The NHL saw several players find new homes in free agency this season. Among the most notable were Mitch Marner (Vegas Golden Knights), Nikolaj Ehlers (Carolina Hurricanes), Mikael Granlund (Anaheim Ducks), and Vladislav Gavrikov (New York Rangers).

Yet, there were also some under-the-radar signings this off-season that are already looking like home runs early on. Due to this, let's take a look at three players who have been big surprises with their new clubs early on this season.

Justin Brazeau, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins 

The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Justin Brazeau to a two-year, $3-million contract in free agency this summer. When this move was made, it was expected that the 27-year-old winger would simply provide the Penguins with more forward depth for their bottom six.

Yet, Brazeau has been far more than that early on for the Penguins. 

Brazeau had a spectacular start to the season with the Penguins, posting six goals and 12 points in 12 games. He also cemented himself a spot in Pittsburgh's top six, playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha. 

However, the Penguins announced earlier this week that Brazeau will be out for at least four weeks due to an upper-body injury, which is such tough news for the red-hot forward. 

Victor Olofsson, RW, Colorado Avalanche 

Victor Olofsson signed a one-year, $1.575 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche in late August. This was another move that did not get a ton of attention, but it has been paying off tremendously for Colorado early on. 

Olofsson is thriving with the Avalanche, as he has recorded five goals and 12 points in 14 games. This included him putting together a three-goal, five-point performance against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 26. 

The Avalanche's primary reason for acquiring Olofsson was to bolster their secondary scoring. So far, the 5-foot-11 winger is providing far more than just that.

Corey Perry, RW, Los Angeles Kings 

Corey Perry, 40, is turning back the clock with the Los Angeles Kings.

After signing a one-year, $2-million contract with the Kings this summer, which also includes $2 million of potential performance bonuses, Perry has been fantastic for Los Angeles.

In nine games this season with the Kings, Perry has recorded six goals, nine points, and a plus-4 rating. He is also continuing to stay hot, as he has four goals and six points in his last five games. 

When noting that his cap hit is only $2 million for this season, the Kings are getting fantastic value from the 21-year NHL veteran.

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It's been a whirlwind over the last week or so for New York Islanders rookie Calum Ritchie. After the whole Raleigh fiasco, he's been able to settle in a bit more. 

Ritchie To Play Alongside Barzal In Islanders' Debut vs. CapitalsCalum Ritchie will skate with Mathew Barzal and Kyle Palmieri for his Islanders debut against the Capitals.

While we are still waiting for offense, with no points in his first four games of the season, Ritchie's defense is what's allowed him to remain as the second-line center -- for the most part. 

In Friday's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, in which no one played well, head coach Patrick Roy altered his lines, demoting the 20-year-old to the fourth line before the end of the second period.

Why Ritchie At 2C & Barzal With Horvat Is The Islanders’ Best FormulaThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders">New York Islanders</a> snapped their three-game skid last night, beating the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals">Washington Capitals</a> 3-1.

Ritchie has averaged 13:56 minutes per game, with his time on ice dropping in each game that he's played. Now, he and the team will try to redeem themselves when they battle the New York Rangers on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. 

"That'll be pretty cool," Ritchie told The Hockey News on battling his new cross-town rival. "Obviously, I played there in preseason, so I kind of got a taste of what Madison Square Garden is, and the rivalry between the two teams. But, yeah, that'd be pretty cool."

But for Ritchie, this isn't just his first Rangers-Islanders game. It will be a special moment for him and his brother

"I have some family coming down. My brother's coming down. It'll be his first time watching me play in the show. So that's pretty cool," Ritchie said. 

Ethan Ritchie, 23, is a left-side defenseman who played three games for the Providence Bruins (2023-24), playing in the ECHL with the Maine Mariners (63 games in 2023-24). He played three games for the ECHL's Fort Wayne Comets in 2024-25. 

"H's at school now in Halifax, SMU," Ritchie said. "So, he talked to his coach and asked him if he could fly down for a game. They had a game canceled this weekend, so he got the go-ahead."

Ritchie said his parents will be in attendance as well. 

