The Pittsburgh Penguins knew they needed to notch a win Saturday against the Dallas Stars in the second game of a back-to-back.

They had three straight losses, and they weren't just losses, they were ugly ones. Nothing was going right for them, there was no cohesion, and they were fresh off a 3-2 shootout loss Friday against the Columbus Blue Jackets that left a sour taste in their mouths. 

And they put together the exact kind of response game they needed.

The Penguins defeated the Stars, 2-1, in a shootout effort that saw three Penguins put the puck in the back of the net. Arturs Silovs, the goaltender of record for the Penguins, made some huge saves late in the game and on the penalty kill, stopping 24 of 25 Dallas shots and delivering a nice follow-up to a 43-save performance by Sergei Murashov Friday.

The game was very low-event. But, given, how things had gone recently, that was probably the best thing for this team. 

"The game last night was a little tough on everybody," defenseman Sam Girard said. "Playing in your zone, it's not fun and makes us a little more tired as well. But, it's the past, and I feel like we played our game tonight. And we still have some stuff to build from the game tonight."

The first 40 minutes came and went with no score, and both teams - aside from a defensive miscue that turned into a breakaway opportunity by Wyatt Johnston right at the beginnning of the game - were up to the task defensively.

But, in the back half of the second period, the Penguins started to get some offensive momentum. They began the third period with a 50-29 advantage in shot attempts, and two minutes in, they finally broke through on the scoresheet.

Pittsburgh's fourth line was breaking into the offensive zone, and Connor Dewar was the mail carrier. He opted to carry the puck across the slot, and he snuck a backhand that somehow went top-shelf and found its way over Stars' netminder Jake Oettinger to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

DEW YOU SEE WHAT I SEE⁉️ pic.twitter.com/ZP6rtpcAwG

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 11, 2026

The Penguins had the better of the play for the majority of the rest of the game, but with Oettinger pulled and with just 30 seconds left in regulation, Tyler Seguin deflected a Jason Robertson shot from the left point to tie the game. Pittsburgh controlled the puck for almost the entire overtime period, too, but they couldn't convert, and it forced a shootout.

Ben Kindel kicked things off and beat Oettinger for his third shootout goal in four career attempts. Robertson missed for Dallas, then Sidney Crosby - who was left out of the shootout lineup Friday - netted one to give Pittsburgh the two-point advantage. 

However, two consecutive tallies by Seguin and Johnston - and a post by Egor Chinakhov - knotted it up. Pittsburgh's fourth shooter, Rickard Rakell, put one top-shelf to best Oettinger, and Silovs made a save on Mikko Rantanen to end it and send the Penguins home with the win. 

🚨 Full shootout recap 🚨 pic.twitter.com/wMaXlJ9Sgq

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 11, 2026

After a disastrous game against the Blue Jackets, it sure felt good for them to put together the all-around effort they did Saturday against a top team in the league. 

"We knew we needed to respond," head coach Dan Muse said. "It’s an emotional game, and so, it is a quick turnaround. In one sense, you're excited that you get to be playing again the next night, especially coming off a game that you know there's a lot we knew we could be better at. But it's a credit to them. It's not always the case.

"It shows where this group is that we can come together and find a way to just dig in and play a better brand of hockey, which is what I thought we did today."

Takeaways: Murashov Bright Spot Against Blue Jackets In Penguins' Third-Straight LossThe Pittsburgh Penguins brought their worst in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday. but their rookie goaltender almost singlehandedly earned them a point.

---

Here are some thoughts from this one:

- I'll start with the one glaring negative from this game since there was far more positive and much more to talk about on that end.

I don't know what is going on with Rakell right now, but whatever it is, it isn't good. In fact, it's borderline unplayable. He's mishandling passes, he's passing pucks right to opposing players, he can't get his shot off properly, and it's plain to see he's overthinking just about every decision he's making out there.

Rakell has always been a slow starter, so this is nothing new. And he tends to stick out like a sore thumb when he isn't playing well. Honestly, I thought he was the only Penguins' player who was still noticeably off his game against Dallas.

If this continues, I don't think dropping him in the lineup to take some of the pressure off would be the worst thing. Nick Robertson can easily bump up, and he could have the opportunity to slot alongside Ben Kindel, who has been excellent and probably would benefit from having a true goal-scorer on his line. 

"It comes down to business and trying to play a good game."

Nick Robertson with @KatieFlorio before "The Robertson Bowl", pt. 9 ⚔️

In 8 prior head-to-head clases, Nick leads Jason with 5 wins to Jason's 3 👀 pic.twitter.com/D5yrMEbcwF

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 10, 2026

- Speaking of, what an effort this was from Pittsburgh's fourth line of Dewar, Blake Lizotte, and Robertson. 

I still believe that Robertson should probably be playing higher in the lineup, but there's no denying that he complements that line well and brings a more offensive element to it, especially in terms of puck skills. And that, combined with Dewar and Lizotte's tenacity as well as his own, made for a dominant recipe.

Despite taking no offensive zone draws in comparison to six in the defensive zone and two in the neutral zone, that line outchanced Dallas 14-to-7 when it was on the ice. 

And that speaks to what they bring as a unit. When asked what Robertson specifically brings to that line, Muse's answer was simple.

"I think basically the same thing the other two guys do," he smiled. "Just relentless work ethic, detailed defensively. They make it really hard on whoever they're playing against, and they just don't quit. Like, they don't quit on like plays, they don't quit on anything. As soon as a puck does turn over, they're right above it all the time. They just play the game with detail and tenacity. The line was awesome tonight. They were really good."

He also addressed how impressive their work was despite the defensive zone starts.

"It is a lot of D-zone starts, and sometimes if it's an O-zone faceoff, I'm taking them off the ice, and that's tough," Muse said. "They worked hard to get us there, but that also just shows these guys are selfless, and I think they take a lot of pride in what they do.

"So, for them to have that impact on the defensive side, and then also contribute offensively, which they had a number of chances – these guys, they're skilled players as well. It was great to see them get rewarded. I thought that line was awesome tonight."

That they were. They were the Penguins' best line Saturday.

Penguins Waive Big Defenseman As New Blueliner Joins Team In ColumbusThe Penguins sent Ilya Solovyov to the waiver wire in anticipation of some roster moves Friday.

- Elmer Soderblom slotted in for Ville Koivunen in this game, and I thought he made a difference. He's very good with the puck and excels along the walls, which is something the Penguins have been missing on their forecheck. 

