The Senators are getting one of their injured forwards back just as another heads to long-term injured reserve.

Andre Burakovsky is expected to make his Senators debut on Saturday night when they host the Nashville Predators at Canadian Tire Centre.

The veteran winger's return comes at an important time for the Senators, who just placed William Eklund on long-term injured reserve after a serious ankle injury in Thursday night's 2-1 home-opening victory over the Philadelphia Flyers.

Eklund was hurt in the first period after taking a hit from Flyers defenceman Simon Benoit and awkwardly jamming his skate into the base of the boards. He needed help getting off the ice and was unable to put any weight on his left leg.

The Senators haven't confirmed the exact nature of the ankle injury or provided a timetable for his return, but head coach Travis Green said Eklund will be out for "an extended period of time."

The move to LTIR means Eklund must miss at least 10 games and 24 calendar days from the date of his injury.

Based on the morning skate combinations, it looks like Green will plug Burakovsky right into Eklund's spot alongside Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson.

Burakovsky participated in Saturday's morning skate wearing a regular jersey, as did defencemen Artem Zub and Kurtis MacDermid. While that's encouraging news on the injury front, Zub isn't ready to return against Nashville.

For Burakovsky, it's a great chance to turn the page on a very rough finish to last season.

The Senators acquired the former Stanley Cup champion from Chicago during the offseason, hoping a change of scenery might help him rediscover some of the offensive production that once made him a valuable top-six forward.

His final stretch with the Blackhawks was especially tough. Burakovsky managed just four points in his final 32 games last season, despite spending much of that time playing alongside Connor Bedard. But he started the year with 29 points in his first 43 games, and the Sens would be thrilled with that version of the player.

The Senators enter Saturday's game with a 3-1 record, having won their first two games on the road against Toronto and Boston before looking tired and stumbling in Detroit.

They bounced back Thursday against Philadelphia, with rookie defenceman Carter Yakemchuk scoring the game-winning goal on a third-period power-play one-timer.

Unfortunately, injuries have been a recurring theme in the Sens' victories this season. Jake Sanderson was injured in the opener against Toronto, Linus Ullmark left the Boston game as a precaution following a collision, and Eklund went down against Philadelphia.

Ullmark returned Thursday and was excellent, stopping 28 of 29 shots in the victory.

Nashville will provide the opposition on Saturday. It's the Predators' final stop of a three-game trip through eastern Canada, and they've already collected three of a possible four points.

They opened the trip Tuesday with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs before bouncing back Thursday with a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.

On Friday, the Predators acquired 25-year-old Canadiens defenceman Jayden Struble in exchange for a 2027 second-round pick originally belonging to Vegas.

Struble, who was a healthy scratch for Montreal on Thursday, brings a strong, physical element to Nashville's blue line. He was on the ice with the Predators at Saturday's morning skate, so he's a good bet to play against the Senators.

Here's how the Sens are projected to line up on Saturday night.

Forwards

Andre Burakovsky – Tim Stützle – Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig – Dylan Cozens – Fabian Zetterlund
Michael Amadio – Shane Pinto – Claude Giroux
Warren Foegele – Stephen Halliday – Nick Cousins

Defence

Thomas Chabot – Jordan Spence
Tyler Kleven – Carter Yakemchuk
Hoyt Stanley – Nikolas Matinpalo

Goaltenders

Linus Ullmark
Samuel Ersson

Zub rotated in with Matinpalo and Stanley during Saturday's morning skate, but his return doesn't appear imminent. MacDermid also participated in a regular jersey.

But the biggest lineup development, of course, is Burakovsky's debut. For the Swedish veteran, there's no better time to start proving that a change of scenery was exactly what he needed.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

Jaden Schwartz has never scored 30 goals in an NHL season, but four games into this year, he’s making that milestone look like a distant memory. The Colorado Avalanche forward has six points already, and he’ll look to keep it going Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Ball Arena.

Toronto is coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to Vegas on Thursday. The Leafs built a 3-0 lead in the first period but couldn’t hold on. Saturday marks their only trip to Denver this season.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews

Matthews has given Colorado trouble throughout his career. He has 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 18 games against the Avalanche, including two goals and an assist in his last four appearances at Ball Arena.