Puck drop is coming at 7 PM ET on MSGSN. We will talk to Roy at 5:45 PM ET. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins visit Newark tonight to take on the New Jersey Devils in a matchup between two of the NHL’s hottest teams.

The Penguins enter the game at 9-4-2, while the Devils sit at 10-4-0.

New Jersey remains undefeated at home (6-0-0) this season after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4–3 in overtime on November 6. The Penguins also played that night, earning a 5–3 win over the Washington Capitals.

The Devils currently rank second in the NHL standings with 20 points, while the Penguins sit fourth, also with 20 points.

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Dillon on Facing Pittsburgh

At Friday’s practice, defenseman Brenden Dillon discussed the challenge of taking on a veteran Penguins team with The Hockey News’ Kristy Flannery.

“I think for tomorrow, a team that those guys have been together not just years, but decades — they know each other, they can read off one another,” Dillon said. “Year after year, they seem to always be near the top. First and foremost, staying out of the box is going to be our best bet — try to play five-on-five, and when they do get a power play, have good sticks and just be aware.”

This will be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.

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Players to Watch

Devils

• Jack Hughes – 10 goals and 8 assists through 14 games.
• Dawson Mercer – off to a career-best start with 6 goals and 4 assists.

Penguins

• Bryan Rust – 5 goals and 9 assists so far this season.
• Sidney Crosby – 9 goals and 5 assists in his last 10 games.

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Injuries and Lineup Notes

Devils Defenseman Dougie Hamilton did not skate at practice on Friday after leaving Thursday’s game early. His status remains uncertain for tonight’s matchup.

Due to Hamilton’s absence, the lines at Friday morning’s skate were adjusted. 

Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) on X11.07.25 #NJDevils Lines & Pairs: Noesen - Hughes - Bratt Meier - Hischier - Mercer Palat - Glass - Gritsyuk Cotter - Lammikko - Glendening Siegenthaler - Nemec Dillon - Hughes Cholowski - White Markstrom | Allen Extras: MacEwen & Halonen

Colton White was recalled from the AHL’s Utica Comets and could draw into the lineup if Hamilton is ruled out.

“It’s really exciting,” White said to NHL.com. “It’s been a long time since I’ve played — a lot of hard work and a long wait. I’m just really excited and grateful for the opportunity.”

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Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET at Prudential Center, as the Devils look to remain perfect on home ice and extend their winning streak.

At some point in the near future, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to have to make some tough trade decisions. That time could arrive sooner if some players continue to put forth more of the same.

One name in particular that finds itself back in trade chatter is none other than Owen Tippett, who was mired in rumors at the start of the season, only to silence the crowd with a five-goal outburst across the span of five games.

Since then, though, Tippett, 26, has just one assist and no goals in his last eight games, and the Flyers are said to be getting worn out on these low points, according to a new report.

"While hot and cold stretches are to be expected of a shoot-first winger, the inconsistency in Tippett’s game has started to become tiresome from those within the organization, based on conversations I’ve had," Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reported Tuesday. "The Flyers do like Tippett’s game but feel like they may not have the right player(s) to properly complement his style."

Therein lies the problem: the Flyers have tried nearly everything to get Tippett going consistently in his four years in Philadelphia.

Flyers Trade Acquisition Already Feasting in New EnvironmentThe Philadelphia Flyers may have found themselves yet another steal with new defenseman Christian Kyrou.

Names like Travis Konecny, Morgan Frost, Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, and Sean Couturier come to mind.

Tippett will turn 27 in February, so there's little room left for true development at this stage of his career. Being a streaky scorer is inherently fine at the NHL level, but you also have to question the Flyers' patience level with that when they have younger, cheaper options like Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Porter Martone, and Bobby Brink at the same position.

"According to team sources, there are some internal questions as to where Tippett will fit long term with the Flyers," Di Marco added. "Marc Bergevin of the Los Angeles Kings front office has taken in several Flyers games recently, causing speculation on whether they could be looking at Tippett. While I have no doubt the Kings could be, they don’t have many assets the Flyers like, I’m told."

