After a relatively successful 2-1 Western road trip, the Pittsburgh Penguins were hoping to build off some of the momentum they gained as they went home to face the Ottawa Senators Saturday.

Unfortunately, the inconsistency that has plagued them all season long came roaring back to bite them.

The Senators defeated the Penguins, 4-1, in a game that was - for most of it - much closer than the scoresheet indicated. They held an early 1-0 lead and controlled play for most of the first half, then special teams and mistakes sunk the ship midway through the second. They were never really able to recover from that, and as a result, were outshot, 34-17, when all was said and done.

The Penguins are now 2-6-3 with a minus-18 goal differential in their last 11 games against the Senators.

"I think consistency has been an issue. I mean, I think tonight's another example of that," head coach Dan Muse said. "I thought there were stretches of the game where that was there. If you go through the game, I thought the first period... I walked out of that first pretty happy with things. Not just the goal at the end of the period, but the period as a whole. I think that's kind of the way you need to play against a team like this.

"And then, I thought the beginning of the second, it was there, and I thought we got away from it in the back half of the second. I think we got stubborn with it. Some of the things that were working in the first period, we didn't stay with it long enough.”

As indicated by their head coach, the Penguins got off to a pretty solid start in the first period. Even if the teams were trading some chances, Pittsburgh had the majority of possession and better of the play throughout the opening frame. They had a Tommy Novak goal called off for offside midway through.

But he made up for it before the horn sounded to end the first. In the final seconds, Ben Kindel sprung Egor Chinakhov and Novak on a two-on-one. Chinakhov served a perfect pass on a silver platter to Novak on the left side, and he redirected it in for his team-leading eighth goal of the season to put the Penguins up 1-0 with 6.3 seconds on the clock.

TOP-SHELF TOMMY 🚨 pic.twitter.com/MMUh29zUuO

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 15, 2026

Pittsbugh started off the second period strong, too, outshooting Ottawa 5-0 for the first eight and a half minutes of it and controlling play. But, shortly after Ottawa killed off a slashing penalty by Claude Giroux, Connor Dewar made an ill-advised pass in the defensive zone that was picked off by Senators' forward Michael Amado, and he buried it for his seventh of the season to tie the game at 1-1. 

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a tied game! #GoSensGopic.twitter.com/jI5a9sI6on

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 15, 2026

From there, Ottawa seized much of the momentum in the middle frame. With a little under four minutes to go in the period, Claude Giroux took advantage of another errant Penguins' pass - this time, by Ben Kindel in the neutral zone - and carried it all the way in to beat Murashov and give the Senators the 2-1 lead. 

There's just something about G scoring in Pittsburgh 🤭#GoSensGopic.twitter.com/cA5K067spE

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 15, 2026

And, in the third period, the Senators really shut it down. Tim Stutzle earned a weird goal from a bad angle on one knee late in the third, then Thomas Chabot put the game away with the empty-netter at the end. The Penguins mustered just six shots on goal in the final 34 minutes and 57 seconds of regulation, which just isn't going to get the job done most nights. 

"I think we felt pretty good about the way we played for a good chunk of that road trip," Sidney Crosby said. "But, this was a different team that we played in comparison to those three games on that trip. It was a little bit more wide-open. I think this was a tighter game, a little more physical, and we have to be able to produce chances in that type of game.

"They just played better, you know? That's basically what it comes down to."

Final. pic.twitter.com/YnHZ5nQz84

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 15, 2026

Here are three takeaways from this loss:

- I know we're beating the already long-dead horse here, but the power play is a legitimate problem. 

Maybe it's personnel. Maybe it's coaching. Maybe it's mental. Maybe it's 'get a few, and they'll start going in.' Maybe the guys running it just aren't processing the game fast enough anymore. 

Whatever it is, they need to figure it out fast if they're going to have any kind of shot at digging themselves out of the hole they're in. The Penguins had two power plays in this game before Senators had one, and they weren't able to build on the 1-0 lead they established early on back up by some really solid five-on-five play. They also had a power play directly following the Senators' man advantage that the Penguins killed off.

Then, as it often does, one bad mistake burned them shortly after the Sens killed the third penalty. The Penguins were not able to handle those momentum swings brought on by special teams, and the mistakes came back to burn them again. 

Penguins' Prospect Headed To Spengler CupOne of Pittsburgh's defensive prospects is heading off to NCAA Hockey's most prestigious international tournament.

- To follow up on those mistakes, the Penguins were their own worst enemy in this one. They were controlling the game for the entirety of its first half.

In reference to that post-power play mistake, Dewar had the puck along the left wall and, for some reason, threw the puck right into the middle of the ice in the defensive zone in an attempt to spring Erik Karlsson on the breakout. There's no reason to make that pass there as opposed to simply getting it ahead and out of the zone. 

Ottawa's second goal was a huge mistake, too. The Penguins' second line was attempting to enter the offensive zone, and the puck carrier was Kindel. Instead of simply just getting the puck deep, he elected to put a backhand pass under pressure in the direction of Egor Chinakhov down the middle.