He scored a hat trick in Toronto’s 8-3 win over Colorado on Dec. 1, 2021. The Avalanche were 11-7-1 at the time, months before winning the Stanley Cup.

William Nylander

Nylander has 13 assists in 17 career games against Colorado. He’s been effective at setting up teammates in this matchup, and the Avalanche will need to keep him from finding too much room.

Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan

McKenna, the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, has one goal and two assists through five games. Cowan scored on a breakaway against Vegas on Thursday.

Both players have the speed to take advantage of turnovers. Colorado has given the puck away at times early this season, and those mistakes could give Toronto some dangerous chances.

Sergei Bobrovsky was impressive in Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, so head coach Jim Hiller may give the two-time Stanley Cup champion another start. The 38-year-old has a 12-6-2 record in 21 career games against the Avalanche, with a 2.79 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.

Colorado Avalanche

Jaden Schwartz

Schwartz has three goals and three assists through four games, including two goals in Thursday’s 7-3 win over Calgary.

He’s never scored 30 goals in an NHL season, but his current pace has him on track for 63. It’s still early, but Schwartz has been outstanding and is giving Colorado another scoring threat alongside its star players.

Nathan MacKinnon

MacKinnon has eight points through four games this season, including a goal and two assists against Calgary. He’s also had plenty of success against Toronto, with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 24 career games.

He’s recorded seven points in his last four meetings with the Maple Leafs.

Cale Makar

Makar had two goals and an assist against Calgary. He has 10 points in 12 career games against Toronto, including five in his last four matchups.

Brock Nelson is another player to watch. He scored a hat trick in Colorado’s 4-1 win over Toronto on Jan. 25, 2026. Martin Necas has 14 points in 16 career games against the Leafs, although 12 of those came during his time with Carolina.

Colorado has been finding the net with little trouble, but Toronto has the speed to make the Avalanche pay for mistakes. If Colorado can limit the turnovers, it will have a good chance to keep its hot start going at home.

If we have to make an educated guess, Mackenzie Blackwood will probably get the nod in between the pipes. The 29-year-old has a record of 2-2-1 in seven games with a goals against average of 3.52 and a save percentage of .886 against the Maple Leafs in his career. However, he has two out of his last three starts against Toronto.

Scott Wedgewood hasn't fared much better. However, he has not played against the Maple Leafs since he was a member of the Dallas Stars. The 34-year-old is 1-3-2 in six appearances with a goals against average of 4.15 and a sub.900 save percentage against the Leafs. 

Puck drop is at 5 p.m. local time. 

The Islanders have dodged a massive bullet. 

Bo Horvat was back on the ice with the team for Saturday’s morning skate despite taking a dirty open-ice hit from Chicago Blackhawks winger Frank Nazar late in Thursday night’s win. 

Horvat was evaluated by doctors and New York’s training staff during their off day, and he’s deemed himself ready to go for Saturday night’s meeting with the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

“Hits like those you never know, right,” the captain said. “Anytime the principal point of contact is my head it’s always scary, but I feel fine -- the right side of my head hurts a little bit, but other than that I feel pretty good.”

Horvat, of course, took Nazar’s shoulder directly to the head after burying an empty-netter, sending him twisting in the air before landing directly on his side. 

Nazar was dealt a major penalty and game misconduct for the hit, and later received a two-game suspension after meeting with the NHL Department of Player Safety.

Horvat, though, didn’t view the dangerous play as anything done intentionally. 

“It was just a chain of unfortunate events,” he explained. “I definitely didn’t see him, but I don’t think he’s the type of player to go looking for that -- it just ended up working out that way.”

Either way, the Islanders are thrilled their leader won’t have to miss any time.

“It’s a huge relief,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “Felt it was a dangerous hit, but obviously the league dealt with it -- on our end, I’m just thankful that he’s available because sometimes headshots like that you can lose a guy for a while.”

Horvat has scored four times and added an assist over New York’s first four games. 

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues announced on Saturday that forward Dillon Dube will be re-evaluated in eight weeks after suffering a neck injury in the Blues’ 3-2 overtime loss against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

Dube, who scored a shorthanded goal in the game but missed practice on Friday, was initially listed as doubtful for the game Saturday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. He will be replaced in the lineup by Zach Dean.