I think he earned a stay in the lineup with his play. I'd probably put Koivunen back in for Hendrix Lapierre when the Penguins play the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday to kick off a four-game Western road swing - as I think Koivunen has earned playing time - but Soderblom should remain.

He's literally such a large human that he can just overpower guys in puck battles and around the net. I think the Penguins could use more of that. 

- The penalty kill continues to be excellent for the Penguins. They have allowed just one goal on 17 opportunities so far this season, which is good for a 94.1 percent rate and second in the league. 

Special teams was a strength for the Penguins last season, and the power play still needs to catch up to the PK in terms of efficiency. But, right now, they're gelling as a unit. 

"I feel like everybody's on the same page, everybody's ready to sacrifice their body to block some shots and be in the lanes," Girard said. "A lot of games are decided on the power play or on the PK in the NHL, so we're going to have to keep going like we've been doing and make sure we're blocking some shots, we're in the lane and we get the puck out."

'I Feel Pretty Good Right Now': Penguins' Koivunen Building Confidence In Season's EarlygoingPittsburgh Penguins' forward Ville Koivunen signed an unexpected eight-year, $32 million contract this summer and has looked good early this season.

- Defenseman Spencer Stastney, who was acquired from the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday for forward Filip Hallander, suited up for the first time with Pittsburgh in place of veteran Trevor van Riemsdyk. 

And, honestly, it was a good first showing for him. He can certainly move out there, and he seems to have pretty good instincts on both sides of the puck. He also paired well with Kris Letang.

Stastney, 26, was in and out of the lineup and up and down between the NHL and AHL in Edmonton. He's just happy to get a chance to play in Pittsburgh, and for a first showing, it was largely good things.

“It’s always a matter of fighting to stay in and try to do my best," Stastney said. "So, no matter what, I’m just going to keep a smile on my face and keep working. I’m just happy to be in."

I'm curious to see how the Penguins handle their defensive rotation moving forward. They are paying van Riemsdyk $4 million for each of the next two years, so I imagine he'll still play in a good chunk of games, at least to start.

Penguins Acquire Spencer Stastney From Edmonton Oilers for Filip HallanderThe Pittsburgh Penguins cleared up their forward logjam Wednesday by sending Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers

- Good on Silovs for following up Murashov's performance from Friday.

There is a lot of talk, already, about Murashov being the real deal. And, by the looks of things, he just might be. But Silovs tends to put together games like these when he knows there's a target on his back, and he earned himself more starts with his performance against the Stars, just like Murashov did.

We'll see how this rotation shakes out over the long-term. For now, I won't be surprised to see Muse go exactly 50/50 until one of them truly separates himself over a larger sample size.

Welcome to the Arty Party 🎉 pic.twitter.com/CPdmrGc2i8

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 11, 2026

- Finally, I want to shout out Evgeni Malkin. Because, man, was he shot out of a cannon Saturday.

In the past couple of seasons, Malkin has had his legs early. That's been the case again so far this season. His line outchanced Dallas 11-to-5 and skated circles around the offensive zone on a few occasions. They're also so dangerous on the rush, and Egor Chinakhov had himself a nice performance, too, despite not showing up on the scoresheet.

But Malkin's defensive play so far this season - and dating back to last season - is truly something else. And, I mean that literally, because it's not something we saw much from him earlier on in his career. 

There was a play in the third period around the eight-minute mark when Dallas appeared to have an odd-man break. Roope Hintz saw Jamie Benn breaking down the right side all alone, and he attempted a pass. Malkin came out of nowhere on the backcheck to disrupt the pass with his stick, thwarting a golden opportunity for Benn.

The 40-year-old who far too many in the 412 area code didn't want back has been one of their best players so far this season, as he is the team's co-leader in goals (3) and points (5). And I've never seen Malkin give so much effort in all three zones.

This guy is out there to prove something, and he's proving that he still very much belongs on this team and playing the game of hockey for a 21st NHL season. Shifting to the wing has done wonders for his game. 

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

The Colorado Avalanche returned to Ball Arena in downtown Denver, CO, to face the Toronto Maple Leafs. Colorado came in riding the high of a 7-3 thumping of the Calgary Flames. The Leafs blew a three-goal lead and fell to the Vegas Golden Knights last time out.

Early magic from Nathan MacKinnon and a solid shot share had Avalanche fans feeling another high-scoring win was on the table.

Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and the Toronto Maple Leafs had other plans.

First Period

Remember Nick Blankenburg? He reminded the Avalanche early in the first when Nylander drew a delayed penalty, letting Blankenburg crash the net. A well-placed cross-ice pass found Nick, who fired it past MacKenzie Blackwood on Toronto’s first shot. Not an ideal start for Colorado, they fell behind 1-0 just three minutes in.

Colorado responded well with some chances that culminated in Nathan MacKinnon single-handedly willing the puck into the net through Sergie Bobrovsky’s five-hole. MacKinnon’s explosiveness was on full display as he blew past four Leafs and stuffed the puck between Bobrovsky’s legs before the goalie could react, tying the game 1-1 at 10:46.

The Dogg goes the distance. pic.twitter.com/OLG3JBLBEe

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 11, 2026

MacKinnon wasn’t done with his first-period showcase, as he potted another on a tremendous solo effort and shot. He hit the brakes, spun away from the boards, created space in the high slot, and fired it home, giving the Avalanche a 2-1 lead at 15:14.

Wheels, shoots, AND SCORES 🚨 pic.twitter.com/vhG3gwvJIT

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 10, 2026

Second Period

The second frame is where things really began to slip for the Avalanche, starting with a William Nylander power-play goal. Somehow, the Avalanche left Nylander wide open at the doorstep, giving him space for his forehand-backhand move. Blackwood was completely down and out after the move, giving up two goals on 9 shots on goal at 6:53 in the second period. Things were tied at two-a-side.

See you next week.

📰: https://t.co/B7x081fsU4pic.twitter.com/ARZKfI4Y9e

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 11, 2026

Brock Nelson should be proud of the goal that restored Colorado’s one-goal lead, as his repeated attempts to gather and fire the puck in front paid off on his third shot. At 12:35 in the second, Nelson won the puck in the corner and shot; it was jarred loose. He gathered a rebound and shot again, and on the third attempt, it went into the top corner. The Avalanche took a 3-2 Lead on the bounceback.

