James Reimer's latest NHL opportunity didn’t go nearly as well as his time with the Senators last season. The veteran goaltender was placed on waivers by the New York Rangers after just one period of action .

For Senators fans, it's a sharp contrast to how things went for Reimer last season when he effectively stepped in to give the club solid support when it needed help between the pipes.

He was never expected to be a long-term solution here, but when Linus Ullmark stepped away on a personal leave of absence for mental health, and backup Leevi Merilainen struggled, Reimer provided some timely saves in a supporting role.

His brief time with the Rangers has been a different story.

Reimer signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Blueshirts on October 25, as the Rangers scrambled to deal with injuries.

With Igor Shesterkin sidelined for the season following a knee injury and former Senators goalie Joonas Korpisalo also out, the Rangers were looking for someone who could take some of the workload off their starter for the moment, Dylan Garand.

Reimer got his opportunity the following night against the Los Angeles Kings, but it didn't last long. He gave up three goals on eight shots in the opening period and was pulled after 20 minutes.

The Rangers went on to lose 6-3. Reimer hasn't played since.

On Thursday, just 11 days after signing him, the Rangers placed him on waivers.

It's a disappointing development for a goalie who had given the Senators some much-needed stability earlier in this calendar year.

In 14 appearances with the Senators, Reimer posted a 7-4-2 record, a 2.42 goals-against average and an .886 save percentage, along with one shutout. He stabilized the position and generally made the saves he was supposed to make, giving the Senators a chance to win on most nights.

His final start with the Senators came on April 15, when he made 19 stops in a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The timing of Thursday's waiver move suggests the Rangers are preparing for Korpisalo's return. If Reimer goes unclaimed, the Rangers can assign him to the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, where he'll still make his full NHL salary.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

DENVER — Apparently, the best way to hurt the Avalanche this season is to have played for them first.

Colorado has had a familiar problem this season: former players keep showing up on the scoresheet against them. Some have done more damage than others, but the pattern is becoming difficult to ignore. And it hasn’t been limited to one opponent.

Ryan O’Reilly has been the biggest thorn in Colorado’s side as of late. 

The Nashville Predators forward spent the first six seasons of his NHL career with the Avalanche after being drafted by the organization in 2009. He’s been productive against his former team ever since, totaling 46 points in 39 career games against Colorado, including 15 goals and 31 assists.

The latest three meetings have been particularly rough. O’Reilly scored twice and added two assists in Nashville’s 6-2 win on Oct. 25 at Bridgestone Arena, then chipped in two more assists in Thursday night’s 3-2 overtime victory at Ball Arena. Over his last three games against Colorado, he’s collected 10 points — five goals and five assists.

O’Reilly isn’t the only former Av making himself comfortable in Nashville. Jack Drury, who landed with the Predators in the offseason, scored in that Oct. 25 meeting, while Ross Colton, who was dealt to Nashville earlier, opened the scoring Thursday night. Apparently, the Predators have found a few ways to make use of Colorado’s old roster.

Toronto got in on it, too.

Nick Blankenburg, who spent time with the Avalanche after being acquired ahead of last season’s trade deadline, scored in his first game with the Maple Leafs on Oct. 10. He didn’t need much time to make an impression, either. His first shot on goal in a Toronto sweater beat Mackenzie Blackwood for the opening goal in a 6-3 Maple Leafs win.

On Election Day, former Avalanche players made their choice pretty clear: they elected to score against Colorado.

Charlie Coyle and Valeri Nichushkin combined for three goals and three assists as the Columbus Blue Jackets handed the Avalanche a 7-2 loss. Two more familiar faces, another miserable night for Colorado.

And it’s not just the players putting pucks in the net who have given the Avalanche trouble.

Justus Annunen, who once backed up Alexander Georgiev in Colorado before being traded to Nashville, has started both games against his former team this season. He’s won both. Annunen has stopped 49 of 53 shots in those appearances, good for a .925 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average. The former Avalanche goaltender has been just as effective against Colorado as some of his old teammates have been with the puck.

Of course, this isn’t the first time a former Avalanche player has delivered a particularly painful blow.