It hit the skate of Ridly Greig and went right to Giroux's stick, and he didn't miss, either.

All season long, the Penguins have actually been a relatively solid five-on-five team. But they make way too many glaring mistakes like this that end up in the back of their net. Going into this one, the Penguins were right in the middle of the league (15th) in giveaways with 276 and - actually - owned the second-least number of defensive zone giveaways (107) in the NHL, but it sure doesn't feel like it.

And that's probably because half the giveaways happen at the worst times and turn into the most high-danger of high-danger chances. They need to be better than that for their goaltenders, especially with two young netminders.

Penguins' Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk Returns To Team PracticeOne of Pittsburgh's veteran blueliners appears close to a return to action.

But, according to the captain, mistakes are part of the game and always have been. And the team just needs to figure out a way to have a better response.

"Yeah, I mean, that's the game, though. It's been like that for a long time, and it's not going to change," Crosby said. "It's just one of those things where, some nights, you pay for them. Other nights, you find ways to make up for it or score a little bit more. So, that's the game. and we have to find a way to be better. And that's really what it comes down to."

One major difference between this team and the one from 2024-25, Mike Sullivan's final season as head coach, is that, as frustrating as the losses were, they were finding and inventing different ways to lose every time. 

This season? It's the same thing nearly every night: Mistakes suck the life out of them, and they cannot recover or take back momentum enough to deliver a positive result. If it's fixable - which, honestly, it kind of feels like it is - they need to fix it fast. Because they're falling fast. 

- Aside from the Stutzle goal, Murashov was good in net again. Of course, he would want the Stutzle goal back. But, it was a bit of an awkward play in general, as Murashov was still getting reset and Stutzle just threw it back at the net, and he still put together a 30-save effort.

A little insurance never hurt anyone 🤝#GoSensGopic.twitter.com/yAEM5eWgYR

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 15, 2026

Regardless of that goal, just as he was in his wins over the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks on the Penguins' preceding California road trip, he was oozing confidence and challenging shooters. He made several huge saves, including one with his right pad on Tim Stutzle late in the second period. And he made them look easy with his quickness and athleticism. 

Those were two words that Penguins' Hall of Fame-elect Marc-Andre Fleury used to describe Murashov prior to the game. Fleury was the Penguins' franchise goaltender for over a decade. Murashov has a chance to be the franchise goaltender of the future.

If these past three games are any indication of his ceiling and his ability, he's going to have an NHL career. He's playing pretty well at the moment, and he only figures to continue getting better as he progresses in his development. 

The Penguins don't play again until Thursday, when they host the St. Louis Blues. I semi-expect Arturs Silovs to get the net for that one only because he won't have played for more than a week and a half at that point. 

But, don't be surprised if Murashov gets the nod, either. The Penguins play a back-to-back over the weekend on the road against the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, and if they're riding the hot hand, they might want Murashov to get two of those three games.  

Penguins Young Goalie Is Showing Big Signs Of Breaking OutThis is promising to see.

BONUS TAKEAWAY: The Penguins don't play again until Thursday.

It wouldn't come as much of a surprise if something happens between now and then. It's not exactly a secret that this team is struggling to find any manner of consistency, and they're running out of time to figure things out. They're 7-11-2, two points out of the East's basement, and 10 points out of the final wild card spot.

There may not be an early move that's seismic, so to speak. But think Lars Eller getting traded in November during the 2024-25 season: Maybe it's a bottom-six guy to free up some valuable roster space for a younger player, to shake up the room a bit, and to get some early value while teams are looking to plug some holes well in advance of the trade deadline. 

Of course, the Erik Karlssons, Rickard Rakells, and Bryan Rusts are the big talking points. But don't rule out the Blake Lizottes, Sam Girards, Connor Dewars, or even the Tommy Novaks, either.

Penguins Reassign Defenseman To AHL With Another Blueliner Close To ReturnThe Penguins sent big defenseman Ilya Solovyov back to WBS Saturday to give him some much-needed playing time.

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

After just eight games, the Andre Burakovsky experiment in Ottawa may already be coming to an end.

According to Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman, the Senators are exploring the possibility of moving the veteran winger, with both sides apparently interested in a fresh start. Friedman reported the news during Saturday night's broadcast of the Senators' 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"I believe the Senators are out there, looking to see if they can find a fresh start for him," Friedman said. "Right now, Burakovsky's name is out there. Just, unfortunately, the marriage hasn't worked."

It's a surprisingly quick development considering Burakovsky has suited up for just eight games for the Senators since being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks over the summer in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick.

That said, those eight games haven't gone well at all.

The 31-year-old has yet to record a point with his new club, has struggled to adjust to the Sens systems, and has already had two separate stints on the injured list.

After Brady Tkachuk was traded, the Senators had hoped Burakovsky and William Eklund might pick up some of the offensive slack. But both players have spent more time on the injured list than on the ice.

The warning signs were there.

Burakovsky managed just four points during the second half of last season with Chicago, while playing frequently on a line with Connor Bedard. That's a pretty rough stretch for a player making $5.5 million a year, especially when he's getting regular shifts with one of the NHL's brightest young stars.