Nelson wasn't giving up on that one 💪 pic.twitter.com/sSIbHheYCz

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 11, 2026

Willy got loose on the Avalanche again at 16:47 in the second when Brett Kulak’s clearing attempt was kept in, leading to a Nylander shot from the high slot that went right through a sprawling MacKinnon and MacKenzie Blackwood. Toronto regained the 3-2 lead on their 11th framed shot of the evening.

Toronto’s 12th shot on goal went in as well, with Easton Cowan firing a one-timer into the net on a feed from Auston Matthews at 17:33. That’s right, just 46 seconds after Nylander’s goal, Auston Matthews’ second assist and Nylander’s 4th point of the night gave Toronto the 4-3 lead in Colorado.

Third Period

Toronto led the rest of the way, with Matthews adding two goals to his two assists, first on the power play. Wouldn’t you know it, Willy Nylander got a 5th point at 12:02 in the third, with a secondary assist from Kirill Marchenko. The Leafs took a commanding 5-3 third-period lead.

Matthews’ second goal of the final period was an empty-net, unassisted goal as the Avalanche fell to the Leafs 6-3 on home ice.

Takeaways

Listen, it’s just game five and only their second loss of the season, but I’m a little concerned about Colorado’s style of play. It feels like the Avalanche have been too unsettled defensively. I was hoping we’d see a commitment to defensive hockey this season, and Colorado’s defensive lapses (though few) typically lead to high-danger chances. I do think they limited the shots and could have gotten a better performance in net to support their efforts.

NHL Game Score Impact Card for Colorado Avalanche on 2026-10-10: pic.twitter.com/wgp1Lw5kjk

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) October 11, 2026

People will likely talk about it over the weekend and heading into Colorado’s Tuesday game with the rival Dallas Stars, but MacKenzie Blackwood wasn’t statistically good this evening. I hope I did a good enough job explaining Toronto’s goals, because Blackwood’s numbers deserve some context. Many of Toronto’s goals came on wide-open looks for one reason or another, including defensive lapses. Unfortunately, the numbers are bad enough that context likely won’t do much to ease fans’ or Blackwood’s minds.

Coach Bednar's assessment of Mackenzie Blackwood tonight:

"He needs to give us a save… I can't blame him for any of the goals. None. But if you're giving up 4 shots in a period and 3 goals, you'd like him to make a save in some of those. I'm sure he feels the same way."

— Bailey Curtis (@baileyycurtis) October 11, 2026

Nathan MacKinnon is on a mission and, in my opinion, has been Colorado’s best player every game so far. Not saying others haven’t been good, but what we are watching Nathan MacKinnon do right now is very impressive.

Up Next

As previously mentioned, the Colorado Avalanche will meet the Dallas Stars on Tuesday night at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX.

BOSTON (AP) — Fraser Minten had a goal and two assists, Pavel Zacha scored his first goal of the season and the Boston Bruins beat the struggling Philadelphia Flyers 5-1 on Saturday.

Mason Lohrei, Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt also scored for Boston (4-2), which won its second straight game.

Starting for the fifth time in the Bruins’ first six games, Jeremy Swayman faced just three shots in the opening 30 minutes and finished with 14 saves. His bid for his second shutout of the season was spoiled when Porter Martone had a power-play goal 6:32 into the final period. Swayman won his 136th game, tying Andy Moog for eighth on Boston’s all-time list.

Dan Vladar made 27 saves for the Flyers (0-4-2), who are the Eastern Conference’s only winless team.

DEVILS 4, CANUCKS 1

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Nico Hischier scored two goals and added an assist while Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist in New Jersey’ win over Vancouver.

Jack Hughes contributed two assists and Jake Allen, playing in his 500th career game, made 20 saves.

Linus Karlsson scored for Vancouver, who have lost three straight games while getting outscored 14-5. Leevi Merilainen made 31 saves.

Hischier’s first goal was his 200th for New Jersey in 613 games, becoming the fifth Swiss player to reach that mark and the second fastest among that group. His linemate, Timo Meier, scored 200 goals in 569 games.

Bratt and Hischier each scored power-play goals in the second period to put the Devils ahead 4-1.

OILERS 3, SHARKS 1

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Connor McDavid recorded his 13th point of the season and 10th assist as Edmonton beat San Jose for their fourth straight win.

Vasily Podkolzin scored his fifth goal while Mattias Ekholm and Alex Formenton also scored for Edmonton. Tristan Jarry stopped 19 shots.

Macklin Celebrini returned to the lineup for San Jose after missing two games with a lower-body injury. The Sharks captain scored his first goal of the season midway through the third period.

Ekholm opened the scoring at 12:37 of the first period. Podkolzin extended Edmonton’s lead 3:13 into the third, with McDavid recording the assist. He moved ahead of Jack Eichel for the league lead in points and assists.

Formenton made it 3-0 on a backhand shot about two minutes later.

Celebrini got San Jose on the board midway through the third period, but the Sharks could not complete the comeback.

Yaroslav Askarov made 17 saves for San Jose.

WILD 4, PANTHERS 1

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had three goals and an assist, Matt Boldy scored his first goal of the season in the game’s first minute, and Minnesota spoiled Florida’s home opener by beating the Panthers.

Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt continued his hot start, stopping 29 shots. Wallstedt has been in net for all five of Minnesota’s games so far, going 3-1-1 with a .936 save percentage and a stingy goals-against average of just 1.78.

Boldy gave the Wild the lead 53 seconds into the game. Kaprizov made it 2-0 with 13:42 left in the opening period, added his second 5 minutes into the middle frame, and finished his hat trick on an empty-netter with 1:04 left.

MAMMOTH 4, SABRES 1

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — John Marino, Anders Lee and Kailer Yamamoto each had a goal and an assist to help Utah beat Buffalo.

Nick Schmaltz also scored, and Barrett Hayton had two assists.

Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves as the Mammoth bounced back from a 6-1 loss in Boston on Thursday night to win for the third time on a five-game trip.

Tage Thompson had a goal for the Sabres in their second straight loss at home. Colten Ellis stopped 26 shots.

Schmaltz and Lee scored 2:01 apart late in the second period to give the Mammoth a two-goal lead.

Thompson’s goal at 8:00 into the game was Buffalo’s first on the power play this season.

Yamamoto, making his season debut, tied it just past the midway point of the first period. Yamamoto entered the lineup in place of forward Michael Carcone, who is listed as week to week with an upper-body injury.

CANADIENS 1, RED WINGS 0, OT

MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round of a shootout, Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and Montreal beat Detroit.

After Bolduc beat Daniil Tarasov through the pads for the first score in the tiebreaker, Fowler stopped Nate Danielson.