Matt Duchene provided perhaps the most infamous example in Game 6 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs’ second round. In double overtime at Ball Arena, Duchene scored the goal that eliminated Colorado, sending the Avalanche home at the hands of a player who once wore their sweater.

That one still hurts. This season has offered a few more reminders.

Between Nashville's former Avalanche contingent of O'Reilly, Drury and Colton, Blankenburg's quick strike in Toronto, Coyle and Nichushkin's performance in Columbus, and Annunen's two wins, Colorado has spent an awful lot of time dealing with players it once called its own.

The Avalanche have enough opponents to worry about without their old teammates joining the list.

Every couple of Friday’s we are going to look at some Penguins numbers, both traditional numbers and fancy stats, just to see what is going on with the team and some individual players.

Today is one of those Friday’s.

So let’s look at some Penguins numbers.

The Penguins power play has a problem

I hate to be a “shoot the puck” guy, but …

After Thursday’s game against Boston, the Penguins success rate on the power play has dropped down to just 17.8 percent for the season, placing them 24th in the entire NHL. They failed to score on their one power play attempt on Thursday, which came after a disastrous 0-for-6 night on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights that saw them fail to score on an extended 5-on-3 in the closing minutes of regulation, just before Tomas Hertl scored a power play goal of his own to win the game for Vegas.

The drop in production from the Penguins power play is just one of the factors that has resulted in an early season regression from the 2025-26 season, and it is not hard to nail down the problem on this year’s power play.

They can not generate shots.

Or attempt shots.

Or do anything with shooting the puck.

As of Friday morning the Penguins power play has the following ranks in terms of shot generation on the power play:

• Total shot attempts per 60 minutes: 32nd (77.13 attempts per 60 minutes)
• Unblocked shot attempts per 60 minutes: 32nd (55.32 unblocked attempts per 60 minutes).
• Shots on goal per 60 minutes: 32nd (33.84 shots on goal per 60 minutes)
• Expected goals per 60 minutes: 32nd (5.69 expected goals per 60 minutes)
• Scoring chances per 60 minutes: 31st (44.08 scoring chances per 60 minutes)
• High-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes: 28th (18.1 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes)

Abysmal. Horrid. Rancid. Terrible. Pathetic. Pick a word. Any of them work. If anything, the power play unit is outperforming what it should be doing based on this. They are not just last in almost all of these categories, they are last by a significant margin.

It is especially frustrating because the Penguins numbers in the same categories during 5-on-5 play are consistently top-10 across the board.

The Penguins have a lot of problems defensively.

They have had problems in goal.

The power play is right there with both of those areas in terms of contributing to the early season failures in the standings.

Two things about that: 1) Special teams (both power play and penalty kill) are two of the biggest areas on a team where coaching can make a difference, and 2) that is also an area where the Penguins most experienced, highest paid, and theoretically best players are getting the bulk of the playing time.

Sidney Crosby still off to one of the worst starts of his career

The Penguins top line started to find some juice against Montreal and Vegas, and that includes the captain. But with just 10 points (four goals, six assists) in his first 16 games, this remains the second-worst start to a season in his career.

The only 16-game start worse than this remains the start of the 2015-16 season under Mike Johnston.

He had nine points in the first 16 games of that season.

There is another layer to that: You can point to the early season struggles of Rickard Rakell and his lack of finishing as eating away at some potential assists for Crosby, and that is certainly fair. But Crosby has just 28 shots on goal in these first 16 games.

That is the lowest total through 16 games in his career. The next lowest was 38 shots on goal which he had through the first 16 game of the 2025-26 season. Prior to last season, he never had less than 40 shots on goal through the first 16 games of a season.

Hard to hide from the numbers.

