Daccord’s glove to give the Cats a 2-1 lead, but he wasn’t done there.

Florida went on the power play less than a minute later thanks to Ryker Evans shooting the puck over the glass, and Verhaeghe found the back of the net again, this time off a nice feed from Brady Tkachuk, sending Florida into the break with a 3-1 advantage.

Keeping the good times rolling, Verhaeghe completed the natural hat trick by finishing off a pass from Niko Mikkola to extend Florida’s lead to 4-1.

There was some history that came with the goal, as Florida became the first team in NHL history to have players log natural hat tricks in three consecutive games.

The Panthers just became the FIRST TEAM EVER to have a player record a natural hat trick in 3 straight games for them 🎩

Brady got one in the last 2 games and now Verhaeghe adds one! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MdZWEz9Jh3

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 17, 2026

Not too shabby, eh?

Just 40 seconds after that, Niko Mikkola’s long shot found its way over Daccord’s blocker to extend Florida’s lead to 5-1, and then Bennett gave the Cats a sixth goal by finishing off a 2-on-1 with Brady.

After a Freddy Gaudreau goal late in the second brought Seattle to within 6-2, Sam Reinhart scored on the power play to hit the extra point for Florida, one-timing a quick feed by Matthew Takchuk past Daccord.

Sure, the Kraken added a third goal just under four minutes into the period, but the bigger news of the final frame was Bennett becoming the second Panthers player DURING THIS GAME to pick up a hat trick.

Bennett’s third goal of the night was Florida’s eighth, marking the first time in Panthers history that two players recorded three goals in the same game.

The goal was also the 400th point of Benntt’s career.

SAM BENNETT SCORES THE PANTHERS' 4TH HAT TRICK IN 3 GAMES 🤯

Panthers fans are staring to run out of headwear 😭 pic.twitter.com/x8l7LNDn6c

— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) October 18, 2026

Florida’s record has now improved to 5-2-2 on the young season. They’ll head back out on the road this week for a four-game trip, starting with a back-to-back Wednesday and Thursday in Ottawa and Pittsburgh.

Getting back to Florida’s scoring for a moment, the game saw a couple point streaks extended by the Tkachuk brothers.

Matthew Tkachuk finished the night with three assists, extending his point streak to eight games, racking up three goals and 14 points during the run.

As for Brady, his point streak is now at four games, logging six goals and 10 points over that span after picking up a pair of helpers on Saturday.

The timing couldn’t be better as Brady and the Panthers’ next game is against his former team, the Ottawa Senators.

We’ll see if they can keep the good times rolling when they travel north of the border.

Stay tuned.

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Photo caption: May 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center CarterVerhaeghe(23) celebrates with center SamBennett(9) and defenseman Gustav Forsling (42) after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

The Buffalo Sabres have finally got their offense untracked, generating 14 goals in their past three games. It’s not a coincidence they’ve won two of those three contests to improve their record to 4-3-1. 

But there’s still another issue the Sabres need to address – and that’s their play in their own zone. Because in those past three games, Buffalo has given up a combined 11 goals. And when you look at where the Sabres’ defense is at the moment, you can see why Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff needs to focus on improving his team’s play on ‘D’.

Indeed, right now, the Sabres have the NHL’s seventh-worst goals-against average – 3.63 goals-against per-game. And most of the teams that are as bad or worse in that department are notoriously sub-par teams, including the woeful Calgary Flames (5.00 goals-against), Vancouver Canucks (4.56), Columbus Blue Jackets (4.20), Los Angeles Kings (4.20) and Chicago Blackhawks (4.00). If you aren’t taking care of business defensively, it doesn’t much matter how potent your offense is.

How do the Sabres clamp down in their own end? Well, having captain Rasmus Dahlin back in the lineup will help in that regard – and it’s also not a coincidence Buffalo’s goals-against average spiked now that Dahlin has missed the past two games, as well as Saturday’s tilt against the Montreal Canadiens. Dahlin’s sky-high panic threshold sets a defensive tone for his teammates, and he’s Buffalo’s least-replaceable player.

That said, there’s still good reason to believe the Sabres have to do more to be more responsible on defense. And some of that falls squarely into the lap of Buffalo goalies Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Colten Ellis. With veteran netminder Alex Lyon sidelined with an injury of his own, Buffalo has had no choice but to ride Luukkonen and Ellis. And to say the results were mixed would be extremely charitable.