The obvious choice for many would be Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke, but the Flyers appear to be headed towards a more physical identity defensively to complement the presences of Cam York and Jamie Drysdale.

That said, the Flyers have done extremely well with reclamation projects over the last few seasons under GM Danny Briere, and that line of communication has been and still is open with the Kings.

NHL Rumors: Should Flyers Target Young Bruins Defenseman?Should the Flyers consider pursuing Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei?

The Kings were part of the three-team deal that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus, and Andrei Kuzmenko left for Los Angeles and earned the Flyers a third-round pick for his short but solid tenure in Philadelphia.

Other options, if the Flyers won't add another winger to an already overcrowded pool, might include Kirill Kirsanov or 2025 first-round pick Henry Brzustewicz, a 6-foot-3 London Knights defenseman who was teammates with Flyers prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk.

Perhaps Los Angeles may also be willing to part ways with out-of-favor center prospects like Akil Thomas and Alex Turcotte; the latter was drafted ahead of Zegras in 2019, and the two were teammates for parts of four seasons playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program.

Oh, and York and Brink were part of that group, too.

The Kings are quickly running out of time to make the most out of what's left of the careers of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and Darcy Kuemper, and maybe one last move to jolt some life into the forward group would do them some good.

Di Marco noted that the Flyers are not actively shopping Tippett, but there should be no surprises these talks came back up with this ongoing two-week slump.

Down on one knee, William Nylander roofed a puck over Utah Mammoth goaltender Vitek Vanecek on Wednesday for his sixth goal of the season. He celebrated the goal and the fact that this is his best start to a season in his NHL career.

The 29-year-old has collected 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in his first 11 games, putting him in a six-way tie for second among NHL skaters. None of those six players — or the three with 21 points — have played less than 13 games. 

"I think he's always scored lots of goals, but I think this year he's making more plays with the puck and getting assists," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Friday. "Like I said before, he's an underrated passer. I mean, he's a good playmaker, but he's always scored a lot of goals."

What stands out most about Nylander's start this season, beyond others, is the amount of primary assists he's racked up. Eleven of the Swede's 14 helpers this year are primary assists, tying him for the league lead with Evgeni Malkin in that department.

Within the Maple Leafs, only Matthew Knies — who's also gotten off to a wicked start — is near Nylander for primary assists with nine (four of his 13 helpers are secondary assists).

One of Nylander's best games this year came during a comeback win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night. Auston Matthews started the scoring early in the third period (with Nylander getting a secondary assist). Nylander followed up with two goals of his own to tie the game, and Bobby McMann scored the game-winner.

'It's Unacceptable': Maple Leafs Unhappy With Play Against Penguins Despite Comeback WinThe Maple Leafs were outshot 25-8 in the first two periods before scoring four straight goals in a third-period comeback against Pittsburgh.

"For me, I just think it's his timely goal-scoring. The quality of goals in big spots, in big moments," Anthony Stolarz said of what he's noticed about Nylander's start to the year.

"He's stepped up in a big way and I think the guys have rallied around that."

Below is Nylander's production throughout the first 11 games of the season over his career:

2016-17: 4G, 7A, 11P
2017-18: 3G, 6A, 9P
2018-19 (started late): 0G, 2A, 2P
2019-20: 3G, 4A, 7P
2020-21: 4G, 8A, 12P
2021-22: 5G, 4A, 9P
2022-23: 4G, 7A, 11P
2023-24: 6G, 9A, 15P
2024-25: 8G, 4A, 12P
2025-26: 6G, 14A, 20P

"Just trying to play better hockey every year," Nylander said on Friday, "just trying to work on my game every year and try to get better, so it's nice to see that I'm getting rewarded for it."

Despite missing a couple of games early, Nylander's production has contributed to Toronto winning games. Fourteen of his 20 points to begin the season have come during Maple Leafs wins. And after a shaky start in October, the club has put together three straight wins to begin November.

What's been the key to that success?

"I don’t know, we had a great Halloween party in Philly," said Nylander, who went to the party dressed as Darth Vader.

As to why he chose Darth Vader, Nylander smiled: "We ordered the costumes day of, so I mean, we didn’t have much planning to do."