Some quick hit numbers

• The Penguins have had eight different defense pairings play at least 40 minute of 5-on-5 ice-time together this season. None of them have a positive goal differential. They have several that are exactly even, and three that are on the negative side. Nobody is on the positive side. Sam Girard and Kaeden Korczak are 9-9. Erik Karlsson and Spencer Stastney are 5-5. Korczak and Declan Carlile are 3-3. Kris Letang and Stastney, and Letang-Trevor van Riemsdyk are all 1-1.
• Not only does Nicholas Robertson lead the team with seven goals, the Penguins are outscoring teams by a 10-3 margin when he is on the ice during 5-on-5 play. Among players with at least 50 minutes of 5-on-5 ice-time, that is the best on-ice goal-differential on the team.
• The worst? Andrei Kuzmenko at two goals for and eight goals against.
• The Penguins defensive zone play is bad, and it is not just the defensemen contributing to it. The forwards have not been particularly useful, either (with few exceptions). The Penguins goalies are not without blame. Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov are a combined minus-4.6 in goals saved above expected. Individually, Murashov is 62nd in the league and Silovs is 47th.
• Kaeden Korczak is the only Penguins defenseman (again, minimum 50 minutes) with a positive on-ice goal-differential during 5-on-5 play (16-14). He is also up to 10 assists in 16 games. He is also second on the team in 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes, trailing only Evgeni Malkin. He’s been really good. Still only 26 years old.
• Going back to the power play and the lack of shooting. Egor Chinakhov has the most power play shot attempts per 60 minutes at 29.5. He also has the third-most individual expected goals per 60 minutes on the power play (1.95). He has not consistently hit the net, and the goal-scoring has not yet emerged, but he also has just 22 minutes of power play time. Move him up. Get that shot on the top unit.

Joined again by writer, podcaster and Blackhawks fan Sam Fels, we remember goalie Jeff Hackett, who played decently in 500 NHL games for some of the worst teams of his era.

Jeff Hackett’s NHL career has a defined pattern. Every time he was given a chance to rise from back-up to starter, the team in front of him went directly into the crapper. He went from a bad early 90’s Islanders team to an awful inaugural Sharks team. When he was sent to Chicago two years later, a new problem emerged: Ed Belfour was already the starter and wasn’t keen on sharing his crease. Hackett endured Belfour’s bullying for years before the elder goalie was shipped to San Jose and Hackett got the net full time. Too bad the Hawks playing in front of him were the definition of mediocre. His last starting gig was with the Montreal Canadiens, where the good new was that he wasn’t directly following a Hall of Famer. The bad news was basically everything else.

Sam walks us through Blackhawks goalie debates and in-fighting (which occasionally included actual fighting) in the era before Toews-Kane-Keith-etc changed everything. Fans in Chicago couldn’t watch home games on TV thanks to a cheapskate owner, but the team was barely worth watching anyway. On that team, Hackett wasn’t a bad goalie; he was just more of an “innings eater” than anything else. Sam regales us with some of the personalities and peculiarities of that time in Chicago sports and we share with him tales about some forgettable Islanders teams. Meanwhile, most of Mike’s memories of Hackett come from his years as a Hab during one of their fallow periods. It’s a wide-ranging episode covering a lot of 1990’s and 2000’s NHL nostalgia.

Thanks as always to Sam for coming on. We could have listened to his Weird Blackhawks stories all day. Be sure to subscribe to his great newsletter, which covers hockey, football, soccer, pro wrestling and more. And check out our Weird Islanders Extra! Patreon bonus episode with Sam and us talking more shit about Ed Belfour, a great goalie and true lunatic in his time.

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL

• Jeff Hackett won just five games with the Islanders in 1990-91. If you watch this compilation, five wins seems very, very generous.

• One of his wins that second season was a 4-1 home victory over Winnipeg where he made 41 saves.
• That same season, young Hackett was trucked by future Blackhawks teammate Bob Probert in a game in Detroit. The Islanders were down 8-4 in the third at the time. Rough night for ol’ Hack.
• With Mark Fitzpatrick and Glenn Healy ahead of him, Hackett was left exposed in the 1991 expansion draft. He was selected by the San Jose Sharks, the only team in the league that was worse than the Islanders. He won just 13 times in 78 games as a Shark.

• Getting traded from a terrible expansion team to an original six playoff team sounds great. But the relationship between Hackett and All Star Ed Belfour was most definitely not. Belfour berated and belittled the younger goalie for the better part of four seasons until “The Eagle” was finally dealt to… the Sharks! Belfour was gracious as always on the way out.
• Late Breaking Bonus: Hackett was the starting goalie on the night the Islanders first honored Al Arbour with a banner at Nassau Coliseum on January 25, 1997.

