The Chicago Blackhawks, following a big win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada at the United Center, will host the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night. 

Chicago’s win over Toronto was the kind that shows that they are never out of a game, even when the odds are stacked against them. They’ll be looking to carry this momentum into their second tilt of the season with the Flames.

Colton Dach Scores Late; Blackhawks Win 3-2 Over Maple LeafsThe Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs thanks to a third-period comeback.

The last date with Calgary came up in Alberta, and it was a physical affair. There were a handful of fights, some big-time hits, and a little bit of animosity following Frank Nazar’s injury. Whether there will be a response to that kind of game this time around remains to be seen.

Scouting Calgary 

At 5-12-3, the Calgary Flames enter this match with the worst record in the National Hockey League. Their 13 points, which are about where the Blackhawks were at this time last year, rank dead last. Being the 32nd-place team is never ideal in November, but that’s where the Flames find themselves after decent expectations coming into the year. 

Last year, the Flames came in with lousy expectations, and they overachieved. A big reason for that was their rookie goaltender, Dustin Wolf. So far this year, however, Wolf has been dealing with the sophomore slump. 

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The Calgary Flames, despite their place in the standings, have players who can beat you. For one, Wolf can still find ways to stonewall his opponents. He has it in him, despite it being a bad year up to this point. It can become a good year starting now. He will be the man in the net for the Flames in this one. 

Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Blake Coleman, amongst others, can all burn you up front with their puck skill. On defense, guys like Rasmus Anderson and MacKenzie Weegar can make plays from the back end. Some of these guys are playing with the hopes of being moved at the deadline, so the motivation to produce is there. 

Projected Blackhawks Lines, Defense Pairs, and Starting Goalie

So far this season, Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar have really stepped up offensively. They have been the two best forwards, while all of their wings have played up to expectations to help them create. 

It is encouraging to see guys like Ryan Greene and Oliver Moore push for more ice time and expanded roles, when their spots on the team at any point this season were not guaranteed at the start of camp. 

On defense, you have options who can all play up and down the lineup. Artyom Levshunov, who took a seat as a healthy scratch earlier this year, has been amazing lately. The Blackhawks are hoping that tactic works on Sam Rinzel, as he sat in the last game against Toronto. 

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Jason Dickinson practiced and was the fourth-line center on Monday, but he is not ready to come back into the lineup. He doesn’t want to return until he knows for a fact that he’s 100 percent healthy and won’t aggravate his injury. Dickinson, despite feeling good, feels like he owes it to his teammates to operate like that. 

Tyler Bertuzzi, who was absent from practice on Monday, is a game-time decision. However, it seems he is trending towards missing another game, as he was not on the ice during the morning skate. He was hot at the time of his injury, so you know he and the team feel this issue came at the worst possible time. 

Nick Foligno, who broke his hand and will miss four weeks because of a blocked shot, was placed on injured reserve, retroactive to November 15th. 

Jeff Blashill Reveals Bad Injury Update On Nick FolignoChicago Blackhawks head coach Jeff Blashill revealed negative news on captain Nick Foligno. "A big loss in a lot of ways": Jeff Blashill Reflects On Nick Foligno's Upcoming AbsenceThe Chicago Blackhawks are going to be without their captain, Nick Foligno, for a handful of weeks. He will be missed.

If Bertuzzi does, in fact, miss the game, defenseman Sam Rinzel will draw back in, and the team will go 11/7 again. The Blackhawks have mostly gone with that strategy this year, and it may continue against the Flames. 

Arvid Söderblom is going to get the start in goal tonight for the Blackhawks. He has been a solid backup this season and will look to continue that on Tuesday night against the Flames. 

How To Watch

For those in Chicago looking to catch the game on television, it can be found on CHSN. It can be streamed elsewhere in the United States on ESPN+. In Calgary, Sportsnet West is the place to find the game. It can also be streamed in Canada on Sportsnet+. The puck is scheduled to drop a little after 7:30 PM CT. 