GM Steve Staios hoped he'd bought low on a bounce back candidate, and it just hasn't panned out.

But no one would have thought it would go like this. 

Based on Burakovsky's comments a few weeks ago, it's pretty clear that the Senators' style of play has been a major adjustment for him.

"I think it's been a little bit harder than I expected, to adjust to the way we want to play," Burakovsky said. "I think as of now, I'm trying to focus so much on doing the right thing in our system that my instincts are maybe slipping a little bit.

"But I'm trying to find a way to contribute both ways, do the things I'm good at, and then also do what we're supposed to system-wise: forechecking, hunting, and making good plays."

It's one thing to want to explore a trade, but it's fair to wonder what kind of market exists for a $5.5 million player who's injury-prone and hasn't contributed much on either side of the puck.

Oh, and he has a 10-team no-trade clause.

Unless the Senators retain salary, provide some other kind of sweetener, or go the waivers route, executing this reported plan for a fresh start won't be easy, not if they're hoping to get something in return.

Friedman also said he believes Staios will be looking to add at some point this season.

The Senators have certainly given themselves reason to think about upgrading. Saturday's victory in Pittsburgh gave them nine of a possible ten points over their past five games and moved them into a share of the Atlantic Division lead with 28 points.

With the team playing some of its best hockey of the season, they may have decided there's little reason to wait for Burakovsky to figure things out.

The problem now is finding another NHL team that believes he's still capable of doing that.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

DALLAS (AP) — Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to lead the Dallas Stars to a 2-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night, just two days after being pulled after allowing a season-high six goals.

It’s Oettinger’s fourth shutout this season and first since Oct. 17. Oettinger posted shutouts in three of Dallas’ first six games — including a 4-0 win against Buffalo on Oct. 8 — but had allowed 14 goals in his past three starts, including six in an 8-3 loss to Winnipeg on Thursday.

Stars captain Jamie Benn snapped a scoreless game late in the second period with a goal for the 1,000th point of his 18-year career to give Dallas a 1-0 lead.

Wyatt Johnston took an assist from Mikko Rantanen and Roope Hintz and scored on a power play with 40 seconds remaining for the final score.

Oettinger and the Stars’ defense held off the Sabres during a furious five-on-four power play midway through the third period. Moments later, Oettinger splayed his right leg out to stop a breakaway shot from point-blank range by Jack Quinn. Seconds later, Quinn had another chance to pull Buffalo even, but Oettinger was there for the save.

The Stars had three penalty kills in the first period, but still held a 10 to 6 shots-on-goal advantage in the opening frame. The Sabres killed two Stars power plays in the period. Dallas had five penalty kills in the game and outshot Buffalo 30-22.

Up next

The Stars host the Florida Panthers on Sunday.

The Sabres play the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

After their 2-0 loss against the Dallas Stars Saturday night in Dallas, the Buffalo Sabres find themselves on a four-game losing streak after that includes a 3-2 loss to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks, and an 8-3 blowout defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. And Buffalo’s record after Saturday’s loss is a thoroughly-unimpressive 8-8-4.

The string of losses is putting the Sabres in the same troublingly-familiar position as the one they were in last season: By November 13 last year, Buffalo was in the midst of a five-game losing skid, and they had a record of 5-8-4. And it took the Sabres to get to the first week of December – when they had a record of 11-14-4 – before they suddenly changed their competitive trajectory and stunningly went 39-9-5 the rest of the way.

You never know what can happen with any team, but it doesn’t feel like this particular Sabres team has it in them to flip the script. And one of the reasons this writer feels that way is because Buffalo is getting sub-par performances from their goaltenders.

To be sure, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has a 5-4-3 record, an .867 save percentage (worst of any Sabres goalie this year), and a 3.51 goals-against average. Meanwhile, ostensible backup Colten Ellis has a 3-3-0 record, an .873 SP and a 3.39 GAA. And veteran Alex Lyon – who had missed the entire season thus far before he started against the Blackhawks – put up a 2.87 GAA and an .880 SP in his first game back. And Sabres management gave Lyon a second straight start against the Stars, but he allowed two goals on 30 Dallas shots – a solid performance, but the Sabres still lost after they couldn't produce a single goal.

Obviously, this can’t continue if Buffalo intends on being a Stanley Cup playoff team, let alone a true Cup frontrunner. 

The Hawks loss in particular has to be a huge red flag for Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen. Although Buffalo sits sixth in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference standings, there’s plenty of cause for concern in Western New York. And that’s in part because the NHL schedule-maker has put many solid squads in front of them in approximately the next two weeks.

For instance, after their next game a tilt Tuesday against the brutal Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday, but after that, the Sabres’ next opponent will be the Washington Capitals (who have already beaten Buffalo once this year), followed by the Florida Panthers, Lightning, and the surprisingly-solid New York Rangers. And on Dec. 1, they get a road game against the high-octane Edmonton Oilers. So it’s no exaggeration to say that the Sabres’ record by December could be exactly where it was last season. 