• Hackett spent about two years as the starter for a less than stellar Blackhawks team (16, 26, 29:30), before being traded to the Habs in a deal for another legend, Jocelyn Thibault.
• Somewhat ironically, while playing against the Islanders for Montreal in 1998, Steve Webb barrelled into Hackett and knocked him out of the game.

• After stops in Boston and Philly, Hackett retired due to vertigo.
• In 2011, Bleacher Report ranked the top 100 goalies in NHL history. Hackett was No. 99.
• In 2017, Hackett was elected to the London Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

What makes a “Weird Islander?”

We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:

• Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
• Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.

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The Hamilton Hammers have not had an ideal start to their inaugural season, dealing with a slow start along with key injuries, including one to forward Cole Eiserman, while Mitchell Chaffee, who initially led the Hammers in scoring, has been in the NHL for the better part of a month now.

In light of the injuries, along with a 3-8-2 start, the Hammers have made two moves on Friday morning.

The team first announced they signed AHL veteran Antonio Stranges to a PTO.

Stranges, 24, was a fourth-round pick of the Dallas Stars in 2020. 

He's a veteran of 208 AHL games, all with the Texas Stars. He's also played 18 AHL Playoff games in his career.

Stranges posted 14 goals and 34 points in 70 games last season. The year prior, Stranges posted 18 goals and 43 points in 55 AHL games.

Additionally, the team made a bigger splash by inking longtime NHL veteran Robby Fabbri to a PTO.

Fabbri, 30, is a veteran of 463 NHL games, with his career spanning back to the 2015-16 season.

He played 21 NHL games last year, 15 with the St. Louis Blues, then 6 with the Minnesota Wild.

In those games, he scored 2 goals and 5 points.

Fabbri also played three AHL Games with the Charlotte Checkers. Before that, he hadn’t played an AHL Game since 2018-19.

Fabbri's only ever played a total of 9 AHL games in his entire career, but has 3 goals and 8 points in those games.

Both forwards will be strong depth additions to Hamilton, even if only temporarily via the PTO.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to take on the Buffalo Sabres tonight at 7:00 PM.    

Buffalo Sabres - 7-5-3 - 17 Points - Lost 1 - 7th in the the Atlantic Division  

Columbus Blue Jackets - 7-7-0 - 14 Points - Won 2 - 6th in the Metro

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

• Charlie Coyle notched 0-3-3 on Oct. 1 vs. Buffalo to improve to 10-17-27 in 39 career games against the Sabres.
• Conor Garland has collected 5-6-11 in 14 career meetings against Buffalo, including posting 3-4-7 in seven career trips to KeyBank Center.
• Zach Werenski posted two assists earlier this season on Oct. 1 ys. Buffalo to improve to 2-19-21 in 23 career matchups. He has notched multi-point performances in five of his past eight against the Sabres (1-10-11).
• Jet Greaves owńs a 4-1-0 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.59 goals-against average in five career games vs. Buffalo, while making 30 or more saves in three of his five starts against the Sabres.
• Sean Monahan scored on Oct. 1 vs. the Sabres to improve to 10-15-25 in 27 career games against the club, including points in seven of his last 10 matchups (3-4-7).
• Valeri Nichushkin has recorded 4-8-12 in his last 10 matchups against Buffalo (5-9-14 in 15 career GP overall).
• Matthew Knies has 3-7-10 in 12 career GP with points in 4-straight vs. BUF (3-4-7), including 2-1-3 on Oct. 1. 

Blue Jackets Stats 

• Power Play - 16.2% - 28th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 73.2% - 24th in the NHL
• Goals For - 36 - 32nd in the NHL
• Goals Against - 42 - 5th in the NHL   

Sabres Stats 

• Power Play - 16.3% - 27th in the NHL
• Penalty Kill - 69.8% - 27th in the NHL
• Goals For - 44 - 24th in the NHL
• Goals Against - 50 - 16th in the NHL

Series History vs.Sabres            

• The Blue Jackets are 15-9-0-3 in Buffalo and 30-17-1-3 overall vs. Buffalo.
• Columbus beat Buffalo 6-3 on 10-1. 
• The Blue Jackets have won 5 of their 7 meetings with the Sabres over the past two seasons (5-2-0).
• The Blue Jackets have picked up points in nine of their past 11 trips to KeyBank Center since March 31, 2019 (6-2-3). 
• The Blue Jackets have not surrendered a power play goal in the past nine games of the series (23-for-23 on penalty kill) after finishing 5-for-5 on the PK in the club's matchup earlier this season on Oct. 1.