"It’s been tough," Blues coach Jim Montgoomery said Saturday morning. "We’ve had four injuries that are 4-6 weeks minimum. But it’s an opportunity for our depth now. We’ve talked about in our organization having really good depth. We have a lot of really good young players, we have a lot of good veteran players. People are going to get opportunities."

The 28-year-old has played in three games for the Blues this season and has 128 points (58 goals, 70 assists) in 328 games with the Blues and Calgary Flames.

Dube joins Tyler Tucker (knee), Alexey Toropchenko (upper body) and Logan Mailloux (hand) out of the lineup.

Two Western Canadian Boys Fell In Love With St. Louis, Now Stand As Nos. 2-3 On All-Time Games Played List For BluesColton Parayko passed Barret Jackman for No. 2 on the all-time franchise games played list Thursday at 804 games; how an Albertan, British Columbian came to love the Gateway City to the West

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The New York Islanders and their fans have been holding their breath on the status of captain and star forward Bo Horvat. But they can breathe a sigh of relief, as he'll play on Saturday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Horvat’s good, per Horvat. #Isles

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) October 10, 2026

Horvat entered concussion protocol after an illegal hit to the head late in Thursday's win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

The NHL suspended Frank Nazar, who threw the hit, for two games on Friday night for an illegal check.

However, the Islanders continued to evaluate Horvat since Thursday, and he skated with the team on Saturday morning as a full participant. 

Horvat leads the team in goals (4) and points (5) through the team's first four games of the season. 

The Islanders remain without Mathew Barzal, who has resumed skating on his own.

On Saturday, GM Alexander Steen announced that forward Dillon Dube will miss the next eight weeks with a neck injury.

Dube was involved in an awkward collision with San Jose Sharks forward Will Smith. Dube hit the boards head-first, and it immediately looked bad for his neck. 

The Blues went on to lose 3-2 in overtime after Dube scored a shorthanded goal. The goal was Dube's first goal of the season and his first since Nov. 16, 2023. Dube played three games before his injury, scoring the lone goal and averaging 11:32 of ice time.

With Dube injured and heading to the injured reserve, he joins Logan Mailloux, Tyler Tucker, and Alexey Toropchenko on the injured list. Zach Dean is expected to join the Blues lineup in Dube's absence.

Dean has skated in one regular-season game with the Blues this season and has played 10 NHL games in total. The 23-year-old plays at a fast pace and looks to dish the puck as a playmaker. 

Dean will have the opportunity to step into the lineup tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

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With injuries to Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand, the Florida Panthers lineup is beginning to look different once again.

The team has moved players up and down, and off-season acquisitions are finding their way into the lineup.

Today, that will be veteran forward Sam Lafferty.

Lafferty is an NHL journeyman. The 31-year-old has played 378 career NHL games with five teams, and the Panthers will be his sixth. He's potted 41 goals and 92 points in his career, with his career high coming in the 2023-24 season, when he scored 13 goals and 24 points. 

In his career, Lafferty has played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, and returned to the Blackhawks before joining the Panthers.

For tonight's fixture against the Minnesota Wild, Lafferty will be the fourth-line center with Boko Immana and Garnet Hathaway on his wings.

Three Florida Panthers Players Who Need To Step Up In Barkov And Marchand's AbsenceAleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand will be injured for about the next two months, and in their absence, the Florida Panthers desperately need players to step up.

Lafferty is known for his speed, defensive work, and penalty-killing effectiveness. On occasion, Lafferty can wow opponents with slick hands off the rush, but for the most part, he is effective on the forecheck and by getting his 6-foot-2 frame in front of the net. 

As Lafferty takes the fourth-line center role, Lars Eller moves on to center Brady Tkachuk and Sam Reinhart. Eller is off to a strong start this season, posting three assists in four games. 

The Wild enter tonight's game after losing their previous two encounters. Like the Panthers, they're dealing with the injury bug and will be without Filip Gustavsson, Brock Faber, Nick Foligno, and likely Olli Maatta. 

---

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The Chicago Blackhawks are back in Chicago with a 1-4-0 record. They won their only game at the United Center, but are winless on the road through four tries. Now, they are returning home to take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes (3-1-1). 