Kekalainen can’t let that happen. He’s not likely to fire coach Lindy Ruff, but it says here that he should be doing whatever is necessary to improve his team’s chances of getting into the post-season and do some serious damage once they get there. 

The Sabres have $3-million in salary cap space to work with right now, and that number balloons to $11 million by this year’s NHL trade deadline, which comes on March 1. But Kekalainen has all three of his first-round draft picks in the next three drafts, as well as two second-rounders and five third-rounders. Buffalo is long past the point where they have to keep all their first-rounders, and given how valuable first-rounders are these days, Kekalainen should be demanding a difference-making forward or goaltender if he’s going to give an opposing team one of his first-rounders.

Thus, you can see why Sabres fans are antsy to change up the chemistry with this Buffalo squad. Their goals-for average ranks 22nd thus far this season, and their goals-against average ranks 27th. If either of those rankings were on the right track, you could forgive the Sabres and put some stock in them turning things around. 

However, this current stretch of the schedule is being squandered by Buffalo. Sure, there were tough opponents in the Vegas Golden Knights and Lightning, but they lost those games by a combined score of 12-4 – and in their current four-game losing skid, they’ve been outscored by a combined total of 16-6. That’s a very bad harbinger of what’s to come, and it’s now on Kekalainen to shake the trees in the GM community and find a player or players to provide the jolt this Sabres team Obviously needs.

If he can’t do that, Kekalainen is going to find himself on the hot seat, trying to justify his existence. And in the end, he may fail in that regard as well.

Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Reilly has been placed on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes, as reported by Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Reilly was the subject of several healthy scratches before being placed on waivers by the Hurricanes on Saturday. This is because his most recent appearance for Carolina was on Oct. 18. Thus, with this and Jordan Staal returning for the Hurricanes, it is understandable that the former Canadiens blueliner has been waived by Carolina. 

Teams looking for more experienced blueline depth could consider claiming Reilly off waivers from the Hurricanes. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, the Hurricanes would then be able to assign him to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. 

Reilly has played in eight games this season with the Hurricanes, where he has recorded two assists, 15 hits, and a plus-4 rating. 

Reilly played three seasons with the Canadiens from 2017-18 to 2019-20. In 90 games as a member of the Canadiens, the left-shot defenseman recorded three goals, 20 assists, 23 points, 77 hits, and 85 blocks. 

Reilly's time with the Canadiens ended when he was traded to the Ottawa Seantors in January of the 2019-20 campaign. 

To finish out their eastern Canadian swing, the Colorado Avalanche visited the Montreal Canadiens in what is always a spirited affair. News broke earlier in the day that they’d have to tackle this game shorthanded with both Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon out with injury. It was a classic win by committee through adversity as the Avalanche found themselves with a 4-1 victory.

The Game

Life sans superstars started off on a positive note as Fedor Svechkov got the scoring started and gave the Avalanche an early lead on a puck that was chipped over Montreal netminder Jakub Dobes. Brock Nelson doubled the score on a slick feed from Artturi Lehkonen. Montreal found the 10-5 shot advantage but Colorado had the 2-0 lead on the scoreboard.

In the second period the two teams traded a pair of power plays each but neither team could convert. Montreal did get on the board with a goal from Nick Suzuki after he took advantage of some very lax Avalanche defense. The score at the second intermission was 2-1 Colorado.

With the benefit of another power play to open the third period, Colorado added to their lead with Artturi Lehkonen’s 15th goal of the season doing what he does best cleaning up the garbage at the net front. At one point it seemed Montreal would make it a game again when Alex Newhook tipped a puck past Mackenzie Blackwood but after a lengthy review it was determined he touched the puck with a high stick and the goal was wiped out. Montreal pulled the goalie with several minutes left and in the dying seconds Nic Roy found the back of the net to give Colorado a 4-1-victory.

Takeaways

If Colorado is going to survive the era with MacKinnon and Makar on the shelf they are really going to need to accept help from the non-veteran players in their lineup. It was disappointing to see Fedor Svechkov score on the opening minutes of the game and yet finished with the team-low 10 minutes of ice time with a 82% share of the expected goals while he was on the ice. He will be wasted on the fourth line in a healthy lineup and with one aching for useful depth guys like Svechkov will be key to keeping this team afloat.

Rookie defenseman Alex Gagne made his NHL debut and played nearly 12 minutes. He did well enough in a third pair role with Brent Burns. It remains to be seen if Gagne gets the opportunity throughout Makar’s full absence or if there will be trading out players especially as Colorado has a very light schedule over the next couple of weeks.

Upcoming

A couple days rest and then a big Central division matchup at the Utah Mammoth to begin yet another back-to-back on Wednesday, November 18th at 8 p.m. MT.

MONTREAL (AP) — Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist and the short-handed Colorado Avalanche beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 on Saturday night without injured stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

MacKinnon and Makar both sustained lower-body injuries Thursday night in a 4-3 overtime loss in Ottawa. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said MacKinnon will be out at least a month, while Makar is expected to miss two weeks.

Fedor Svechkov, Brock Nelson and Nicolas Roy also scored for Colorado (12-6-3). Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots.