Indeed, although Luukkonen has been better of late – posting a save percentage of .921 or higher in two of his past three appearances – the reality is that, in six appearances this season, Luukkonen has a significantly-disappointing SP of .854 and a GAA of 3.52. You can say he hasn’t got a lot of support from his Sabres teammates, but Luukkonen has to own his own role in his bloated stats.

Meanwhile, in just three appearances this season, Ellis has been just as disappointing as Luukkonen, if not more so. He had a decent start to the season, putting up a .900 SP in an overtime win over the Minnesota Wild. But Ellis got worse in each of his next two games, posting an .867 SP in a 4-1 loss to the Utah Mammoth, then getting yanked after surrendering two goals on nine shots in a 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.

If Luukkonen can’t provide at least average individual numbers, and if Ellis isn’t a legitimate option to turn to when Luukkonen isn’t at his best…well, you can see why that’s going to be an ongoing problem. Now, if Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen can pull off a blockbuster trade for suspended Winnipeg Jets superstar goalie Connor Hellebuyck, everything changes for Buffalo. But otherwise, there aren’t many great netminding options for the Sabres to acquire.

In any case, Buffalo’s challenge is clear: get better on ‘D’, and get better right away. Last season, the Sabres had the league’s 10th-best goals-against average at 2.93 goals-against. And it’s not as if there have been a slew of changes to Buffalo’s roster. It’s mostly the same group, so there should be no excuses as to figuring out how to defend better.

If your defense is porous, it matters not how great your offense is. Ruff knows this, so it’ll be intriguing to see how he pushes his players to be better defensively. And the sooner that happens, the more likely it is the Sabres get back to the top of the Atlantic Division.

Montreal Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault has been the subject of trade rumors for a while. Now, that is only continuing during the early stages of the 2026-27 season.

In a recent article for The Athletic, Arpon Basu named Montembeault the Canadiens' top trade candidate.

"Montembeault is in the final year of his contract, and with Jakub Dobeš and Jacob Fowler ready to take over, the Canadiens could collect a trade asset from a goalie-needy team," Basu wrote. 

It would not be surprising in the slightest if the Canadiens moved Montembeault at some point this season. He lost the Canadiens' starting job last season, and Fowler is continuing to prove that he belongs in the NHL. Thus, the Canadiens would be wise to move Montembeault if they can find a team interested in him.

Montembeault has yet to play a game this season for Montreal and is currently sidelined due to injury. In 25 games last season for the Canadiens, he had an .872 save percentage and a 3.43 goals-against average. However, he also had a .901 save percentage or better from 2022-23 to 2024-25, so it is fair to wonder if another team could be willing to take a chance on him as a bounce-back candidate.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens trade Montembeault this season. They would benefit by moving on from his $3.15 million cap hit. 

TORONTO — Pete DeBoer used the stick — in this case, the bench — to make his point to Calum Ritchie on Thursday night in Ottawa. On Saturday against the Maple Leafs, it was more about the carrot. 

Rather than demoting Ritchie off the second line, DeBoer kept him there, having gone over video with him the day prior to reinforce the message that Ritchie’s puck management needs to improve. The overall message, though, was one of faith in the 21-year-old center. 

“It’s all part of the process,” DeBoer said. “I had Wyatt Johnston in Dallas. I had Thomas Harley. They all went through this. They all had great games and they had games where they took a step back. You had to sit and watch for a little bit. This is all part of that development.” 

Of course, that has the added benefit of being true. Things worked out pretty well with Johnston and Harley, and the safe bet is that they will with Ritchie too. 

Ritchie, scoreless in four straight games going into Saturday, seemed to take the message in stride. 

“I think I’ve been forcing some plays offensively a little bit,” he said pregame Saturday. “I’m just trying to generate offense and I’m forcing some things. Just trying to hold onto pucks. Making smarter plays is a big thing and obviously, I think just battling harder. Winning more puck battles. I think those are the two biggest things probably.” 

Making better decisions with the puck has been a near-constant refrain from DeBoer at the start of the season, with Ritchie far from the only player to struggle doing so. Given their speed deficit on the blue line when Matthew Schaefer is off the ice, and their lack of offensive firepower, giving away high-end chances that stem from turnovers simply isn’t something the Islanders can get away with. 