If the Blackhawks are going to get a second win at home, they need to be on top of their game. They would need to play better than they did in any game so far this season. 

Scouting Carolina

The Carolina Hurricanes have a ferocious attack, and they defend as well as any team in the NHL. They finally broke through in the playoffs last season with their current core, winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in franchise history. 

There is not one forward or defenseman who drives the bus offensively, but they have a ton of talent and defend well as an overall unit. 

Carrier - Aho -Svechnikov

Hall - Stankoven - Blake

Ehlers -Staal -Martinook

Kotkaniemi -Jankowski -Robinson

Slavin - Chatfield

Miller - Walker

Gostisbehere - Reilly

Bussi

Kochetkov

The Hurricanes are missing Seth Jarvis, who has yet to play this season because of off-season surgery. He is close to returning, which will be a big boost to their already stacked lineup, but it won't be against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Whether it is Bussi or Kochetkov in the net, they play strongly in front of them, allowing them to play their game and simply make saves. 

Their top nine forward group is so strong. There are Olympians on all three lines who could drive the offense as well as anyone on the team. On any given night, one of them can be the trio that beats you. 

On defense, they have three strong pairs. With that said, Jaccob Slavin is the best defensive defenseman in the NHL. He doesn't put up a lot of points, but he may be the hardest to play against in the league. When he's on the ice, the Blackhawks will have thier hands full when it comes to trying to create. 

Projected Lines, Defense Pairs, & Goalie For Chicago

The Blackhawks are still without Connor Bedard, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. They are also without Frank Nazar now, who will miss the next two games serving a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head. 

The good news for them is that Teuvo Teravainen is good to go after missing Thursday's game with an injury. 

Lardis-Greene-Kane

Kantserov-Frondell-Bertuzzi

Smith-Moore-Greenway

Donato-Toninato-Teravainen

Byram-Levshunov

Vlasic-Cole

Kaiser-Rinzel

Knight

Injuries and suspensions are forcing Jeff Blashill to make changes regularly. Ryan Greene is getting a chance to be that top-line center with Patrick Kane. Nick Lardis, who hasn't had a strong start, is getting a chance on that line as he tries to break out of it. 

The rest of the forward lines are jumbled up, but Anton Frondell and Oliver Moore are getting their chance to serve as centers. 

On defense, the pairs remain the same as in the last game. For now, this might be the group that works for them. Spencer Knight is going to start in goal. 

How To Watch

The game can be heard locally on AM 720 WGN in the Chicagoland area. It can be seen locally on CHSN. Nationally, you can stream it on ESPN+. The puck will drop shortly after 6:00 PM CT. 

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

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On Saturday morning, the Chicago Blackhawks announced that Ed Olczyk will be a team ambassador. He is joining Denis Savard, Chris Chelios, Jeremy Roenick, and Pat Foley in that role. 

As an ambassador, he connects the franchise's past with the present. He is also tasked with helping grow the game across Chicagoland. He will also participate in many events over the years. 

"Eddie Olczyk is part of the fabric of this franchise and this city. From the kid who grew up cheering in the stands, to the player who wore the sweater on home ice, to the voice that brought Blackhawks hockey into Chicago homes for years, few people have meant more to our fans," said Blackhawks President of Business Operations Jaime Faulkner. "We're thrilled to welcome Eddie home as a Blackhawks Ambassador, and we know our fans will be just as excited to see him back where he belongs."

Olczyk is a Chicago native who also played for the Blackhawks. He was their third overall pick in the 1984 NHL Draft. He also won the Stanley Cup as a member of the New York Rangers in 1994. Throughout his playing career, he also had stints with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets. He recorded 794 career points over those tenures. 

When he retired, he did some coaching. He served as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins for Sidney Crosby's rookie season. After that, he had a long 16-year run as a color analyst on TV. 

The Blackhawks announced that he will return to the television screens as part of this as a studio analyst on CHSN. That will be for select games, including Saturday night's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

"The Blackhawks have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Chicago dreaming about this team, and I got to live that dream by pulling on the sweater as a player and telling the story of this franchise as a broadcaster," said Olczyk. "To come home and represent the Blackhawks as an ambassador means more to me than I can put into words. I want to thank Danny Wirtz and Jaime Faulkner for welcoming me back and making this possible. Chicago is my home, the Blackhawks are my team, and my family and I are thrilled to be back with our fans."