Nick Suzuki replied with a highlight-reel goal for Montreal (12-4-4), which had gone 12 consecutive games without losing in regulation (9-0-3).

Jakub Dobes made 22 saves in his first start in nine days.

Colorado defenseman Brent Burns became the 14th player in NHL history — and only active player — to play in 1,600 games. The 41-year-old defender has suited up in 1,028 consecutive contests dating to Nov. 21, 2013. Phil Kessel holds the NHL’s “Ironman” record at 1,064 straight games, a number Burns could pass Feb. 15.

Up next

Avalanche: At Utah on Wednesday night.

Canadiens: Host the New York Rangers on Monday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

TORONTO (AP) — Connor McDavid extended his season-opening points streak to 21 games with an assist, Devon Levi made 19 saves for his first NHL shutout and the Edmonton Oilers beat Toronto 1-0 on Saturday night to hand the Maple Leafs their sixth straight home loss.

Defenseman Evan Bouchard scored his 12th goal of the season for Edmonton (15-3-3). The Oilers are 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

McDavid picked up an assist to give him 50 points (11 goals, 39 assists) and add to his NHL lead.

Oilers coach Mike Babcock faced his former team in Toronto for the first time since being fired in November 2019.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 22 shots for Toronto (8-12-2), which suffered its sixth consecutive regulation loss to complete a disastrous six-game stretch at Scotiabank Arena.

The goaltender started consecutive games for the first time this season with Sergei Bobrovsky struggling to find traction after signing with the Maple Leafs in free agency on July 1.

Toronto dropped to 1-8-0 over its last nine.

Up next

Oilers: At Philadelphia on Sunday.

Maple Leafs: At Chicago on Tuesday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Michael Amadio had a goal and an assist to lead the Senators to a 4-1 win in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. The Senators have taken 9 of a possible 10 points in the past five games and now share the Atlantic lead with 28.

Linus Ullmark made 16 saves for the Sens, who outshot the Penguins 34-17 and got goals from Claude Giroux, Tim Stutzle and Thomas Chabot.

The Penguins appeared to open the scoring at 7:01 of the first period when Tommy Novak was credited with a bizarre goal that featured a couple of strange bounces. However, video review determined that Pittsburgh's Egor Chinakhov was offside before the goal, wiping it off the board.

The Penguins did get on the board with just six seconds remaining in the first, thanks to a defensive breakdown by Thomas Chabot and Carter Yakemchuk, who put on a clinic in how not to defend a two-on-two.

Chinakhov lifted Chabot's stick as the Senators defenceman pinched and attempted to intercept a pass. As Chinakhov glided past Chabot, Yakemchuk veered toward him, and the Penguins forward slid the puck over to Novak, who had about two-thirds of the net to shoot at. He made no mistake, giving Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.

The Senators tied the game at 8:04 of the second period following a terrible Penguins giveaway, reminiscent of Shane Pinto's overtime winner against Colorado on Thursday night. Michael Amadio made a good read to intercept a careless pass to the middle and beat the goaltender with a wrist shot.

With four minutes remaining in the second, Claude Giroux put the Sens ahead with his fourth goal of the season.

With the Penguins in the middle of a line change, Pittsburgh forward Ben Kindel committed the ultimate sin, failing to get the puck deep while his teammates were heading to the bench. Kindel tried to dump it in, but instead fired the puck off Yakemchuk's skate.

The puck caromed out to centre ice, where Giroux found himself on a breakaway. The veteran did a fantastic job of outwaiting Penguins goaltender Sergei Murashov before tucking a backhand upstairs to give the Senators a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes.

In the third, with just over five minutes to play, Tim Stutzle put the game out of reach with a quick wrist shot from his knees that Murashov didn't seem ready for.

Chabot put it away with an empty-netter.

The win leaves the Senators with a record of 13-6-2, and with losses by Tampa and Montreal, the three clubs are suddenly tied for first place in the Atlantic with 28 points, one up on Boston, which also lost on Saturday. It should be noted that the Habs and Lightning do have a game in hand.

The Sens are back at it on Tuesday night in Winnipeg against the Jets, who've won six in a row.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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The Detroit Red Wings badly needed to stop the bleeding after they'd dropped five straight games, the most recent of which was a nightmare 5-4 loss to the Florida Panthers after they initially enjoyed a 4-1 lead.

Thanks to goaltender Daniil Tarasov, they did just that against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tarasov stopped all 31 shots the Lightning fired his way, picking up his second shutout of the campaign in a 2-0 victory at Benchmark International Arena. 

SHUTOUT W IN TAMPA‼️‼️‼️‼ pic.twitter.com/1mBSbm3JGI

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 15, 2026

With Detroit's win, they improved to 8-10-3 through the first 21 games of the campaign. 

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

Following a scoreless opening 20 minutes of play, it would be the Red Wings breaking the ice thanks to a breakaway goal from Lucas Raymond, who picked up his eighth goal of the season and his second in as many games.

It was also the 350th point of his NHL career.

While the Lightning continued to press for the tying marker, Tarasov denied them at every turn; he stopped four attempts from Brandon Hagel and five attempts from Nikita Kucherov.