Montreal ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-2-1. It won for first time on home ice in three outings this season.

Fowler had his second career shutout for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Tarasov made 30 saves in his first start for the Red Wings.

SENATORS 3, PREDATORS 2, OT

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to give the Ottawa a victory over Nashville.

Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson — who tied it with 2:23 left in the third period — scored for the Senators (4-1-0). Linus Ullmark turned away 16 shots.

Jonathan Marchessault and Ross Colton scored for Nashville (2-1-2), while Matt Murray made 18 stops.

The Predators took a delay-of-game penalty for a puck over glass with 13 seconds remaining in regulation providing the Senators the perfect opportunity, but a stagnant power play was unable to capitalize. Ottawa went 1 for 6 with the man advantage.

PENGUINS 2, STARS 1, SO

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rickard Rakell scored the deciding goal in the shootout and Pittsburgh beat Dallas.

Arturs Silovs stopped Mikko Rantanen in the shootout to help Pittsburgh snap a three-game losing streak. Sidney Crosby and Ben Kindel also scored in the shootout for the Penguins, who lost in a shootout at Columbus on Friday.

Connor Dewar scored in regulation for Pittsburgh and Silovs stopped 24 shots.

Jake Oettinger stopped 20 shots for the Stars.

Oettinger, coming off back-to-back shutouts against San Jose and Buffalo, set the longest shutout streak of his career at 188:52. It’s the third-longest shutout streak in franchise history.

HURRICANES 5, BLACKHAWKS 2

CHICAGO (AP) — Jackson Blake and Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist each and Carolina beat Chicago.

Mark Jankowski, Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions who won their fourth in a row and outplayed the Blackhawks, outshooting them 39-26 and winning the majority of the faceoffs.

Beginning with Jankowski’s breakaway score in the final minute of the first period, Carolina scored three goals in a span of 4:25. A short-handed goal by Aho and an even-strength goal by Blake within 1:19 of each other early in the second period gave Carolina a 3-0 lead.

Chicago’s Roman Kantserov scored his first NHL goal 4:40 into the second period, briefly drawing the Blackhawks within two goals. Hall’s goal 1:25 later gave Carolina a 4-1 lead. Martinook beat Spencer Knight on a slot backhand five minutes into the third period.

Oliver Moore scored Chicago’s second goal with 5:46 to play.

BLUES 5, BLUE JACKETS 3

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice and Dylan Holloway had three assists as St. Louis beat Columbus.

Making his second start of the season, Jordan Binnington stopped 20 shots. In his first game, Binnington allowed six goals in a loss at Colorado.

St. Louis (2-2-1) snapped a three-game losing streak. The Blues had lost their previous six games against the Blue Jackets (2-2-0).

Jet Graeves recorded 24 saves for Columbus.

On a delayed penalty, Jonatan Berggren scored the go-ahead goal at 9:33 in the third period. Greaves stopped a Mason McTavish shot but Berggren was there to put back the rebound.

Pavel Buchnevich added an empty-net goal at 19:17.

MAPLE LEAFS 6, AVALANCHE 3

DENVER (AP) — William Nylander and Easton Cowan scored 46 seconds apart late in the second period and Toronto beat Colorado.

Nylander finished with two goals and had a career-high three assists to finish with five points, also tying a career high. Auston Matthews had two goals and two assists for Toronto, which has alternated wins and losses to start the season.

Nathan MacKinnon scored twice for Colorado, which suffered its first loss in three home games. Brock Nelson also scored and Mackenzie Blackwood had 16 saves in his first setback of the season. The Avs finished 0 of 5 on the power play, which included eight seconds of a 5 on 3 early in the second period.

After Nick Blankenburg gave the Maple Leafs a 1-0 lead 3:03 into the game, MacKinnon’s bull-rush through the Toronto defense tied it midway through the first. He gave Colorado the lead with his second of the night at 15:14.

Nylander tied it 19 seconds after Jaden Schwartz took high-sticking minor early in the second, the first power-play goal the Avs allowed this season. Brock Nelson scored off his own rebound later in the period to give Colorado a 3-2 lead before the Maple Leafs grabbed control in the second.

LIGHTNING 5, ISLANDERS 3

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Hagel scored two goals with less than two minutes to play to complete his hat trick and Tampa Bay extended their winning streak to four games with a victory over New York.

Hagel, who also had an assist, scored the go-ahead goal with 1:44 remaining and an empty-net goal 21 seconds later.

Jake Guentzel scored twice for Tampa Bay, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves and the Lightning won the first half of their brief two-game New York road trip.

Tony DeAngelo, Matthew Schaefer and Brayden Schenn scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin finished with 21 saves.

_____

The Senators went more than 22 minutes without a shot on goal on Saturday night, but somehow managed to find a way to pull out a 3-2 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators at Canadian Tire Centre.

Drake Batherson played the hero in regulation, scoring with just 1:23 remaining with Linus Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker. Tim Stützle, who had already scored the Sens'  first goal of the night, picked up an assist on the equalizer before adding a goal in the shootout.

He's off a fabulous start with 8 points in five games, good for ninth in the league, as of this writing.

Shane Pinto eventually delivered the shootout winner as the Senators improved to 4-1 on the young season.

It certainly wasn't a Rembrandt, especially through the first half of the game, when the Senators struggled to generate much of anything.

Nashville opened the scoring at 8:50 of the first period when Ross Colton beat Ullmark for his first goal of the season. It was a fortunate bounce off a skate that skipped right on to Colton's tape. Ullmark couldn't get over to his left in time to stop the wrist shot that went over his head.

The Predators doubled their lead at 13:10 when Jonathan Marchessault scored his first of the year on the power play. He beat Ullmark from a bad angle between the legs, but coverage-wise, he had way more room to operate than he should have.

The Sens managed just four shots on goal in the opening period and went through an incredible stretch of more than 22 minutes without a single shot.

But the Senators finally broke through at 9:29 of the second when Stützle scored his fourth goal of the season on the power play on a perfect feed from Dylan Cozens, cutting Nashville's lead to 2-1.

Despite their struggles, the Senators were still within striking distance in the third, but with things looking bleak late, they made their final push count.

With Ullmark on the bench for an extra attacker, Batherson scored his third goal of the season at 18:37 of the third period, tying the game at 2. At the right point, Stützle had no shooting lane, but he did have Shane Pinto in the slot.

He ripped a hard pass at him and Pinto redirected it. It would have gone wide, but Batherson was standing at the left post and it went in off his leg.