Nylander and the Maple Leafs will look to continue trending upwards on Saturday night, when they welcome the Boston Bruins and former Maple Leaf, Fraser Minten, into town. The Bruins are one point up on Toronto for third in the Atlantic Division with two more games played.

Latest stories:

'I Don’t Want To Create Any Distractions”: Maple Leafs Goalie Joseph Woll Speaks Publicly for First Time Since Personal Leave

'It Felt Even Better Against My Old Team': Matias Maccelli Responds To Benching With Big Game Against Former Utah Club

‘It Hit Me More Today’: Tavares Honored for 500th NHL Goal, Scores Again as Maple Leafs Beat Utah Mammoth

The Buffalo Sabres are dead-last in the (Atlantic) division, they have lost five of their past six games, and they’re now tied for last in the Eastern Conference. It’s an unacceptable situation that’s going to be in the front of the mind of Sabres ownership. This franchise has missed the playoffs 14 straight seasons, and could be outside of the playoff picture looking in again this year.

Indeed, if Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula look at this Buffalo team from the perspective of a Sabres fan, they’d immediately sound the alarm for the organization and start throwing people overboard. And that could mean the end of the road in Buffalo for GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff.  And that could happen sooner than later.

There has to be accountability for a team that clearly has some major holes in it. And that falls at the feet of Adams, who has had many years to try and stick the landing. It hasn’t happened, and you can’t get around it. The same goes for Ruff, who hasn’t come in and steered this Sabres team into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Adams and Ruff’s future is tied together, and if one goes, the other will be soon to follow.

But the changes to come for the Sabres won’t be limited to Buffalo’s coaching and management picture. The roster will be undergoing extensive renovations, and that will mean the Sabres make major trades. And although five Buffalo players have some form of- no-trade or no-move clause, the reality is no one will be safe if the Sabres decide to blow it up. 

We’re not suggesting star forward Tage Thompson and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will definitely be moved, but Adams – or whomever it is replacing Adams – has to listen to all offers. When you consistently underachieve, there should be no sacred cows. And who knows – Dahin and Thompson may grow weary enough of the constant losing and accept a trade out of town.

Sabres And Mammoth Clash Twice In Next Week -- Which Team Would You Rather Have?The Buffalo Sabres and Utah Mammoth face off twice in the next eight days, but which team has the superior roster?

There has to be a sense of currency we haven’t seen from the Sabres up until now. Buffalo is in a bare-knuckle fight to be in the conversation as a playoff team, and they could be fighting for a playoff spot all season long. But their slow start to the season has put every other team in the East ahead of them.  That qualifies as a disaster.

That’s likely to be a playoff dream-killer for Buffalo, so there has to be a playoff push for the Sabres right now. You can’t wait for the trade deadline and start adding assets if you think you’re close to doing great things. Your core needs to be running things, and up until now, the Sabres haven’t been able to do that.

Sabres Offense Has Taken A Hit -- And Here's Who Has To Produce More Points For Buffalo To Consistently WinBuffalo's offense hasn't produced to the level it was at last year. Consequently, key Sabres players must elevate their scoring to boost Buffalo's chances to win.

The Sabres are clearly on the hot seat in a way few other teams are. The prospect of being on the team that extended Buffalo’s playoff drought to 15 years is not a pleasant one, and all Sabres fans care about is that streak coming to an end.

And if Buffalo can’t make a push up the standings – and soon – the Sabres will look rather different than they do right now.

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The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Calgary Flames 4-0. Connor Bedard had four points, Tyler Bertuzzi scored two more goals, and Spencer Knight earned a shutout. 

However, it wasn’t all great for the Blackhawks. They lost Frank Nazar to injury in the first period. Joel Farabee of the Flames made a strange play that led to Nazar falling awkwardly. Farabee had to respond to this action with a fight against Colton Dach.

Nazar did not return to the game, as the Blackhawks announced ahead of the start of the second period. 

After the game was over, when asked about it, Jeff Blashill gave what is considered to be a positive update on the up-and-coming star forward. Blashill called Nazar’s injury day-to-day and didn’t rule him out for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings. 