NHL Insider: Simon Edvinsson "Prepared" To Play In Sweden This SeasonAccording to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, unsigned Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is "prepared" to play in Sweden this season if a contract in the Motor City isn't worked out.

With goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy on the bench for an extra attacker, forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård took a feed from Raymond and buried his fourth tally of the season, sealing Detroit's win. 

Vasilevskiy made 20 saves for the Lightning, who were unsuccessful on both of their power play opportunities; the Red Wings never got a chance with the man advantage. 

The Red Wings, having concluded their four-game road swing, return home to face another divisional rival, the Boston Bruins, on Wednesday evening at Little Caesars Arena; they'll play six of their next seven games in Detroit. 

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DALLAS (AP) — Dallas captain Jamie Benn scored a second-period goal during Saturday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres for his 1,000th career NHL point, all with the Stars.

Benn, 37, and in his 18th NHL season, is second to Hall of Famer Mike Modano (1,359) in career points for the franchise that began as the Minnesota North Stars in 1967 and moved to Texas in 1993.

The Stars’ bench emptied to celebrate the moment when the longest-tenured captain in Stars history snapped a scoreless tie with his goal.

Benn — a native of Victoria, British Columbia — was drafted in the fifth round in 2007 and made the Stars’ opening night roster in 2009, recording his first league point on an assist in his second game.

He won the league’s 2014-15 Art Ross Trophy for leading the NHL with 87 points (35 goals, 52 assists).

He scored a career-high 41 goals the following season, when he was selected for the second of his two All-Star teams.

Benn’s 1,272 career regular-season games played are the most of any Stars skater since the team relocated to Dallas and ranks second in franchise history behind Modano’s 1,459.

Benn missed the first 20 games last season when he had surgery for a collapsed lung on the eve of the opener. He was re-signed to a one-year contract in July.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

By the end of the sequence, when Alexis Lafrenière flew across the crease and tucked a goal into the Canucks net Friday, Scott Morrow’s contribution flew under the radar. But at the other end of the ice, late in the second period of the Rangers’ eventual 5-1 win, Morrow — one of the final players on the roster out of training camp who watched the first 14 games from the press box — managed to back-check the puck away from Brendan Gallagher, with both of his knees hitting the ice, to start the rush. 

To Tom Upton, the Brown men’s ice hockey head coach who was an assistant at UMass during Morrow’s final two seasons there, moments like that capture urgency in a game. And for Morrow, the 24-year-old whose brief career to this point has relied on patience, his latest Rangers chance has been full of it. With Sean Durzi out the past seven games with an undisclosed injury, Morrow went from not playing at all to becoming a contributor on the blue line while playing alongside rookie Alberts Smits and Matthew Robertson. 

His window of opportunity might be fleeting. Durzi, who skated on the second pairing before his injury, will return eventually, and Braden Schneider — on the third pairing — has been a staple in the lineup for years. But Morrow’s play and contributions will make it difficult for head coach Mike Sullivan to take him out of the lineup, with his plus-3 mark evidence of that. 

“Three, four years ago, maybe he doesn’t come back on that puck as hard and come into his zone as hard,” Upton told The Post on Saturday after hearing about Morrow’s back-check. “But he knows he needs to continue to do those little things to stay at that level and compete at that level, so that adds to that urgency, right?” 

The strong contributions from Morrow have also validated the Blueshirts decision to keep eight defensemen out of training camp and avoid the gamble of losing Morrow on waivers. He was part of the return in the K’Andre Miller trade in July 2025 after logging 16 games with the Hurricanes — and plenty of time in the AHL — following his entry-level deal. Morrow, Upton said, has always been a skilled defenseman offensively, but over his three seasons with the Minutemen, including the final two with Upton on staff, he worked on the stick details, angles and checking that would add defensive value to his game. 

Morrow’s ability to create space for himself and create offense for others led to him collecting six goals and 30 minutes during his final UMass season in 2023-24, 13 goals in his first AHL season the following year and another five goals — and 19 points — across 34 games with AHL Hartford last year. But after the Rangers overhauled their second pairing on the blue line with the arrivals of Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, and after they selected Smits at No. 5 overall, Morrow was staring down a complicated path. He skated in 29 games last year during a lost Blueshirts season, but the organization suddenly had a logjam at the position. 

Even after the Rangers kept him, though, Morrow needed to be patient again. It took Durzi’s absence to finally create an opening in the lineup. 

“None of us want our guys on the sidelines for any extended period of time,” Sullivan said earlier this month. “That’s not an easy circumstance.” 

Entering Monday’s game against the Canadiens at the Garden, Morrow has maximized his chance, though. Against the Oilers on Nov. 1, Morrow skated toward the net off a faceoff, sent a shot and watched as Pavel Dorofeyev turned the rebound into a goal. Sullivan said Saturday that Morrow “has been very effective joining the rush, helping us off the offensive blue line.” 

It took Morrow more than a month to get his first opportunity at making a first impression. It hasn’t led to clarity about his role moving forward, but after being on the roster bubble, he has started to flash some of the potential that shaped his rise as a valued blue-line prospect in the first place. 