It was a fine rescue for a Sens team that had spent much of the night struggling to create anything.

Overtime gave the Sens a fantastic opportunity to complete the comeback on a four-on-three power play. But the best OT scoring opportunity came immediately after the Nashville penalty expired.

Roman Josi stepped out of the box and found himself on a breakaway, but Ullmark came up with a huge save, turning aside a wrist shot to keep the Sens alive.

That set the stage for the shootout, where Ryan O'Reilly scored for Nashville to give them a 1-0 lead.

Stützle answered for the Senators to tie it, Pinto gave them the lead, and Ullmark stopped Steven Stamkos on the Preds last gasp to secure the win.

Ullmark finished with 16 saves on 18 shots, while Nashville goaltender Matt Murray (not that Matt Murray) stopped 18 of the Sens' 20 shots.

Both teams finished 1-for-6 on the power play, a sluggish 16.7 percent success rate. 

This was the kind of close game in the past that the Senators would oftenlet get away from them. But they managed to turn what was shaping up to be a frustrating evening into their fourth victory in five games.

It definitely wasn't pretty, but as they say, there's no room for description on the scoresheet.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

Despite another strong performance, including an impressive debut from goaltender Daniil Tarasov, the Detroit Red Wings couldn't find the back of the net Saturday night.

The Montreal Canadiens escaped with a 1-0 shootout victory at Bell Centre after Zachary Bolduc scored the only goal in the sixth round.

Final in the shootout. pic.twitter.com/Z77yo0VF6k

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) October 11, 2026

Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped all 30 shots he faced through regulation and overtime before denying all six Red Wings attempts in the shootout, turning aside Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Viktor Arvidsson, Dylan Larkin, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Nate Danielson. 

Tarasov, making his first start with the Red Wings, was equally impressive, stopping 30 shots in regulation and overtime.

The Red Wings, playing their first game away from Little Caesars Arena this season and their second in 24 hours, were once again heavily shorthanded up front because of the absences of Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, and Mason Appleton.

Additionally, defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned. 

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

Detroit received a trio of breaks during the contest, as three would-be goals by the Canadiens would be overturned, including a snipe from Bolduc in overtime that was called back for offside. 

Todd McLellan: Brandsegg-Nygård's Playing Style A Good Example For Others Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan noted that the playing style of Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is what several other players on the roster could be emulating.

Unfortunately for the Red Wings, it's the second time that they've been shut out through the first five games of the 2026-27 campaign. 

The Red Wings will return home for another trio of games in downtown Detroit, starting Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils. 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

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.

MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round of a shootout, Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 on Saturday night.

After Bolduc beat Daniil Tarasov through the pads for the first score in the tiebreaker, Fowler stopped Nate Danielson.

Montreal ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-2-1. It won for first time on home ice in three outings this season.

Fowler had his second career shutout for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.

Tarasov made 30 saves in his first start for the Red Wings.

Detroit (1-3-1), playing in its first road game of the season, dropped its second game in two nights after falling 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.

Cole Caufield’s shot 1:16 into the game was deemed not to have crossed the goal line, while Bolduc’s second-period goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference by Jake Evans on Tarasov. A third apparent Montreal goal, this one courtesy of Alexandre Texier, was called back for offside midway through overtime.

In addition to cheering on the home team, Canadiens fans spent much of the game showing their appreciation for Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin. The crowd repeatedly broke into chants of “We want Larkin! We want Larkin!” in a bid to persuade the American to make Montreal his next destination. The former Red Wings captain requested a trade out of Detroit this past offseason.

Up next

Red Wings: Host New Jersey on Tuesday night.

Canadiens: Host Buffalo on Tuesday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The Islanders liked the direction in which they were trending over the season’s first four games. 

Until Saturday, though, they had not been tested against a true contender. 

Now they have, and while the Islanders can be happy with pieces of their game, the overall results won’t be to their liking. 

The Lightning were faster and smarter. Mostly, Tampa Bay played a more complete 60 minutes than the Islanders in beating them 5-3 at UBS Arena on the back of Brandon Hagel’s hat trick. 

“Just didn’t show up quite on time,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “But when we did show up, we went nose to nose with them.” 

Want to know why it’s so important to take care of business on nights like Thursday against Chicago or this coming Tuesday against Vancouver? Saturday is why. 

It is a testament to their resilience as well as their penalty-killing on a night when the Islanders spent more than seven minutes in the box that they entered the late stages of the game still very much in it. 

As has been the case a few times early this season, the Islanders grew into the game as it went on, finally starting to apply pressure and take away Andrei Vasilevskiy’s eyes in the second period. That resulted in Tony DeAngelo’s goal that made it 2-1, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s that made it 3-2 at 11:41 of the period may have been more about Matthew Schaefer’s supreme skill.

Schaefer walked the line, deked Anthony Cirelli clean and let loose a shot that Pageau tipped past Vasilevskiy before an emphatic celebration.

At that point, Schaefer started to take over the game. His skill on the puck helped set up the game-tying goal with seven seconds left in the second period, as a juggling keep-in led to Brayden Schenn getting to Kyle Palmieri’s pass across, with Erik Cernak’s stick giving a last touch on the way into the net. 

That gave way to a rollicking third, by far the most entertaining hockey the Islanders have played this season: end-to-end, physical, breathless. 

With under two minutes to go, it was still deadlocked at 3-3, but the Lightning again had started to tilt the ice. It didn’t take a long offensive-zone shift to take the lead, though: Hagel beat Ilya Sorokin clean on an innocuous-looking shot from the right circle with 1:44 to go and then completed his hat trick into an empty net just 21 seconds later. 

“We passed quite a few of the tests in my mind of how we have to play,” DeBoer said. “You just have to do it for 60 minutes. You can’t spot a team like that two goals.” 

The details and ethic that DeBoer is trying, bit by bit, to instill in this team have long since been perfected by Jon Cooper’s squad. There were stretches during which the Islanders looked on Tampa’s level, but also, over 60 minutes — and particularly the first 20 — too many when they did not. 

Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, once a shutdown top pair in back-to-back conference finals against this team, epitomized it more than anyone. The duo, reunited in the wake of Alexander Romanov’s ACL tear, was badly victimized by Hagel, who skated through both of them to make it 2-0 Tampa late in the first, then a second time by Jake Guentzel, who was left free near the crease to score the Lightning’s third on the power play. 