If Nazar misses one game or no games, that would be a huge win for the Blackhawks. He is one of their leaders when it comes to offense, defense, and special teams. Few forwards on the team help their team in all three zones more than Nazar. 

As more updates are made available on the coming day, The Hockey News will have updates.

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

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.

The Chicago Blackhawks came into their Friday night matchup against the Calgary Flames feeling good after a matchup against the Vancouver Canucks that finished strongly for them. They were mostly outplayed, but they found a way to win a hockey game thanks to their goalie, Spencer Knight, and a third-period offensive output. 

Although the Canucks are no wagon, the Flames may be the worst team in the NHL. They are the worst, based on record, as they entered with a mark of 4-9-2 for 10 points. No team wants to be in 32nd place out of 32, so the Blackhawks had to expect the Flames to come in nice and angry. 

Calgary, however, was unable to hang with Chicago. Over the course of the game, the Blackhawks took it to the Flames. It all started with Tyler Bertuzzi scoring two goals to follow up his hat trick against the Canucks. These two goals, the first two of the game, set a win in motion. 

In the third period, Andre Burakovsky put the game out of reach with his 6th of the season to make it 3-0. Connor Bedard assisted on both Bertuzzi goals and this Burakovsky goal. 

Bedard, extending his point streak to 7 games with three assists, wasn’t enough for him. With under five minutes remaining in regulation, Bedard scored on a breakaway to make it 4-0 Blackhawks. That stood as the final. A four-point night for Bedard tied him for the league lead in points at the time of the goal. 

Spencer Knight made 33 saves to earn the shutout. To say he’s been spectacular this season would be an understatement, and he finally has his first shutout in a Blackhawks sweater. 

That’s two straight wins for the Blackhawks, and a 2-2-1 record on the road trip with one game remaining. After starting 0-2-1 on the trip, they still have a chance to turn it into a positive stretch of games away from home. 

Frank Nazar Injury/Fighting

The Chicago Blackhawks announced during the game that Frank Nazar would not return after leaving the hockey game with an injury. Joel Farabee had to answer to Colton Dach in a fight for the play that led to Nazar's injury. It was a lower-body injury, and an update will be provided when available.

Not long after, Oliver Moore took a bad hit from MacKenzie Weegar, and Alex Vlasic stood up for him in a fight. Eventually, Nick Foligno took on Joel Hanley to cap off a three-fight game. 

The Chicago Blackhawks are clearly a team that stands up for each other. Winning usually follows organizations that battle for each other just as much as with each other. 

Watch Every Blackhawks Goal

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xour first of the night🚨Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xwe're getting déjà vu👀Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xsimply perfect🤌Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xain't it beautiful🥲

Up Next For Chicago

Next up for the Chicago Blackhawks is a Sunday afternoon match with the Detroit Red Wings. This will be the sixth game out of six on the road trip, with a chance to turn it into an above .500 set. 

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

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.

Calgary’s struggles continue as Bertuzzi, Bedard lead Chicago to victory.

The Calgary Flames’ offensive woes continued Friday night as they were shut out 4-0 by the Chicago Blackhawks at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday night. 

Tyler Bertuzzi opened the scoring late in the first period, redirecting a pass at the side of the net past Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf to give Chicago a 1–0 lead after 20 minutes.

In the third, the Blackhawks pulled away. Bertuzzi struck again on a 2-on-1 rush, finishing off a crisp feed from Connor Bedard and roofing the puck for his second of the night — and fifth in just two games. 

Moments later, Bedard sparked another odd-man rush, setting up Andre Burakovsky in the high slot for Chicago’s third goal. Bedard scored the fourth goal late in the third with a highlight reel breakaway goal to go with three assists, extending his point streak to 10 games.

It was another night of frustration for the Flames, who outshot the Blackhawks but failed to convert on their chances against goaltender Spencer Knight. Calgary sits at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 4-10-2 record and just 10 points through 16 games.

There were some tense moments in the second period when rookie defenceman Zayne Parekh — back in the lineup after being scratched — collided with Nick Foligno and left the game with an upper-body injury. He did not return. 