“I don’t make those decisions that the higher-ups do at the NHL level,” Upton said of keeping Morrow out of training camp to avoid waivers, “but for me, if you’re gonna have a guy that’s gonna be in a seventh or eighth defenseman role and a little bit of a development role on your roster, why wouldn’t you take the kid that does things with the puck that you can’t teach and does things that other people can’t?

“I’m not shocked to see that decision by them, and obviously, it seems like it’s working out well and he’s progressing well.”

No Nathan MacKinnon? No Cale Makar? No problem.

The Colorado Avalanche (12-6-3) showed they have plenty of firepower to go around Saturday night, earning a convincing 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens (12-4-4) at the Bell Centre. Playing without two of their biggest stars, Colorado got goals from four different players to hand Montreal its first regulation loss in a month.

Fedor Svechkov and Brock Nelson provided the early offense, while former Canadien Artturi Lehkonen continued his impressive season with his team-leading 15th goal. Nicolas Roy added an empty-netter late in the third period, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 22 shots to help Colorado secure the road win.

Nick Suzuki scored the lone goal for the Canadiens and Jakub Dobeš made 23 saves in a valiant effort.

First Period: Avalanche Strike Twice

Colorado made the most of its opportunities in the opening period, scoring twice despite being outshot 10-5 by Montreal.

Fedor Svechkov opened the scoring after beating Jakub Dobes on a two-on-one rush, with Adam Engstrom unable to get across in time to disrupt the play.

The Avalanche doubled their advantage on a delayed penalty call when Brock Nelson found the back of the net, extending his goal-scoring streak against Montreal to four consecutive games.

Despite being outshot, Colorado took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, while Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all 10 shots he faced.

Second Period: Suzuki Gets Montreal on the Board

The Canadiens responded in the second period, with captain Nick Suzuki providing the offensive spark.

After Juraj Slafkovsky helped create several opportunities, including chances on the power play, Suzuki delivered a highlight-reel goal. The Montreal captain pulled off a spectacular spin-o-rama in front of the net before beating Blackwood with a backhand to cut Colorado's lead to 2-1.

Suzuki continued his strong history against the Avalanche, recording his 12th point in his last eight games against Colorado.

Both goaltenders made important saves as the period progressed, but the Avalanche maintained their one-goal advantage heading into the third period. Montreal outshot Colorado 18-15 through 40 minutes.

Third Period: Lehkonen Extends the Lead

After Blackwood helped Colorado weather Montreal's push, the Avalanche delivered a crucial insurance goal.

Nazem Kadri got the initial shot off from the low slot, and former Canadien Artturi Lehkonen was in the right place to capitalize on the rebound, batting the puck past Dobes for his 15th goal of the season. Lehkonen's tally extended his team lead in goals and gave Colorado a 3-1 advantage.

Montreal appeared to have an opportunity to get back within one when Alex Newhook redirected the puck into the net. However, following a lengthy video review, the goal was waved off after officials determined the deflection was made with a high stick.

Colorado continued to hold off the Canadiens before Nicolas Roy sealed the victory with an empty-net goal with just 13 seconds remaining.

The 4-1 win extended the Avalanche's remarkable streak to 52 consecutive victories when leading after two periods.

Final Thoughts

It wasn't a perfect performance from Colorado, particularly after being outshot in the opening two periods, but the Avalanche demonstrated their ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities and protect a lead.

Playing without MacKinnon and Makar, Colorado received contributions throughout the lineup. Svechkov and Nelson provided the early offense, Lehkonen continued his outstanding goal-scoring season, and Roy put the finishing touches on the victory.

Blackwood was also a key factor, making 22 saves as the Avalanche handed Montreal its first regulation loss in a month.

Colorado leaves Montreal with a 4-1 road victory and another strong team performance to build on.

CHICAGO - Since their horrific road trip through the southeastern United States ended, the Chicago Blackhawks have been making all sorts of changes on and off the ice. When they took on the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, it was assumed that there would be a much better effort. 

The Blackhawks ended up winning that match 3-2 in overtime after entering the third period down a goal. There is a lot of time left for them to keep working on their game, but it's not going to happen overnight. 

On Saturday, the Winnipeg Jets were in town for a daytime match against the Blackhawks. Winners of 5 straight games following a stretch of 8 losses out of 9, the Jets are a difficult team to predict. 

The game's opening period went about as well as the Blackhawks could have hoped. The play was rather even, but the Blackhawks held a 3-0 lead at the first intermission. Their first goal came after Connor Bedard's nice zone entry led to Oliver Moore making a perfect pass to Tyler Bertuzzi, who made a nice move and shot to score. 

Their second goal was the result of hard work on the forecheck by Ryan Donato. He allowed the puck to find Teuvo Teravainen, who made a great centering pass for Anton Frondell to tip into the net. 

Late in the period, the Blackhawks were given a power play, and they took advantage. Patrick Kane won a puck battle behind the net and then fed Connor Bedard for a one-timer, and he beat Stuart Skinner. 