“The start, it’s just unacceptable,” Pelech told The Post. “Partially on me. I was on for a couple goals they scored in the first period. Better execution, I think more intensity of battles, winning more battles, committing more to the way we have to play to be successful right off the bat.” 

The puck management, an issue on which DeBoer has harped over the last few days, was an issue too, particularly early in the game as the Islanders breakouts consistently were stymied by their own decision-making. 

Two things that seem contradictory but are not: It is an unequivocal positive that the Islanders got better throughout the game, and it is unacceptable — perhaps game-losing — that they took 25 or so minutes to look like they were in it. 

“We’re gonna get better,” Schaefer said. “We’re gonna have a better start, hopefully, next time and keep it going throughout the game.”

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to give the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.

Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson — who tied it with 2:23 left in the third period — scored for the Senators (4-1-0). Linus Ullmark turned away 16 shots.

Jonathan Marchessault and Ross Colton scored for Nashville (2-1-2), while Matt Murray made 18 stops.

The Predators took a delay-of-game penalty for a puck over glass with 13 seconds remaining in regulation providing the Senators the perfect opportunity, but a stagnant power play was unable to capitalize. Ottawa went 1 for 6 with the man advantage.

The game ended a three-game Eastern Canada trip for the Predators.

Defenseman Jayden Struble made his Nashville debut. He was acquired Friday from the Montreal Canadiens.

Up next

Predators: Host Vegas on Tuesday night.

Senators: At New Jersey on Monday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

The Chicago Blackhawks were blown out at home by the Carolina Hurricanes. Of course, it was always an uphill climb with the defending Stanley Cup champions in town for battle, but the Blackhawks didn't have much of a chance. 

After a lackluster first period, they were down 1-0. At that point, they likely felt good about being down by only one. Before the second period was four minutes old, however, the Hurricanes added two more to take a 3-0 lead.

At that point, with the way the Blackhawks were defending and the difficulties they had exiting the defensive zone when they did have the puck, it felt like a lead that they couldn't come back from. 

Shortly after that, however, the Blackhawks did get themselves on the board. Roman Kantserov earned himself a breakaway and used his speed to create separation before scoring his first career NHL goal. The former KHL superstar is officially on the board. 

The good vibes following Kantserov's goal were short-lived, however, as former Blackhawk Taylor Hall scored less than two minutes after that. Four goals were scored between the two teams in five minutes. 

At 5:00 of the third period, the Hurricanes made it 5-1 to give it that blowout feeling. Oliver Moore's late goal was a nifty play by him, but it doesn't erase the feeling that the Blackhawks were run out of their own building by the champs. 

The Blackhawks were outshot 39-26 in the loss. They came on a bit stronger late in the third, but it was well below the standard of a winning team over the course of 60 minutes. 

Roman Kantserov scored Chicago's first goal of the game, but he was also their best forward by far. It wasn't great defensively for any of their forwards, including Kantserov, but he was able to generate some offense. 

It's been a tough start to the season for Nick Lardis, but he improved in this game as well. Without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar in the lineup, it's going to be hard for these guys to carry the weight, but being ready for their return is important. 

On defense, four of the six players had lousy performances. The middle pair with Alex Vlasic and Ian Cole were solid, however. So far, they've been the best duo created by Jeff Blashill so far this year.  

Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro have spent all but one game in the press box, but it might be time to start rotating them in. If Bowen Byram, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Wyatt Kaiser continue to rack up games like that, Blashill won't have a choice. 

This game was proof that the Blackhawks are nowhere near any of the top teams in the NHL. There were already suspicions of that reality after playing the Vegas Golden Knights, Buffalo Sabres, and Utah Mammoth, but the sample size is starting to get bigger. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

screaming, crying, Roman's first rookie goal 😭 pic.twitter.com/V5BD6v7b3b

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 11, 2026

👁️ don't blink 👁️ https://t.co/SczSzzxYdkpic.twitter.com/eRL8JaMgOs

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 11, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks have only played two of their six games at the United Center. However, they are staring down another six straight at home following this loss to Carolina. Next up is a match against Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night. 

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 Islanders were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-3, on Saturday night.

Here are some takeaways...

-- Tampa Bay dominated the first period, racing out a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jake Guentzel (unassisted) and Brandon Hagel (assisted by Victor Hedman and Max Crozier).

-- The Isles responded with a huge second period. Some nifty puck possession in the offensive zone combined with a solid screen to block the vision of Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed Tony DeAngelo to get New York on the board with a wrister from the point, assisted by Ondrej Palat. Tampa countered with another Guentzel goal (assisted by Hagel and reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov), this time on the power play. The Islanders kept plugging away, in part energized by Logan Stanley dropping the gloves with Scott Sabourin. 

-- A fantastic first goal of the season for Matthew Schaefer (assisted by Palat and DeAngelo), in which the second-year defenseman dangled around the blue line to create space before firing a wrist shot which found twine, made it 2-3. With a late power play in the period, Brayden Schenn beat the buzzer by seven seconds and tied the game, tapping in a cross-crease pass by Bo Horvat (secondary assist by Matias Maccelli).

-- After a physical third period, Hagel picked up his third point of the night with just under two minutes left in the game, a gut punch of a wrist shot which beat Ilya Sorokin on his low blocker side. Shortly after, Hagel completed the fourth hat trick of his career to seal the 5-3 loss for the Isles.

Highlights

Tony DeAngelo cuts the deficit in half! https://t.co/nvRZAPGhmh

— SNY Islanders (@SNY_Islanders) October 11, 2026

Logan Stanley and Scott Sabourin drop the gloves 🥊 https://t.co/U3ZWaSAqvE

— SNY Islanders (@SNY_Islanders) October 11, 2026

What a goal from Matthew Schaefer 🔥 https://t.co/XD7ulpCvne

— SNY Islanders (@SNY_Islanders) October 11, 2026

Tie game! A power play goal makes it 3-3! https://t.co/LjBOREzI9S

— SNY Islanders (@SNY_Islanders) October 11, 2026

What's next

The Islanders have two days off before they play the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at home.

Could the Vancouver Canucks be in contention to acquire Calgary Flames centre Connor Zary? 

Whether they actually do or not is up for debate, but according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Vancouver is currently one of a few teams interested in the 25-year-old. 

"I don't get the sense anything is imminent right now. The Flames only have one retention spot available, and they don't want to retain money, so it's probably going to take something creative, but I do think Vancouver is one of the teams that has looked at Zary. I think there's a few more, obviously, but I've heard the Canucks are one of the teams that are considering it, and it makes sense," he said on Sportsnet's Saturday-night broadcast. 