With the team short on defence, Farabee was shifted to the blue line midway through the game to help fill the gap.

Three Takeaways:

1. Parekh shows promise before injury

Before exiting, Parekh stood out early with a strong defensive stick on Bedard and generated a shot on goal. His absence was noticeable after leaving the game following a collision with Foligno.

2. Odd-man rushes prove costly

Defensive breakdowns and turnovers continued to haunt Calgary. Three of Chicago’s four goals came off odd-man rushes after turnovers — a glaring issue that has plagued the Flames throughout the season.

3. No finish despite pressure

Calgary outshot the Blackhawks but couldn’t find any finish around the net. They lacked any sustained offensive zone time, and Knight turned aside every Flames opportunity for the shutout. Matt Coronato had 11 shots on net in the contest. 

In the 2023-24 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished with a 38-32-12 record, good for 88 points. 

They missed the playoffs by three points, and a big reason for it was their power play, which ranked 30th in the league at 15.3%. It was a stagnant unit that overpassed, never went to the net, could barely gain the zone, and never had a shoot-first mentality. The power play went through a 0-for-37 slump during the season, which was insane considering the amount of firepower that the Penguins had (and still have to this day). 

The unit's failures cost assistant coach Todd Reirden his job, and David Quinn was brought in before last season to fix a broken unit. He did a great job with it, helping the Penguins finish with the sixth-best power play at 25.8% last season. They missed the playoffs by more than three points, but got back to basics on the power play. The zone entries were cleaned up. A net-front presence was established. They weren't playing patty-cake at the blue line. They had a shoot-first mentality. 

All of those qualities have been turned up several notches to start the 2025-26 season as the Penguins currently have the top power play in the league at 35.9%. The unit went 3/5 against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, and it could've gone 4/5 or even 5/5 after spending a ton of time in the offensive zone. 

One of the biggest reasons for the PP's hot start is because of assistant coach Todd Nelson. Nelson joined the Penguins' coaching staff under head coach Dan Muse during the offseason after Quinn followed former Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan to New York. Nelson wants his players to zip the puck around with authority and keep penalty killers guessing, and both features have been on display throughout the first month of the season. 

If you go back to the first power play goal on Thursday, the Penguins moved the puck beautifully through the offensive zone before Ben Kindel delivered a gorgeous cross-ice pass to Sidney Crosby. It caught the Capitals completely off guard. 

Things you love to see: Sidney Crosby scoring against the Capitals 💪 pic.twitter.com/LmfUiXdmSb

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 7, 2025

Another example of these qualities in action came during the Penguins' game against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 23. They had some great puck movement before Crosby finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe play near the goal line. The Panthers didn't see it coming.

Tic, tac, toe.

That's another power-play goal! pic.twitter.com/BsH4RFATfT

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 24, 2025

Crosby is super thrilled with the work that Nelson has put in on the PP.

"I think it has changed a little bit, just based on injuries, so I think it's about everybody being on the same page, being organized, and executing," Crosby said after Friday's practice. "For the most part, you don't want to change your game plan night-to-night, so I think that we're pretty consistent in how we want to approach it, and there are always little tweaks, depending on who you play, but I think it's been pretty clear as far as the mindset of the group. That has a lot to do with the way they are structuring it and organizing it, and it's up to the guys to go out there and execute."

Penguins Overcome Another Blown Lead, Take Down Washington CapitalsFor the first 20 minutes of their Thursday matchup - and first of the season - against the Washington Capitals, the way the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> were dominating was quite similar to what they did to the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> for the first 40 minutes of a <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-suffer-epic-third-period-collapse-fall-to-leafs-4-3">heartbreaking 4-3 loss on Monday.</a>

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While Bryan Rust's process hasn't always been there in all situations this season, he scored a beauty of a PP goal on Thursday, which turned out to be the game-winner. It came off a ridiculous feed from Evgeni Malkin, who has eight assists and nine points on the man-advantage. 

Rust echoed a lot of what Crosby said about Nelson after practice, including calling Nelson "awesome." 