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After coming home with a split on the road, the Colorado Avalanche are back on home ice for another Saturday night showdown!

Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs make their only regular season visit to Denver, with a few new faces in their lineup!

Colorado Avalanche

The Avs return home after splitting their first pair of back-to-back road games. They lost 3-2 on a (literal) last minute goal this past Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, but rebounded with a strong showing against the Calgary Flames in a 7-3 victory this past Thursday. The loss in Winnipeg was the first for Mackenzie Blackwood this season, while Scott Wedgewood earned his first win in his season debut against Calgary.

Jaden Schwartz scored three goals across both contests. Fedor Svechkov scored his first goal in an Avalanche sweater against Winnipeg. Zachary L’Heureux, acquired with Svechkov from Nashville in the offseason, made his Avalanche debut against Winnipeg and recorded his first assist on Nathan MacKinnon’s eventual game-winning goal in Calgary. L’Heureux also had his first fight for the Avs in a short bout with Calgary’s Matt Coronato.

Devon Toews, who had a career-low three goals last season, scored a pair of goals against Calgary. His defensive partner in Cale Makar also scored a pair of goals against his hometown team.

T.J. Hughes also recorded his first point of his NHL career, assisting on Schwartz’s first goal on against Calgary.

Head coach Jared Bednar said this of his third line in comments after the Calgary game. “That line’s found a little bit of chemistry. A couple of points each [Wednesday] night, again tonight. Schwartz and [Svechkov] and our young guy Hughes on that line, they’re doing some good things, and if we can keep building that chemistry, I like where that line’s going.”

When asked about what Hughes and L’Heureux have shown to this point in the season, Bednar said, “Hughes has fit in in all kinds of ways for us, including on the top power play. He’s a smart guy, doesn’t throw the puck away, really good passer. I think he he thinks the game really well, got a great brain and hockey sense. Can play on the top end skill guys and make plays.

“L’Heureux, this is kind of our first look at him here on this back to back […] He’s a rugged guy, straight-line player, will play through you, kind of fits the identity of our fourth line. He had a good night again tonight. I really liked his game [Wednesday] in Winnipeg. […] We’re excited about our team and some of those young guys being able to come in and help us. [Svechkov] is another young player that’s really showed up nicely for us here at the start of the season.”

While the Avs remain perfect on the penalty kill, the power play has gone three games without a goal since going 4/5 in the season opener against Los Angeles on September 30.

MacKinnon leads all skaters in points (8) and assists (5), while also sharing the team lead in penalty minutes (5) with L’Heureux. He also leads the team in goals (3), along with Makar, Schwartz, and Artturi Lehkonen.

The Avs have split every season series against Toronto going back to the 2017-2018 season. Their last victory on home ice came against Toronto was in a 7-3 victory on March 05, 2025.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz – Fedor Svechkov – T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly – Nicolas Roy – Zachary L’Heureux

Defense:
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Josh Manson – Brent Burns

Between the Pipes:
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Toronto Maple Leafs

The lottery balls finally bounced Toronto’s way this offseason, giving them the first overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft. At the draft in June, they selected left-wing Gavin McKenna, whom many projected to be the top pick of the draft. McKenna scored his first goal and assist of his young NHL career this past Tuesday in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Nashville Predators.

The draft was one of many offseason transactions for Toronto. They sent a fifth round pick in this year’s draft to the Tampa Bay Lightning for defenseman Darren Raddysh on June 19; Raddysh signed an eight-year, $68 million dollar contract with Toronto as part of the transaction. Toronto also acquired center Nick Paul from Tampa in exchange for goaltender Dennis Hildeby and a pair of draft picks in 2027 & 2028 on July 01.

As free agency began, Toronto’s overhaul continued. Free agent goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year, $21 million dollar contract (more on him later). That same day, noted Avalanche killer Colton Sissons also signed to a two-year, $8.5 million dollar contract, and former Avalanche forward Brandon Duhaime also signed a three-year $7.8 million dollar contract.