Zary, the 24th-overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, was placed on waivers by the Flames on Monday, October 5 for the purpose of AHL re-assignment. Calgary waived the centre after two games in 2026-27. He is currently in the second year of a three-year, $3.775M AAV contract. 

Since making his NHL debut with the Flames in the 2023-24 season, Zary has put together a grand total of 39 goals and 48 assists in 193 NHL games. He hit his career-high that year with 34 points in 63 games. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Penalty Kill Continues To Underperform As Canucks Lose 4–1 To New Jersey 

‘We’re Taking It Bit By Bit Here’: Canucks GM Ryan Johnson Gives Assesment Of Team Five Games Into The 2026–27 Season

How Do The Canucks’ First Five Games Of The 2026–27 Season Compare To Previous Years? 

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.

Bobby Gould, who played most of his 11-year NHL career with the Washington Capitals, has died. He was 69.

The death was announced Saturday in social media posts by the Capitals and the NHL. The cause of death was not disclosed.

“The Washington Capitals organization is deeply saddened by the passing of alumnus Bobby Gould,” the team posted. “Gould spent eight seasons with the Capitals from 1981 to 1989, appearing in 600 games. A consistent scoring threat, he reached the 20-goal mark four times and recorded a career-high 50 points during the 1986-87 season.”

He started his career with the Atlanta/Calgary Flames and played his last season with the Boston Bruins, helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Final in 1990 where they lost to the Edmonton Oilers.

Gould, from Petrolia, Ontario, scored 145 goals and had 159 assists in his career. He also had 572 penalty minutes.

He twice finished third in voting for the Frank J. Selke Trophy for top defensive forward, first after the 1982-83 season, when Philadelphia's Bobby Clarke won it, and again in 1986-87 when it was awarded to the Flyers' Dave Poulin.

“Beyond the rink, Gould was valued for the relationships he built and the positive impact he made on those around him,” the Capitals posted.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

After yet another brutal loss, a 5-1 beatdown from the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon, the Philadelphia Flyers remain the only winless team in the Eastern Conference. Things seem to be getting worse before they get better, and the Flyers are now running out of time to salvage a spiraling season.

The Flyers played their best game of the season, an incomplete effort in a 2-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators, on Thursday, then followed it up with arguably their worst game of the season on Saturday, at least given the context.

An 0-3-2 start, losses to multiple Metropolitan Division rivals, ranking among the league's worst in nearly every offensive and defensive category, and rapidly increasing displeasure amongst the loyal fanbase. What's there not to be motivated by for the Flyers?

And yet, they were completely outclassed by the Bruins on Saturday from start to finish, and didn't eclipse three, yes three, shots on goal until over halfway through the second period: 30 minutes of game action. That's an average of one shot on goal every 10 minutes.

Eventually, the Flyers finished the game with a modest 15 shots on goal, thanks to a seven-shot third period. In that third period, they were also out-scored 3-1, so they quickly blew their chance of salvaging the manageable 2-0 deficit they entered the final frame with.

Flyers Announce Major Series of Injury UpdatesThe Philadelphia Flyers just lost three important players in their latest major injury update.

On the bright side, rookie Porter Martone finally made his mark for the Flyers this season, as I predicted in the game preview, scoring the team's second power play goal on a far-side snipe on Jeremy Swayman. Martone's goal was assisted by 22-year-old David Jiricek, who made a nice play at the blueline to draw a Bruins penalty killer out of position.

That's about the only positive to take away from another one of those games for the Flyers, who are now 0-4-2 and about to host Carolina, again, on Sunday night.

Not that it isn't time already, but if the Flyers really start their season winless through seven games, it might be time to raise more important questions.

This once-promising roster is going nowhere fast, and it's not a great environment for players like Martone, Jiricek, and Matvei Michkov to have to develop in if the season continues to spiral this badly out of control.

And, I mean, the Flyers already sacrificed NHL development time for Alex Bump in favor of Michael Bunting, who went unsigned throughout the entire NHL offseason. And journeymen like Carl Grundstrom and Garrett Wilson remain on the roster, too.

The Flyers aren't leaning into player development and they don't look capable of winning a game right now, and that mushy middle is the worst place to be for a team like theirs.

Where do you go from here?

DENVER — Nathan MacKinnon put on a show, slicing through Toronto’s defense with a pair of goals to give the Colorado Avalanche an early lead.

But one superstar’s brilliance couldn’t cover up the cracks elsewhere. Defensive breakdowns and a difficult night in net unraveled Colorado’s advantage, sending the Avalanche to a 5-3 loss against the Maple Leafs.

William Nylander led Toronto with five points, tying a career high with two goals and three assists. Auston Matthews added two goals and two assists, while Nicholas Paul recorded two assists. Easton Cowan and former Avalanche defenseman Nick Blankenburg also scored for the Maple Leafs. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 30 of 33 shots, while Mackenzie Blackwood allowed five goals on 22 shots.

First Period

Toronto won the opening faceoff, and Blackwood made the first save of the night by denying Jack Roslovic on a one-timer from the slot following a setup from Matthews.

Colorado earned its first power play shortly afterward when Kirill Marchenko was called for tripping Martin Necas. The Avalanche failed to register a shot on the man advantage.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors.

Blankenburg, who departed Colorado in free agency during the offseason, opened the scoring for Toronto. Nylander threaded a pass to the defenseman at the top of the right circle, where he fired a wrist shot over Blackwood’s glove to make it 1-0.

Colorado struggled to generate offense early, managing just one shot on goal through the opening seven minutes as the Maple Leafs controlled the momentum.

Colorado goal!

Scored by Nathan MacKinnon with 04:46 left in the 1st. Assisted by Cale Makar and Martin Necas.

COL: 2 | TOR: 1#TORvsCOL#GoAvsGo#PassionNeverSleepspic.twitter.com/malqEGpjt4

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 10, 2026

MacKinnon changed the complexion of the game with a spectacular individual effort just past the halfway point of the period. After collecting a pass from Brett Kulak, the superstar accelerated through the neutral zone and weaved past multiple defenders before slipping the puck past Bobrovsky. The goal tied the game at 1-1 and marked his fourth of the season.

He wasn’t finished.

With 4:46 remaining, MacKinnon struck again. After taking a pass from Cale Makar, he fought through the forecheck to create time and space before firing a wrist shot through traffic and past the Toronto goaltender. The goal gave Colorado a 2-1 lead.

Colorado goal!