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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Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry has hit a notable new milestone, as he played in his 1,000th career NHL game during the Florida Panthers' Nov. 17 matchup against the Vancouver Canucks. 

Hitting the 1,000-game mark in the NHL is a big accomplishment, and Petry can now officially say he has done just that. 

Petry is currently in his 16th NHL season, with this being his first with the Panthers. The former Penguins blueliner signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Panthers this off-season after spending the two previous seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. 

Petry spent the 2022-23 season with the Penguins, where he recorded five goals, 26 assists, 31 points, 111 blocks, 190 hits, and a plus-2 rating in 61 games. This would be his only season with the Penguins.

In 1,000 career NHL games split between the Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Penguins, Red Wings, and Panthers, Petry has recorded 96 goals, 294 assists, 390 points, 1,577 blocks, and 2,042 hits. 

The Philadelphia Flyers have assigned defenseman Adam Ginning to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, on a conditioning loan. 

Ginning has played in six games this season with the Flyers, where he has recorded zero points, four hits, five blocks, and an even plus/minus rating. The left-shot defenseman's last appearance with the Flyers was on Oct. 25 against the New York Islanders, where he had 12:07 of ice time. 

Now, after being sent down to Lehigh Valley on this conditioning loan, Ginning will have the opportunity to get back into some game action. He will be aiming to impress during it, as it could open the door for him to get called back up to the Flyers' roster. 

Transaction: We have assigned defenseman Adam Ginning to the @LVPhantoms (AHL) on a conditioning loan.

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) November 18, 2025

Ginning has appeared in 195 career AHL games, all with the Phantoms, where he has posted seven goals, 44 assists, 51 points, 216 penalty minutes, and a plus-17 rating. It will be interesting to see how much he can build on these career AHL stats with the Phantoms during his conditioning loan from here. 

After missing 12 games with an upper-body injury, Maxim Shabanov returned to the New York Islanders' lineup on Sunday night. Despite a 4-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the first-year NHL player looked strong playing on the fourth line before earning shifts in the top six later on in the game. 

"I thought he played well," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said following the game in Denver. "With the type of injury he had, upper body injury, you're curious to see how someone's going to react to contact because you don't really get hit in the practices. So I thought he didn't shy away from any of that."

The Impact Maxim Shabanov Had On Calum Ritchie In Return To Islanders' LineupShabanov's offensive spark ignites Ritchie's game. Discover how their reunion revitalized the Islanders' potent fourth line.

Because of how he looked, Roy will be starting him alongside Mathew Barzal and Jonathan Drouin on Tuesday night against the Dallas Stars. 

Simon Holmstrom, who had been playing in that right-wing spot alongside Barzal, did not skate on Thursday morning and is a game-time decision due to illness, per the team. 

If he can't play, it will be Maxim Tsyplakov drawing back into the lineup, likely skating alongside Casey Cizikas and Calum Ritchie on the club's fourth line.

Puck drop between the Islanders and the Stars comes your way at 8 PM ET on MSGSN2.

The NHL fined Ottawa Senators winger Nick Cousins $2,000 for embellishment on Tuesday.

The league's hockey operations department flagged Cousins for two incidents since the start of the season, which triggers the $2,000 fine.

Cousins previously received a warning following an incident on Oct. 25 against the Washington Capitals. The second citation stems from the Senators' 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth on Nov. 9.

During the first period, Cousins knocked a puck away from Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev at the attacking blueline. Utah winger JJ Peterka passed the puck back to Dylan Guenther and appeared to make contact with Cousins, who fell to the ice. Peterka was assessed a two-minute minor penalty for interference. The Senators failed to score on the power play.

NHL Hockey Operations tracks all games and not only logs penalties for diving or embellishment but flags all plays not called on the ice that in its opinion deserved such a penalty. When the department is convinced that a player warrants sanction after internally deliberating, it issues a citation.