"Todd's been awesome," Rust said. "He's given us a blueprint on kinda what to do and I think he's also given us the leeway to kinda play with a little bit of a creativity, which I think, there's obviously a fine line of getting too out of control, but I think we're in a good spot right now and we're trying to continue to keep getting better and keep on building."

The Penguins' PP is going to face tougher penalty kills this season, including on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, who rank sixth in PK percentage, but as long as that unit keeps every PK guessing and on their toes, it's going to be really hard to stop. 

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The Detroit Red Wings returned home to the friendly confines of Little Caesars Arena after a winning road swing hoping to earn some valuable points in the standings.

While the Red Wings generated several prime scoring chances against the visiting New York Rangers, they were ultimately unable to capitalize. The Rangers, on the other hand, made the most of their opportunities, scoring twice in the third period on their way to a 4-1 victory.

Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XBack here Sunday vs. Chicago.

The Rangers, who have a stunning 0-5-1 record on home ice, improved to 7-1-1 away from Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, the Red Wings have now dropped consecutive games and are 9-6 through the first 14 games of their centennial campaign. 

New York struck first in the opening 20 minutes, as Will Cuylle beat Cam Talbot with a quick shot at 6:46 of the opening period while the Rangers enjoyed the man-advantage.

The Red Wings then drew even thanks to J.T. Compher's third goal of the season, as he took a pass behind the net from Mason Appleton and beat the crouched Jonathan Quick by going upstairs. 

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From that point on, Quick shut the door on the Red Wings and was even the beneficiary of a nanosecond of hesitation from a future Hall of Famer.

Not long after the Rangers took a 2-1 lead after Northville, Mich. native Noah Laba scored, Quick had a clearing attempt batted down by Patrick Kane, who had a gaping net to shoot at. Instead, the paddle of Quick's stick prevented Kane from getting a shot off as both Carson Soucy and Braden Schneider both rushed to the aid of their goaltender. 

Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) on XJONATHAN QUICK MISPLAYED THE PUCK, AND PATRICK KANE HAD THE EMPTY NET BUT COULDN'T BURY IT 😭😵

It was Kane's first game back in the lineup since he was injured on Oct. 17 against the Tampa Bay Lightning; he had missed nine straight contests. 

The Red Wings also had a prime scoring chances early in the third period as Compher raced in on a two-on-one rush and attempted to pick the corner, only to have his shot somehow deflected by the outside cuff of Quick's glove. 

New York then added a pair of insurance goals from Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, the latter of which followed a Detroit defensive lapse. 

Talbot finished with 22 saves, while Quick turned back the clock with his performance, making 32 saves. 

The Red Wings will have to have a short memory, as they'll host the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon. 

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NEW YORK (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist, and the Minnesota Wild beat the New York Islanders 5-2 on Friday night.

Vinnie Hinostraza, Danila Yurov, Brock Faber and Marco Rossi also scored for Minnesota in its third win in four games. Jesper Wallstedt finished with 25 saves.

Emil Heineman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders and David Rittich had 21 saves as New York lost its second straight and snapped a three-game point streak (2-0-1).

Kaprizov scored on a give-and-go with Mats Zuccarello to push the Wild’s lead to 5-2 at 8:33 of the third period. It was Kaprizov’s ninth goal of the season.

Trailing 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Islanders got on the board at 4:38 of the second as Heineman got a pass from Bo Horvat in the right circle and beat Wallstedt for his sixth.

Faber restored the Wild’s two-goal lead 1:18 later as he got the puck in the high slot after Matt Boldy’s wraparound try and put it past Rittich.

Rossi pushed the lead to 4-1 as he skated in on Rittich and beat him into the top right corner at 9:05.

Pageau pulled New York back within two, skating in on Wallstedt and tucking it past the goalie on the right side with 1:09 left in the second.

Hinostraza gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 7:24 of the first, deflecting a pass from Jonas Brodin past Rittich from the right doorstep.

Yurov doubled the lead with 7:28 remaining in the opening period as he took several whacks at a loose puck in front.

Up next

Wild: Host Calgary on Sunday to open a five-game homestand.