Shortly before the start of the season, Toronto made their biggest move: they acquired right-wing Kirill Marchenko, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, and former Avalanche forward Miles Wood from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for left-wings Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrei, and a 2027 second round pick. Marchenko, 26, scored his first (and so far, only) goal with Toronto in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on October 03.

With an overhauled roster come overhauled expectations. Toronto has risen to the occasion in the way only a Toronto-based hockey team can: playing .500 hockey. They are 2-2-1 to start the season, and are coming into tonight’s game off a 4-3 defeat against the Vegas Golden Knights this past Thursday. After jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first period, Toronto did the Leafiest thing possible in allowing Vegas to score three unanswered goals to tie the game and lose in the shootout round.

The loss was Bobrovsky’s third of the season, and since joining Toronto, he has yet to post a win. Anthony Stolarz, who was Bobrovsky’s backup in Florida during 2023-2024 season, has recorded both wins for Toronto this season.

Head coach Jim Hiller spoke on the challenge of facing the Avs ahead of tonight’s game. “They play a pretty unique style of game, I would say. They are a really dynamic rush team. The defense probably skate as well as six [defenders] as any other group in the League, so it presents some challenges defensively for sure.

“For us, I think, we’ve got to continue to focus on being in the offensive zone and tight support. We’ve seen some good strides that way. That’s the best defense, really: if you can just hold onto pucks and be dangerous and tire people out—which Vegas did to us—we weren’t able to create any offense because we were too tired, so that’s kind of the game we have to play against Colorado.”

Hiller also mentioned that he does not expect John Tavares to play against Colorado tonight due to the birth of his son Tucker on Friday.

William Nylander and Auston Matthews are tied for first among all Toronto forwards in points (6). Nylander leads the team in goals (3), while Matthews leads the team in assists (4).

Toronto’s last victory over Colorado came on January 12th, a 4-3 overtime victory at Ball Arena last season.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Kirill Marchenko – Auston Matthews – Jack Roslovic
Easton Cowan – Nick Paul – William Nylander
Gavin McKenna – Teddy Blueger – Colton Sissons
Brandon Duhaime – Zack MacEwen – Bo Groulx

Defense:
Jake McCabe – Chris Tanev
Morgan Reilly – Darren Raddysh
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Troy Stecher

Between the Pipes:
Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz

The Bruins are back in action on home ice today for their first matinée game of the season.

They’ll play host to a struggling Philadelphia Flyers team that is still looking for its first win of the new campaign.

Given the early start time, you get the ever-popular PUBLIC PREVIEW!

What to know

• It has been a rough start to the season for the Flyers, who come into this afternoon’s game at 0-3-2. They’re one of just three NHL teams without a win to start the season, and the only one of those three in the Eastern Conference.
• They lost their last two games in regulation, dropping 4-1 and 2-1 road decisions to Tampa and Ottawa, respectively.
• Offense has been a challenge for the Flyers, who come into this afternoon’s game dead last in the NHL at just 1.20 GF/G. Unfortunately for Philly, they’re also allowing the eighth-most goals per game on average, so…not ideal.
• After a good season for the Flyers last year, former Bruin Dan Vladar has gotten off to a tough start this season. He’s 0-2-0 with a whopping 5.12 GAA.
• At least some sections of Flyers punditry are calling this a must-win game at this early juncture of the season. That may be a little extreme, but if nothing else, it’s pretty clear that pressure is mounting on Rick Tocchet and the Flyers.
• Marco Sturm noted that Sean Kuraly was “pretty upset” about being a healthy scratch again on Thursday night. While it’s certainly understandable for Kuraly to be mad about not playing, Matt Poitras has played well since drawing back into the lineup.
• After scoring three power play goals in Thursday’s win over Utah, you hope that the Bruins can build on that momentum this afternoon. Philly’s PK has been below average this season, with the Flyers sitting at 22nd in the league as of this morning.

Given the 1 PM Saturday start time and the fact that this is Bruins-Flyers, you could be forgiven for assuming this would be a national broadcast.

However, because of college football and all of that stuff, these early season matinées tend to be local broadcasts instead, and this one is no different: today’s game will be broadcast on NESN and 98.5 The Sports Hub, though it’ll be on NHL Network out of market as well.

Bruins! Flyers! WHILE IT’S STILL LIGHT OUTSIDE!

Discuss.