Rule 64 of the NHL rulebook is meant to more seriously punish players and teams the more they embellish to draw a penalty. Here's what happens when a player is cited for embellishment or diving under Rule 64:

• First citation: warning
• Second citation: $2,000 fine
• Third citation: $3,000 fine
• Fourth citation: $4,000 fine
• Fifth citation onward: $5,000 fine each

If a team combines for four fines, whether it's a player or collective team receiving the fine, the head coach starts to get fined as follows:

• Four fines total: coach is fined $2,000
• Five fines total: coach is fined $3,000
• Six fines total: coach is fined $4,000
• Seven-plus fines total: coach is fined $5,000 each

The fined money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Cousins, 32, is tied with center Tim Stutzle for the most drawn penalties on the Senators, with nine. They're also tied for 15th in the NHL in that category. San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini leads the league, with 13.

As a team, the Senators have drawn 84 penalties, the sixth-most in the NHL.

Cousins has three goals and four points in 19 games. He's also at 199 career points in 661 regular-season games.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins called up former first-round pick Sam Poulin from the American Hockey League (AHL) on Nov. 18. This was in response to the Penguins placing forward Ville Koivunen on injured reserve (IR).

Poulin getting the chance to play on Pittsburgh's roster is entirely understandable. The 24-year-old forward has been having a strong season down in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, as he has recorded seven goals, eight assists, and 15 points in 16 games. Now, he will be looking to translate some of this offense over to the NHL after getting this latest call-up to Pittsburgh's roster.

Poulin also has a big opportunity to try to prove to the Penguins that he is ready to take that next step and be a full-time NHL player. If the 2019 first-round pick can stand out during this call-up, it could very well help his chances of sticking around on the Penguins' NHL roster once they start getting healthier.

It will be very interesting to see how much of an impact Poulin can make after getting called up to Pittsburgh's roster. In 13 career NHL games over three seasons with the Penguins, Poulin has recorded two assists, six penalty minutes, and 18 hits. 

During this past season, the Chicago Blackhawks traded Taylor Hall to the Carolina Hurricanes. Seeing Hall on the move was understandable, as he was a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), and the Blackhawks were out of the playoff hunt. 

Now, after signing a three-year, $9.5 million contract extension with the Hurricanes, Hall is in his second season in Carolina. So far, the former Blackhawks forward is having a solid start to the year, posting five goals, seven assists, 12 points, and a plus-6 rating in 19 games. 

However, Hall is only heating up as the season carries on. In his last six games with the Hurricanes, the former Blackhawks winger has posted three goals and six points. This included him scoring a goal and recording an assist in the Blackhawks' most recent contest against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 17.

With numbers like these, there is no question that Hall is giving the Hurricanes solid secondary scoring right now. He is continuing to be a solid fit on their roster, and his goal will be to stay hot from here. 

In two seasons with the Blackhawks from 2023-24 to 2024-25, Hall posted 11 goals, 17 assists, 28 points, 30 hits, and 30 blocks. 

Darnell Nurse is taking a beating from both Edmonton Oilers fans and analysts as frustrations mount over his sluggish start to the season. By no means has he been the only problem on this roster, but his detractors are pointing to alarming defensive metrics, a lack of offensive impact, and costly penalties that have magnified Edmonton’s early struggles.

With three goals and seven points in 21 games, Nurse is a plus/minus of -8. He's playing over 20 minutes per night, and the Oilers need him to be better. 

After Monday's game against the Buffalo Sabres, where Nurse was among the more problematic players in a very lacklustre group of Oilers, social media had a heyday discussing how his play has fallen well below expectations for a top-four defenceman — especially one carrying a massive contract ($9.25 million per season).

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Thanks to his contract and tendency to do too much on the ice, Nurse has often been polarizing. However, the vitriol has intensified as the numbers continue to look less favorable as the season rolls along. Nurse is being outplayed in nearly every situation, fueling debate about his role, usage, and future with the team.

Frankly, the pressure has reached a boiling point, and the reaction across Oilers Nation is nothing short of fierce. 