The giveaways from Ritchie, along with taking a penalty, irked DeBoer enough on Thursday night to sit him for the last 11:30 of regulation and all of overtime in an eventual 2-1 defeat to the Senators. 

“I think a bit of it is not executing what I’m seeing,” Ritchie said. “I’m seeing something and just trying to make a play and they close it off quickly. It’s kinda like, a more high-risk play, you’re not sure it’s gonna happen. It’s just getting back to the basics, simplifying my game a little bit. Just trying to play the right way.” 

Of course, he can’t tilt too far in the other direction either. The Islanders don’t want to mute Ritchie’s skill with the puck on his stick, or force him into a mentality where he’s scared to make a mistake. Learning when to try and make a play versus when to just dump the puck in and move onto the next one — especially with a new coach whose principles are different from what Ritchie was taught last year — will be an ongoing process. 

“He’s a young guy that’s finding that line between creating offense, how to create offense in this league against some big, heavy teams and big bodies, but also do it without being reckless with the puck,” DeBoer said. “But also do it without being reckless with the puck. That’s something every young player goes through. It’s OK to sit and watch for a few shifts here and there.” 

At least to hear him tell it, Ritchie’s confidence won’t be affected. He knows this is normal and if he forgets, he can always reflect on last season, when the Islanders sat Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair for a third period over back-checking issues. 

“You still gotta play hockey,” he said. “You gotta play free. If you’re not playing free, you’re not gonna play very good. For me, everyone kinda goes through that. Stars in this league get sat sometimes. Just gotta bounce back, play better, play the right way.”

The Vancouver Canucks wrapped up their six-game road trip with a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Linus Karlsson scored his second of the season while Elias Pettersson found the back of the net on the power play. As for Kevin Lankinen, he was busy on Saturday, stopping 31 of the 35 shots he faced. 

Vancouver looked exhausted after the first period. The Lightning outshot the Canucks 24 to seven during the final two frames and were able to erase a 2-0 deficit. While it is understandable that Vancouver would be tired at the end of this long road trip, the Canucks looked like they had zero energy for the majority of the game. 

"The execution of details in our game," said Manny Malhotra post-game when asked about the loss. "Things that we've continuously talked about that are just non-negotiables. We need to have them to be able to be successful. Getting in shot lanes, tougher around our net, faceoff details. We continue to learn the lesson the hard way when you don't do those things; pucks end up in the back of your net."  

As for the penalty kill, it was another night where Vancouver allowed a goal. To the Canucks credit, they were only shorthanded once, but their inability to block passing lanes and clear loose pucks led to yet another goal against. Vancouver has now allowed a league-high 13 goals against while on the penalty kill and has been scored on in seven of 10 games so far this season. 

There was one positive from the night, and that was the play of Lankinen. While he will want a few of the goals back, the 31-year-old kept the Canucks in this game. It has been a tough year for Lankinen, but it is fair to say that he can't be blamed for this loss. 

"I was really impressed with his response to, obviously, his frustration with his last couple of outings," said Malhotra about Lankinen. "But the way he stepped up today, obviously, he gave us a real chance to be in it right until the third period. A couple of ten-bell saves. We're happy for him with the response that he did."

Ultimately, there is not much that can be said about Saturday's loss. Vancouver struggled to generate any form of offence over the final half of the game and could not contain Tampa Bay's top players. In the end, the Canucks finished this six-game road trip 0-5-1 and will now head home on a seven-game losing streak. 

Stats and Facts:

• Jonathan Lekkerimäki finishes the game with two drawn penalties
• All three goals scored by Elias Pettersson this year have come on the power play
• Filip Hronek led all players with five blocked shots 
• The Canucks won 38% of their faceoffs

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

15:32- VAN: Linus Karlsson (2) from Paul Cotter and Filip Chytil

2nd Period:

4:35- VAN: Elias Pettersson (3) from Jonathan Lekkerimäki and Brock Boeser (PPG)

6:30- TBL: Nikita Kucherov (2) from Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel

11:23- TBL: Nikita Kucherov (3) from Brayden Point

3rd Period:

2:04- TBL: Jake Guentzel (4) from Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Brayden Point

15:57- TBL: Pontus Holmberg (2)

Up Next:

October 20 vs Carolina Hurricanes, 7:00 pm PT

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