Scored by Nathan MacKinnon with 09:14 left in the 1st. Assisted by Brett Kulak and Devon Toews.

COL: 1 | TOR: 1#TORvsCOL#GoAvsGo#PassionNeverSleepspic.twitter.com/I50NHNx9AK

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 10, 2026

The Avalanche had another opportunity to extend their advantage when Roslovic was called for hooking Nazem Kadri with 1:01 remaining. Colorado carried the power play into the second period.

Second Period

Colorado nearly received an extended two-man advantage to open the period. With nine seconds remaining on the original power play, Troy Stecher was called for tripping MacKinnon, briefly giving the Avalanche a 5-on-3 opportunity. They couldn’t capitalize, with their best chance coming when Necas sent a one-timer over the crossbar with the left side of the net open.

The Avalanche entered the game with a perfect penalty kill, having successfully killed every penalty they had faced this season. That streak ended 6:53 into the period.

After Jaden Schwartz was penalized for high-sticking, Gavin McKenna sent a cross-ice pass to Nylander, who deked around Blackwood and slid the puck past him to tie the game at 2-2 just 19 seconds into the power play.

Brock Nelson restored Colorado’s lead with 7:35 remaining after a chaotic sequence in front of the Toronto net. The Olympic gold medalist battled for the puck and got the final touch, lifting it over Bobrovsky’s right shoulder to make it 3-2.

Then the game turned.

Blackwood surrendered consecutive goals in a 46-second span as Toronto seized control. Nylander scored his second of the period to even the score before Cowan found the back of the net to give the Maple Leafs a 4-3 advantage.

Colorado’s defensive struggles continued late in the frame when Makar was called for cross-checking Marchenko. The Avalanche headed to the dressing room trailing by a goal and facing a penalty kill to start the third.

Despite holding a 24-12 advantage in shots on goal through two periods, Colorado had little to show for its offensive pressure.

Third Period

The game returned to even strength after Makar’s penalty expired.

At 6:41, Toronto forward Brandon Duhaime was called for tripping Josh Manson. After the whistle, Zach L’Heureux got into it with Duhaime along the boards, prompting the Toronto forward to respond with a punch. Both players received roughing penalties, while the initial tripping call gave Colorado a power play.

Past the halfway point of the period, MacKinnon was called for tripping Matthews. The Toronto captain made Colorado pay, scoring his second power-play goal of the night to extend the lead to 5-3.

The Avalanche’s penalty troubles continued when Fedor Svechkov was called for tripping Matthews, giving the Maple Leafs another man advantage. Colorado couldn’t find a way back into the game, closing out its one-game homestand with a disappointing loss.

The defeat marked Colorado’s second regulation loss of the season, despite outshooting its opponent in both games. On Oct. 7, the Avalanche fell 3-2 to the Winnipeg Jets despite holding a 34-19 advantage in shots. Against Toronto, another edge in shots couldn’t make up for defensive breakdowns and five goals allowed.

Next Game

Colorado now turns its attention to a critical back-to-back against the Dallas Stars, beginning Tuesday on the road before the teams meet again Wednesday at Ball Arena. Puck drop for both games is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. local time.

Less than two weeks ago, the New York Rangers placed Dylan Garand on waivers as the young goaltender’s future in the organization was completely up in the air.

Now, with Igor Shesterkin out for the remainder of the 2026-27 season, Garand has suddenly been thrust into the starting goaltending role.

From being placed on waivers to becoming the Rangers’ starter in less than two weeks, how did we get to this point?

Since the Rangers selected him in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Garand has spent most of his time with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League, appearing in 150 AHL games.

He finally got his NHL opportunity toward the tail end of the 2025-26 season, starting three games and posting a 2-0-1 record, a 1.62 goals-against average, and a .948 save percentage.

Things were looking promising for Garand, who signed a two-year contract extension with the Rangers at the beginning of the offseason and was in line to replace the retired Jonathan Quick as Igor Shesterkin’s backup.

However, the Rangers acquired veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Boston Bruins on July 1, and he ultimately beat out Garand for the backup spot.

The 24-year-old was placed on waivers before the regular season began. After clearing waivers and being assigned to the Wolf Pack, Garand was prepared to settle back into Hartford, where he had even bought himself an apartment.

Things changed quickly when Garand was recalled by the Rangers on October 1 after Korpisalo was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Shesterkin’s season-ending injury has now opened the door for Garand to take over as the Rangers’ starter for the foreseeable future, with Korpisalo expected to remain sidelined for another month.

“You never want to see guys get injured, especially your best player in Igor,” Garand said on Saturday. “He means a lot to the guys in this room and a lot to me personally. At the same time, it’s just next man up, and that’s kind of my approach here. I’m excited for the opportunity, I’m gonna put my heart and soul on the line for these guys and this city every night.”

Garand recorded a shutout in the Rangers’ 2-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings last week. He also entered Friday night’s game against the Washington Capitals in relief of Shesterkin, stopping 11 of 12 shots in a 2-1 loss.

The Rangers are expected to call up goaltender Spencer Martin from the AHL, but Mike Sullivan confirmed that Garand will likely handle the bulk of the workload until Korpisalo returns.

“Dylan is a great kid,” Sullivan said. “He’s another fierce competitor, he loves hockey, and he has aspirations to play in the NHL. He’s a good goalie. Everytime we’ve put him in the net, certainly since I've been here, he's made timely saves. He's given our team a chance to win each and every time he's been in the net. We think he's very capable, and he's going to get an opportunity here.”

Although Garand has limited NHL experience, he has spent the past several seasons as Hartford’s starting goaltender, starting more than 35 games in each of the past three seasons.

“Very ready,” Garand said when asked whether he’s ready to take on the Rangers’ starting role. “I think I have a chip on my shoulder for how my past has been. I’m really excited for this opportunity and ready to battle for these guys.”

While expressing their empathy for Shesterkin during this difficult time, Rangers players have emphasized their belief in Garand and their readiness to “rally” around him.

New York has started the season strong, posting a 4-2 record, but Garand’s performance could play a significant role in determining the team’s trajectory.

After going from the waiver wire to the starting crease in less than two weeks, Garand has a unique opportunity to establish himself in the NHL and become a hero in New York.

“I'm excited,” Garand said. “Obviously it's a dream to play in the NHL. I'm just trying to embrace that mentality and have a lot of gratitude for this opportunity. I love being part of this group and I love the guys in this room. So I really just want to work my nuts off and battle for these guys and help the team keep winning.”