Zach Hyman’s Return Gives Oilers Major Boost Against HurricanesZach Hyman returns from a five-month absence, expected to rejoin the top line and spark the Oilers' offense against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Kevin McCurdy: "So being a guy that loves to torture myself with numbers, I was just doing some poking around NST. Darnell Nurse w/o 97 and 29: ZERO GOALS FOR AND ELEVEN AGAINST."

Jesse Corville Lynch, "Trading Darnell Nurse solves every issue the Edmonton Oilers have. #LetsGoOilers" His post led to several comments in the thread about how Nurse's contract is untradable and that the Oilers are stuck with one of the worst deals in the NHL. 

Paul Almeida writes, "Nurse should be sitting right now. July 1. 2027 can’t come fast enough when Nurse's contract goes from a full NMC to a modified NMC with a 10-team no-trade clause."

PuckMarks writes, "Darnell Nurse has been absolutely brutal so far this season. He’s not generating his usual offence, getting caved in defensively and taking way too many penalties. This contract is truly disastrous and keeps having worse and worse consequences."

Author of Connor McDavid: Hockey's Next Great One, Rob Soria: "The most troubling part with this Oilers lineup, no matter who Nurse plays with...he looks terrible. The blue line as a collective has been poor to start the season, but Darnell is hitting new lows."

Jonathan Willis: "From 2022-25, 153 NHL defencemen played at least three hours in 4v5 situations. Seven of them were on the ice for more goals against/hour than Darnell Nurse. 145 of them were on for fewer."From Mr. Bandana: "At some point, maybe someone with a microphone will talk about the fact that Darnell Nurse has been on the ice for 188 scoring chances against so far this year That is the second most in the entire NHL. No other Oiler is in the top 20."

Jonathan Willis: "From 2022-25, 153 NHL defencemen played at least three hours in 4v5 situations. Seven of them were on the ice for more goals against/hour than Darnell Nurse. 145 of them were on for fewer."

From Mr. Bandana: "At some point, maybe someone with a microphone will talk about the fact that Darnell Nurse has been on the ice for 188 scoring chances against so far this year. That is the second most in the entire NHL. No other Oiler is in the top 20."

Add it all up, and it’s clear the heat on Nurse is real, intense, and growing. Fans used to suggest his lack of a true top-four playing partner might explain his inconsistencies. The narrative has flipped, and now Nurse is being blamed for the shortcomings of the pairings he's on. 

Whether he rebounds — or becomes a bigger storyline this season — is now one of Edmonton’s biggest questions. As Edmonton stumbles through another uneven stretch, the veteran defenceman has become a focal point of frustration — and the numbers behind his play aren’t helping his case.

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more.   Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

On Sunday night, New York Islanders. No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer went head-to-head with the NHL’s best defenseman, Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar. 

Sharing the ice for 5:38 minutes in a 4-1 loss, the Islanders held the Avalanche to just two shots on gaol, with Schaefer playing a huge role in that. 

Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, is someone that Schaefer name-dropped as a comparison back when we spoke to the 18-year-old at the 2025 NHL Combine. 

Schaefer also dropped another name, a defenseman who he will be going up against on Tuesday night. 

"I like watching Cale Makar & Miro Heiskanen, two great guys with great hockey sense and great skating ability,” Schaefer said back in Buffalo.

There were signs early on that #Isles No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer had some #GoAvsGo Cale Makar in him.

The two face each other for the first time tonight.

My convo with Jonathan Drouin, who played with Makar last year & Schaefer now @TheElmontershttps://t.co/SDONtqutb6

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) November 16, 2025

Miro Heiskanen, drafted by the Dallas Stars with the third pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, is one of the premier offensive-defensemen the NHL has to offer.

Through 19 games, Heiskanen has three goals with 14 assists for 17 points, averaging 25:18 minutes per game.

Through 19 games, Schaefer has seven goals, with eight assists for 15 points, averaging 22:24 minutes per game. 

The Stars have been a Stanley Cup contender for the last few seasons, and Heiskanen has been a major reason why. 

Schaefer will be the main reason why the Islanders get back to that status when they do. 