Islanders: At New York Rangers on Saturday to open a seven-game trip.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4–3 in a shootout last night, but for one player, it was more than just another game - it was a mini-reunion and a taste of home.

Devils rookie Arseny Gritsyuk was reunited with his friend Ivan Demidov before the matchup. The two played together last season with SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), before Demidov made the jump to the NHL to join the Canadiens.

Gritsyuk told NHL.com that when he traveled from Russia to New Jersey this offseason, he stopped in Montreal to visit his old teammate.

“He told me you need to always be stronger — like always, always be ready for the hit,” Gritsyuk said of the advice Demidov shared with him to NHL.com.

The two have stayed in touch as Demidov adjusted to his first NHL season and Gritsyuk prepared for his own North American debut.

“I talked to him after Montreal lost in the playoffs,” Gritsyuk said to NHL.com. “I called him for a lot of details. He said it’s always a challenging game — every game. There’s always pressure, not much time. And the micro-battles are so important. When you go back for the puck — body check, body check, body check.”

Ahead of the game, Gritsyuk posted on his Telegram channel, Grit’s Diary, that he had invited Demidov over for dinner.

He shared a photo of the two with the caption:

Gritsyuk’s Telegram – @arsenigritsyuk81

“It was my turn to receive guests — for example, today Vanya Demidov stopped by 🤝 We had a delicious meal, chatted, and just had a great time. 😇 See you on the ice, brother 🤙”

Gritsyuk has mentioned having dinners with several familiar Russian faces during his first 14 NHL games and was happy to return the favor by hosting Demidov ahead of their matchup in Newark.

In the game, Demidov logged 10:27 of ice time, finishing with no points and two penalty minutes, while Gritsyuk played 15:29 and recorded two shots on goal.

As Gritsyuk navigates his rookie season and Demidov continues his sophomore campaign, the two continue to lean on each other for advice, familiarity, and friendship, both on and off the ice.

The Philadelphia Flyers have generally rolled with the same lineup over the last few games, but their latest transaction indicates that may not be the case for long.

On Friday, the Flyers announced that they had recalled forward Carl Grundstrom, acquired in the Ryan Ellis trade, and sent Aleksei Kolosov back to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

That move comes on the heels of a separate switch that saw goalie Sam Ersson come off injured reserve and center Jacob Gaucher head back to the Phantoms.

The key here, though, is that Gaucher had originally been called up by the Flyers because the team needed a right-shot center.

Grundstrom, 27, is neither a right-shot forward nor a center, and he gives the Flyers 13 forwards on their active roster with Tyson Foerster still on injured reserve.

NHL Insider 'Can See' Flyers, Trevor Zegras Contract Extension Talks StartingNHL insider Elliotte Friedman is beginning to "wonder" about contract extension talks between the Flyers and Trevor Zegras.

The Flyers also, however, have eight defensemen, which is not a particularly common denomination around the NHL.

Grundstrom's sudden addition to the NHL roster, and replacing Gaucher, especially, has created some questions that will be solved sooner or later.

For instance, eccentric rookie forward Nikita Grebenkin has played fewer than 10 minutes in three of his last five games, and veteran tough guy Nick Deslauriers just played a season-high 10:01 in his sixth appearance of the season in Thursday night's 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators.

One of Deslauriers or Grebenkin could come out of the lineup for Grundstrom if the Swede is to draw in at some point, especially given that Rodrigo Abols appears to have the fourth-line center role on lock.

And, if and when Foerster does return, the Flyers will need to send another player down to the AHL.

Unheralded Flyers Defenseman Quietly Playing Like One of NHL's BestPhiladelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York has been more dominant this season than anyone had imagined.

Would Grundstrom head back to the Phantoms so soon, sticking around for just a cup of coffee? Or will the Flyers decide they've had enough of the eight-defenseman rotation on the blueline?

Adam Ginning has played just one game since Oct. 16, and Emil Andrae appears to have usurped Egor Zamula's place in the lineup with his transitional skills outweighing his lack of size.

No matter the outcome, the Flyers are almost inevitably heading towards some kind of further change to the lineup and roster, which could some as soon as the end of the weekend.