Game 5 - 10/10/26 - 7:00 pm at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY

Buffalo – 2-2-0 | - 4 points – 6th place in the Atlantic Division

Utah – 3-2-0 | - 6 points – 3rd place in the Central Division

 

Special Teams

Buffalo

Power Play – 0.0% (32nd)

Penalty Kill – 63.6% (28th)

Utah

Power Play – 40.0% (1st)

Penalty Kill - 77.8% (T-19th)

 

Top Scorers

Buffalo

Owen Power: 4 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 PTS

Tage Thompson: 4 GP, 2 G, 2 A, 4 PTS

Noah Östlund: 4 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 PTS

Utah

Nick Schmaltz: 5 GP, 5 G, 2 A, 7 PTS

Clayton Keller: 5 GP, 1 G, 6 A, 7 PTS

Dylan Guenther: 5 GP, 3 G, 3 A, 6 PTS

 

Starting Goalies

Buffalo –  Colten Ellis (1-0-0, 1.86 GAA, .900 Sv %)

Utah  – Karel Vejmelka (2-1-0, 2.43 GAA, .892 Sv %)

Other Sabres Stories

Mrtka Looking To Take The Next Step Towards The NHL 

Sabres Line Combinations and Pairings 

Forwards

Peyton Krebs - Jiri Kulich - Tage Thompson

Zach Benson - Noah Ostlund - Jack Quinn 

Josh Norris - Ryan McLeod - Konsta Helenius

Josh Doan - Justin Danforth - Beck Malenstyn

Ex. Sam Carrick

Defense

Mattias Samuelsson - Rasmus Dahlin 

Owen Power - Louis Crevier 

Olen Zellweger - Zach Metsa

Ex. Matt Grzelcyk 

Goaltenders

Colten Ellis

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Notes

A win tonight would give the Sabres their first-ever victory over the Mammoth. Buffalo is 19-1-3 against Western Conference opponents dating back to Dec. 9, 2025.

The Sabres are 7-1-2 against Central Division opponents in that span. Buffalo is tied for the third-fewest goals allowed in the third period among all NHL teams (2) this season. Buffalo ranks fourth among all NHL teams in shot attempts differential at 5-on-5 (plus-65).

The Sabres rank second in shot attempts differential at 5-on-5 when  trailing (plus-55).

Owen Power has posted five points (1+4) in Buffalo’s first four games. A point in tonight’s game would make him the first Sabres defenseman since Rasmus Dahlin (Oct. 3 to 11, 2019; 5+3) to record six or more points in their first five games of a season. An assist in tonight’s game would make him the first Sabres defenseman since Dahlin (Oct. 13 to 22, 2022; 1+6) to record five or more assists in their first five games of a season. He would become the 10th defenseman in franchise history to do so at least once.

Rasmus Dahlin (26:45) and Power (26:16) rank sixth and ninth, respectively, in time on ice per game among all NHL skaters.

Colten Ellis made his first start of 2026-27 on Oct. 6 vs. Minnesota and made 18 saves on 20 shots in the overtime victory.

A win in tonight’s game would mark the first time he has earned a win in two consecutive games in his career

Injuries

Alex Lyon (upper body)  

Conor Timmins (lower body; injured reserve) 

Jason Zucker (sports hernia; injured reserve) 

Topias Leinonen (lower body; injured reserve) 

Jack Rathbone (lower body; injured reserve) 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram @MikeInBuffalo

The Los Angeles Kings are already facing questions about their biggest offseason signing.

Mats Zuccarello is expected to miss the next few weeks with a shoulder injury, leaving the team without one of its most notable additions just three games into the season.

The Kings recalled forward Jared Wright from the AHL’s Ontario Reign early Saturday morning after learning Zuccarello would not travel with the team to Las Vegas. NHL.com’s Zach Dooley reported that the veteran had been ruled out of Sunday’s matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Zuccarello signed a one-year deal with Los Angeles this summer, but he has recorded just one assist through three games and is now facing several weeks away from the lineup. Apparently, banking on a nearly 40-year-old to help strengthen your offense comes with a few issues.

The former Minnesota Wild had been dealing with a shoulder issue during training camp as well, albeit it is unclear whether that problem is related.