After battling Heiskanen and the Stars, Schaefer goes on to battle another elite defenseman, Mo Seider, and the Detroit Red Wings to conclude the Islanders’ seven-game winning streak. 

Puck drop between the Islanders and Stars comes your way at 8 PM ET on MSGSN2. 

Entering this week, the Toronto Maple Leafs found themselves near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 8-9-2, and winless in their last five games (0-4-1).

While it's still early in the season, and they're within range of a wild-card berth, the rumor mill is buzzing about potential changes to the roster.

During last Thursday's Leafs Morning Take podcast, Jay Rosehill said a league source told him the Maple Leafs were trying to acquire Rasmus Anderson from the Calgary Flames. The 29-year-old defenseman is eligible to become a UFA in July. He's currently earning an annual cap hit of $4.55 million.

Rosehill felt that the only way the Leafs would make that deal is if Andersson agreed to sign a contract extension. He was skeptical that they had the trade assets to entice the Flames.

Two days later, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman said the Maple Leafs attempted to acquire Andersson last season but failed. He felt that the Flames' rearguard wasn't a fit for Toronto.

According to Friedman, the Leafs are not interested in parting with futures. However, if they were to revisit their interest in Andersson, the Flames' asking price could include top prospect Easton Cowan.

Friedman claimed the Leafs prefer a “roster for roster” trade, meaning they're examining players on their roster who might interest other teams, excluding their core players.

Adam Proteau of The Hockey News can see the Leafs peddling defenseman Morgan Rielly. He wondered if they might offer him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Erik Karlsson, or the New Jersey Devils for Dougie Hamilton.

The opportunity to play for a contender could entice Rielly to waive his no-movement clause. However, the better-than-expected Penguins aren't in any rush to move Karlsson, who would also have to waive his no-move clause. Meanwhile, Hamilton has stated he has no desire to leave the Devils, and the Leafs might not be on his 10-team list of preferred destinations.

Proteau suggested veterans like center Max Domi and defenseman Brandon Carlo could also be trade candidates, along with depth forwards Calle Jarnkrok, Nick Robertson, Bobby McMann and Dakota Joshua.

Assuming the Leafs can find any trade partners willing to take some of those players off their hands, they won't fetch the type of returns that could provide a significant, immediate boost to the roster.

Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sunrecently observed that the promising Cowan and power forward Matthew Knies are the two Leafs that other clubs covet. However, they're among the least likely to be moved out of Toronto.

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  The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to take on the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre.

The Jets are 3-4 since November 1 and are 5-5-0 in their last 10. They're 11-7 on the year and are the only team in the Western Conference without an OT loss. So, they sit 3rd in the Central Division and 6th in the West. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 17.8% - 21st in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 72.9% - 26th in NHL
• Goals For - 57 - 18th in NHL
• Goals Against - 59 - 18th in NHL

Jets Stats

• Power Play - 24.1% - 8th in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 84.1% - 8th in NHL
• Goals For - 58 - 15th in NHL
• Goals Against - 50 - 7th in NHL

Series History vs. The Jets

• Columbus is 18-17-1 all-time, and 9-8-1 on the road vs. Winnipeg.
• The Jackets are 5-4-1 in the last 10 games vs. the Jets
• The CBJ went 1-1 vs. the Jets last season.

Who To Watch For The Jets

• Mark Scheifele leads the team with 11 goals and 24 points.
• Josh Morrissey leads the Jets with 16 assists.
• Goalie Connor Hellebuyck is 8-6-0 with a SV% of .913. His last start was on November 15.
• Eric Comrie is 3-1-0 with a SV% of .908. His last start was a loss on November 9.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Jets

• Zach Werenski has 10 points in 12 career games against the Jets.
• Charlie Coyle has 24 points in 35 games.
• Sean Monahan has 21 points in 32 games vs. Winnipeg

Injuries 

• Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 11 games - IR
• Boone Jenner - Upper Body - Missed 3 Games - IR

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 26

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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While the Montreal Canadiens were suffering a fourth straight defeat, one of their former players was reaching an important milestone. Jeff Petry, who spent eight of his 16-season-long career in Montreal, skated in his 1,000th game with the Florida Panthers.