In the second period, the Blackhawks made it 4-0 at 14:44 when Frank Nazar tipped home a Teuvo Teravainen shot on the power play. From there, the Hawks appeared to be in control of the game. 

Nothing is certain in the NHL, and Winnipeg planted the seed of doubt before the middle frame was over. Mark Scheifele got the Jets on the board after putting one in the net off a great feed from Josh Morrissey. On that goal, Scheifele became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Winnipeg Jets with 930 career points. 

MARK SCHEIFELE SETS THE FRANCHISE RECORD IN POINTS (again)

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) November 14, 2026

MARK SCHEIFELE LANDS ATOP THE LIST 🛩️

He is now the @NHLJets' all-time leader in points! pic.twitter.com/889JCx9qWG

— NHL (@NHL) November 14, 2026

While the Blackhawks were announcing the goal and congratulating Scheifele on that accomplishment, he made it 931 by assisting on a goal scored by Kyle Connor. Spencer Knight went to play the puck behind the net, and his stick got caught in the boards. Scheifele took advantage of the situation and fed the puck in front to Connor, who beat Knight back to the net. 

The 4-2 lead in favor of Chicago made it back to the locker room for the second intermission. Going into the third period, the Blackhawks knew they were going to get an intense push from the Jets. 

Early in the final frame, the Jets found themselves on the power play 20 seconds in. Cole Perfetti scored to get them within 1. At that point, the Blackhawks were in trouble as the Jets came all the way back to make it a hockey game. 

With the extra attacker, the Jets found a way to tie the game. It felt like it was coming in the moments leading up to it, and they did. Nobody scored in overtime, and the Jets won in the shootout to complete the comeback. 

That will go down as one of Chicago's most disappointing losses of the season, which is saying something for a team that's now 5-13-2. It wasn't the standard meltdown, as some fluky plays led to the Jets getting it tied up, but not closing out a game when they were up 4-0 is a meltdown nonetheless - a step backwards after taking the slightest step forward. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

98 ➡️ 11 ➡️ 59 🚨 pic.twitter.com/0gZrEGeAPP

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 14, 2026

Frondeezy with the redirect 🏒‼️ pic.twitter.com/TtZUdKtK2L

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 14, 2026

kaner to bedsy INCOMING pic.twitter.com/qXhKcH5Xu6

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 14, 2026

#franksway on the power playyyyyyyy ‼️ pic.twitter.com/vRUOXV20Uh

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) November 14, 2026

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will be back at home on Tuesday night. It is their final Centennial Celebration, which will take place against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This game will be played on the 100th anniversary of their first game in franchise history, which was against the Toronto St. Pats on November 17th, 1926. 

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

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Brandon Buhr suited up for the Abbotsford Canucks for the first time on November 10. The Metro Vancouver native was acquired, along with Jacob Quillan, during the Aatu Räty trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 15. Before making the jump to the AHL, Buhr played six games in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings, where he recorded two goals and two assists. 

Buhr made his Abbotsford debut on home ice, where he recorded his first point, which came via an assist. When asked about his thoughts on joining his hometown franchise, Buhr responded with a smile, saying, "It's a dream come true, honestly. I've been a Canucks fan my whole life, so when I found out I was traded here, I was beyond ecstatic." 

Even though Abbotsford fought hard to come back and tie the game, the Colorado Eagles won in a shootout. After the game, Buhr said, "Obviously, feel good about the point, but not too great about the result on the scoreboard."

With a few games now under his belt, Buhr has his sights set on joining the Highway 1 Wall. This wall serves as motivation for the players, as it features everyone who has made their way through the organization from the AHL to the NHL. When asked about one day seeing his name on the wall, Buhr said, "That's the ultimate goal. But just gotta stay where my feet are right now and just take it one day at a time."

Buhr seems to fit perfectly in the Canucks locker room. This group stands up for each other, celebrates individual wins, and strives to move the whole team forward. Buhr’s humble demeanour and ambition to help the team as much as he can are two characteristics that should help him thrive in Abbotsford.  

"It's a great group of guys. I've had a lot of fun since being here, and hopefully I can stick around." 

On November 11, the Canucks celebrated the franchise's 200th win. It was also a special night for Buhr, as he scored his first career AHL goal. 

"It was a huge relief. I don't know how to explain the feeling, but it's very lifting.” 

Size has always been a big part of Buhr's game. He is listed at 6'2, 204 lbs and uses his body as an advantage in his game. When asked about the physicality in his game, Buhr said, "I get hard on the forecheck, but I also have the ability to score goals, shoot the puck hard, and skate fast." 

Buhr now has three points in two games with Abbotsford. As he explained, getting on the scoresheet early has helped him settle into the AHL. "Definitely was a little confidence boost, but I was trying to stick to my same game. You know, just be physical, fast, and when I have a chance, shoot it. But obviously, didn't really need to shoot for that goal today."

As a BC kid, Buhr is enjoying his first few games with the Canucks. What used to be a childhood dream is now his reality. Ultimately, Buhr understands the responsibility of wearing the Abbotsford crest and is focused on doing whatever it takes to represent the organization with pride. 

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.

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