In Zuccarello’s absence, Wright gets another opportunity to make an impression. Los Angeles selected Wright in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and he has spent the past few seasons working his way through the organization.

Wright has already had a taste of the NHL. He suited up for the Kings 23 times last season, picking up four assists while averaging just over 11 minutes per game. He also chipped in defensively, recording 18 blocked shots and 27 hits.

His offensive numbers were stronger with Ontario, where he scored 17 goals and finished with 30 points in 54 games during the 2025-26 season. Wright has carried that momentum into the new AHL campaign, recording two goals and three points with a plus-one rating through the Reign’s first two games.

Wright now has another chance to establish himself at the NHL level. He is not expected to make a huge impact but the Kings will need contributions from their depth forwards while their marquee offseason signing recovers.

The Carolina Hurricanes are aiming to make it four wins in a row as they continue to bounce back brilliantly from a pair of season-opening defeats with a showdown against the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.

After drubbing the Vancouver Canucks by a 7-2 margin on home ice Thursday, the Hurricanes will get a crack at another one of the lower-tier teams in the Western Conference.

The Blackhawks had their sights set on making real progress toward being competitive in their rebuild this season, as general manager Kyle Davidson made a splash in landing defenseman Bowen Byram in a sign-and-trade. But an offseason injury has held 2023 No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard out for the first portion of the year, and Chicago has instead gotten off to a 1-4-0 spot that has them in the familiar spot of being last in the Central Division.

The Blackhawks are coming off of a 4-1 loss on Long Island on Thursday, and they’re led in points by the skilled young Swedish forward Anton Frondell, with four.

On the Canes’ side of things, the top guns are really humming right now. Sebastian Aho is up to eight points in five games, and Andrei Svechnikov and Jackson Blake are both over or at a point-per-game pace. Logan Stankoven’s four goals in five games aren’t too shabby, either.

In the last five seasons, Carolina owns a 9-0-1 record against the Blackhawks, who have not notched a regulation victory over the Hurricanes since the two teams were in the same division during the re-worked, pandemic-shortened 2021 regular season, when the two sides squared off eight times.

It will most likely be Brandon Bussi between the pipes for Rod Brind’Amour after Pyotr Kochetkov picked up the win against the Canucks.

Saturday is the first half of a back-to-back for Carolina, so it’s a virtual certainty that the goalie that doesn’t go tonight will get the nod in Philadelphia on Sunday.

---

Here’s how to check out the action…

Time: 7 PM Eastern

Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois

TV: Hurricanes Hockey Network. Hanna Yates and Shane Willis handle the pregame duties at 6:30, and then Mike Maniscalco handles play-by-play with Tripp Tracy providing color—we’re still waiting for the NHL and DirectTV to work out whatever it is holding up them getting this channel on there.

Streaming Video: Hurricanes Hockey Network on Prime Video in the Hurricanes Footprint. Outside you’ll need to use the ESPN app and have at least an ESPN Select subscription, which comes with ESPN Ultimate.

Radio: The pregame Storm Watch with Adam Gold on 99.9 The Fan starts at 6:30 PM, At 7 PM the Hurricanes Radio Network (consisting of 99.9, 730 The Game in Charlotte, ESPN New Bern 107.5/1490, and ESPN Greenville 107.5/1570) will pick up the Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy HHN simulcast.

Lines: (Per FanDuel) Hurricanes -255, -1.5 (+100) /Blackhawks +205, +1.5 (-122). O/U 5.5 -132/+108

New Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Cam Talbot beat the Pittsburgh Penguins last night in a shootout to pick up his first win in Union Blue. 

But he also set two NHL records.

With the start, he became the first NHL goalie to play for nine different NHL teams. He's played for Edmonton, NYR, Detroit, Minnesota, LA, Ottawa, Calgary, Philadelphia, and now Columbus, 

With the win, Talbot became the first NHL goaltender to win a game with nine different teams. Yes, NINE different teams. Some people look at this record and think he's bad. I look at this record and see longevity. Will he be able to keep it up this season? Time will tell. 

He also became the oldest goalie in Blue Jackets history to record a win with the franchise, surpassing Fredrik Norrena by almost five years. 

His career record is now 279-204-53. 

Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the St. Louis Blues tonight at 7 PM.

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