The Habs first acquired Petry at the trade deadline in 2015 for a second-round pick and a conditional fifth-round pick at the 2015 draft. He could have been a rental player, but after putting up seven points in 19 games, he was signed to a six-year contract extension with a $5.5 million cap hit and became a significant part of the Sainte-Flanelle’s blueline. From 16 points in his first complete season in Montreal, he became a steady 40-plus points producer in the last four years of the contract. His performance prompted then-GM Marc Bergevin to sign him to a four-year contract extension with a $6.250 million cap hit in September 2020.

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Whichever way you look at it, the Canadiens were lucky to have Petry during the Shea Weber years. Acquired to be the team’s top blueliner, Weber missed a lot of time due to injury, and when he was on the sidelines, Petry consistently stepped up to fill the void. In 508 games with the Habs, he put up 248 points.

Unfortunately, the COVID-19 outbreak derailed Petry’s career with the Canadiens. A family man, Petry became a shadow of himself when his wife and three boys stayed behind in the USA for the season because of the restrictions. It prompted him to request a trade to an American team despite having recently signed a contract extension.

In their eight years in town, the Petry family left their mark on the organization. Not only because of the defenseman’s play, but because his wife Julie started a clothing label with goaltender Carey Price’s wife Angela. The Line Change label began as a Canadiens-only label but quickly expanded to other teams, and it’s now teaming up with Jessica Campbell, the first female assistant coach to have a role behind an NHL team’s bench.

The family’s eldest son, Boyd, also became something of an internet sensation in Montreal through the team’s social media, shooting many videos of the youngsters behind the scenes while he watched his dad play.

When Kent Hughes finally found a trading partner for the right-shot defenseman, he landed Mike Matheson from the Pittsburgh Penguins, a player who has played a significant role in the Sainte-Flanelle’s rebuild. The Canadiens’ GM had to throw in Ryan Poehling in the trade, and he received a 2023 fourth-round pick as well in what turned out to be a fantastic trade for the Habs. To this day, Matheson is a significant cog in the Canadiens’ defence, while Petry’s stay in Pittsburgh only lasted 61 games.

Just over a year later, the Canadiens reacquired the defenseman in a three-way trade. Still, Hughes promptly traded him again, this time to the Detroit Red Wings, a team he grew up watching as an Ann Arbour, Michigan native whose dad played for the Detroit Tigers in the MLB. The way Hughes handled the delicate Petry was no doubt noted by players around the league, as it showed just how respectful the GM was of his players.

Petry would end up playing in Detroit for two seasons before signing a one-year deal at a league-minimum $775,000 with the Panthers in the hope of winning a Stanley Cup before retiring. While things haven’t gone according to plan so far for the double-reigning Champions, with injuries to Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk, they are far from out of the playoff race. In 1,000 games, the defenseman has put up 390 points, meaning that 64% of his offensive production came while wearing the Sainte-Flanelle.

The Panthers honoured Petry for his milestone in a pregame ceremony, where he received the traditional silver stick and added a personal touch by having his sons announce the starting lineup in the dressing room.

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The Philadelphia Flyers have a number of their top prospects knocking on the door for an NHL role, but if those players do get called up, the team cannot continue to make the same mistakes repeatedly as they have been.

Rookie Nikita Grebenkin has hardly gotten a fair shake since the season started, franchise player Matvei Michkov is playing significantly less than last year, and it took the Flyers nearly a month to install defenseman Emil Andrae as a regular in the lineup.

While defenseman Adam Ginning, who has played just once since Oct. 16, is likely the first to go to make a roster spot for a prospect, the Flyers need to do it with a purpose.

Anthony SanFilippo of On Pattison recently reported that the Flyers might be "ready to give [Alex Bump] a look, but they don't want him stuck playing on the fourth line. The Flyers brass believes when Bump comes up, he has to play in the top nine."

In translation, that means more than 12 minutes a night, and not playing with Rodrigo Abols and Garnet Hathaway.

But the same, obviously, hasn't been true for Grebenkin and Michkov, who have both had to do that this season at some point.

'Everyone’s Bringing the Intensity': Tocchet, Flyers Committed to Avoiding ComplacencyThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers">Philadelphia Flyers</a> were battling hard in practice on Monday.

Bump, 21, has four goals, nine assists, and 13 points in 15 games with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, with 11 of those points coming in his last 10 games.

The offense is finally coming after an unimpressive preseason, and the Flyers, who rank seventh-worst in the NHL in goals scored, could certainly use that.

This is simply a matter of how, but head coach Rick Tocchet and Co. have not yet shown a willingness to lean into the youth, bar the Noah Cates line and newcomer Trevor Zegras.

Adding a young Bump to the equation only further muddies matters, as the Flyers would then have to organize a group of top-nine wingers that includes him, Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Owen Tippett, Travis Konecny, Zegras, if he stays on the wing, and potentially Grebenkin, too.

Such a move would effectively force Zegras and Christian Dvorak to stay down the middle permanently, which can, and arguably should be, the plan for Tocchet, but that remains to be seen.

Tocchet has basked in the versatility those two bring to the table, and it would be hard to imagine he softens his stance on that to make way for a 21-year-old winger.

Flyers: Are We Headed Towards a Goalie Controversy?The push and pull between Sam Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov may force the Philadelphia Flyers into having an uncomfortable conversation about goaltending.

Nonetheless, the Flyers absolutely should be leaning into youth and more traditional rebuilding practices while it is convenient for them, rather than seeing what developments come about and winging it from there - no pun intended.

Plus, Porter Martone could be in the conversation as soon as this spring. The Flyers ought to see which pieces fit into Tocchet's "puzzle" and which ones do not, and sometimes, you have to build the frame first and turn it every which way to find your next move.

After losing three games in a row at home, the Montreal Canadiens were hoping to get back to their winning ways with a game on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was never going to be an easy task, though, with the injury bug going around the Habs’ dressing room these days. Without Kaiden Guhle, Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach, Martin St-Louis had to switch his lines and was hoping to spark some production in doing so.

Unfortunately for the bench boss, things didn’t go according to plan, and the Habs had to come back to Montreal with a four-game losing streak. This 4-3 shootout defeat and the point it earns keep the Canadiens in the playoff picture.

Canadiens: All Eyes On The Power Play
Why The Canadiens Didn’t Call Up Florian Xhekaj
Ex-Canadiens Forward Continues To Impress With New Team

New Lines Take Time

Chemistry doesn’t happen overnight, or even instantly, and it was painfully evident in Monday night’s tilt. For the first time this season, Zachary Bolduc was deployed alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield on the top line. The unit had one of the best scoring chances of the first frame when Bolduc skated up the wing and cut towards the net, but with the blueliner blocking his way, he ended up going around the net, but not without getting Jet Reaves deported to one side. A quick thinker, Bolduc opted for a backhand pass to Suzuki, but the captain didn’t see it coming and wasn’t ready for the pass.

The Habs’ newly formed second line featured Juraj Slafkovsky, Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov. While it wasn’t easy for them match-up-wise early on, as they were facing the Jackets’ top line, they still managed to score the Habs’ first goal by creating a lot of movement and defensive coverage mayhem. Four Canadiens players touched the puck as they built up Kapanen’s seventh goal of the season.

As for Jake Evans and Josh Anderson, they were paired up with Joshua Roy, who had a roller-coaster of a night. On the Jacket’s second goal, Roy had the puck right on his stick in front, but missed his opportunity to clear, and Adam Fantilli made him pay. Later in the third frame, his presence helped create mayhem in front of Greaves’ net, allowing Anderson to cut the lead in half.

Deep into the third frame and down by one, St-Louis couldn’t resist the urge to go back to familiar combinations with Slafkovsky joining Caufield and Suzuki and Gallagher joining Anderson and Jake Evans.

A tough Outing For Dobson

Since joining the Canadiens at the last draft, Noah Dobson has been very good for the Habs, but on Monday night, it was harder. While he’s fantastic offensively, there are times when it can be trickier in his own zone, and it was the case tonight.

His play reading wasn’t the best tonight, and as a veteran, that shouldn’t happen. On Zach Werensky’s goal, instead of closing down the dangerous blueliner, he just skated backwards, giving him all the time and space in the world to pick his spot, a recipe for disaster.

In overtime, he had an opportunity to complete the comeback win for the Canadiens after being put through on his own in front of Greaves by Caufield, but he couldn’t get the puck past him, and the game went on.

Hutson Bounced Back

Meanwhile, Lane Hutson had his best game in quite some time. He spent over 25 minutes on the ice, put up a goal and an assist, took five shots, landed two hits and blocked one shot. While Hutson doesn’t have the best shot in the league, he needs to trust himself more and take some shots; even if they don’t go in, they can lead to rebounds.

He finished the game with a highly deserved plus-two rating, and this is the type of game that could do wonders for the sophomore defender. His game-tying goal with less than a minute 20 left in the game allowed the Habs to collect a precious point.

After being visibly upset by the overtime loss against the New Jersey Devils on November 6, Jakub Dobes was livid after giving a shootout goal to Kiril Marchenko. He partly stopped the puck, but it trickled in, and the young netminder broke his stick on the way to the dressing room.

The Canadiens will now head back home, where they’ll host Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Thursday at 7:00 PM.

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After a weekend in which they defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 in overtime, the Buffalo Sabres squared off against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. And the Sabres took it to the high-octane Edmonton Oilers, beating them 5-1. The Sabres are still one of the worst teams in the NHL, so Buffalo fans shouldn’t get overly excited.

To wit: the Sabres got a dynamic performance Monday from young goaltender Colten Ellis, who stopped 32 Oilers shots to post a .970 save percentage in the game and improve his SP to .913 on the season. And rookie center Noah Ostlund scored twice against Edmonton. 

These are the type of young player performances teams need if they’re going to contend for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Sabres can’t put all their playoff aspirations on the shoulders of one player – let’s say that player is Tage Thompson or Rasmus Dahlin - and expect that player to singlehandedly carry the team across the finish line. 

You really do need your whole team to contribute, or you’ll be lacking the depth required for a deep Stanley Cup playoff run. So the Sabres have to be in all-hands-on-deck, night-in and night-out mode, to even have a hope of leapfrogging other Atlantic Division teams and improving their 7-8-4 record. 

Wobbly Sabres Must Rebound Soon, Or Face The FalloutAs the worst team in the Eastern Conference, the Sabres are struggling offensively and defensively. A rebound is desperately needed for them to avoid massive change.

The Sabres now have games against the Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks, games they absolutely should win. Because after that, Buffalo’s schedule gets significantly more difficult: the Sabres will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild as well as the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets. No team is going to lay down and give two standings points to the Sabres. They're going to have to show terrific resilience throughout the season, and defy expectations that now hover over the team like a black cloud.

Buffalo has cratered out of the gate, but there’s still time for them to rebound and get back in the playoff picture. But time is of the essence here, meaning that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams needs to be active on the trade market. And Adams should be on the hunt to add experience and proven leadership to steer this Buffalo team into the post-season. 

Sabres' Win Ends Long Losing Streak, But Bigger Picture Is Still Gnarly For BuffaloThe Buffalo Sabres got back in the win column with a victory over Detroit Saturday. But scratch the surface, and you'll see the Sabres aren't nearly out of the woods -- nor are they a playoff team.

The Sabres are aiming to end a 14-year playoff drought, but their poor start this year has hampered their post-season aspirations. Buffalo doesn’t have time to waste – they need to string together five-game and six-game win streaks of their own. They can’t be bailing out opponents by faltering in areas within their control. 

When it comes to delivering wins, the Sabres have to be far better. And if they can’t, there will be catastrophic consequences.