Who To Watch For TheSabres        

• Tage Thompson leads the Sabres with 10 goals and 18 points. 
• Zach Benson leads Buffalo with 12 assists. 
• Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 4-3-3 with an .874 SV%. His last start was on 10-31.

Injured Reserve & Other Injuries

• Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 14 Games Missed - Lightly skating. Could return soon.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 38

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 93.3 The Bus, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

TV: CBJHN - Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo. DirecTV Ch. 660 (streaming), 660-1 (satellite). U-Verse (1735/735)

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The New York Rangers placed former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer on waivers Thursday, a move that could end his brief stint on Broadway and raises fresh questions about whether the 38-year-old’s will make another appearance with the Rangers at any point this season.

Reimer signed a one-year, $850,000 contract with the Rangers on Oct. 25 after the club’s goaltending situation collapsed early in the 2026-27 season. Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending knee injury, and Joonas Korpisalo was also sidelined, leaving Dylan Garand to carry the bulk of the workload. Reimer had been on a professional tryout with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, where he recorded a 35-save shutout against the Providence Bruins on Oct. 23, becoming the oldest to record one in the AHL in nearly two decades.

His only NHL appearance with the Rangers came four days after signing, on Oct. 26 against the Los Angeles Kings. He was pulled after one period after allowing three goals on eight shots in a 6-3 home loss. With Korpisalo progressing through a conditioning stint (34 saves on 37 shots in a Hartford game Wednesday) and expected to rejoin the team for an upcoming road trip, the Rangers needed the roster spot.

For Leafs fans, the waiver news may close another chapter in a career that began in Toronto. Selected in the fourth round (99th overall) in 2006, Reimer made his NHL debut on Dec. 20, 2010, and quickly seized the starting job. His first start, on New Year’s Day 2011, was a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. He won four of his first five starts and finished the season 20-10-5 with a 2.60 goals-against average, .921 save percentage and three shutouts in 37 games.

The lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign was the high-water mark. Reimer went 19-8-5 with a 2.46 GAA, .924 save percentage and four shutouts, becoming the first Leafs goalie since Ed Belfour in 2004 to lead the team into the playoffs. He started all seven games of that series against Boston, posting a 3-4 record, 2.88 GAA and .923 save percentage. Across parts of six seasons with Toronto he appeared in more than 200 games before being traded to San Jose at the 2016 deadline.

Last season brought a brief, nostalgic return. With Joseph Woll on personal leave, the Leafs signed Reimer to a professional tryout on Sept. 26, 2025. He appeared in a preseason game against the Red Wings in Detroit on Oct. 4, entering mid-game and allowing four goals on 28 shots in a 6-5 overtime loss. The Leafs released him from the tryout two days later after claiming Cayden Primeau off waivers.

Reimer landed in Ottawa in mid-January 2026 after playing for Canada at the Spengler Cup and a short AHL tryout in Belleville. Signed to a one-year deal as the Senators dealt with Linus Ullmark’s personal leave, he appeared in 14 games, going 7-4-2 with a 2.42 GAA, .886 save percentage and one shutout. His final start of the season was a 19-save effort in a 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs on April 15.

Career totals stand at 540 games, a 232-191-67 record, 2.88 GAA, .909 save percentage and 32 shutouts across nine organizations. 

Teams rarely claim goalies of Reimer’s age and recent usage off waivers, and even if he clears and reports to Hartford, opportunities for meaningful NHL starts are limited unless more injuries occur.

Whether this is the end of the line depends less on one poor period than on whether any organization still values a low-cost, experienced body who has seen every situation and can hold the fort for a handful of games. History suggests those spots still exist. The market for them, however, shrinks every year past 35. Reimer has already proven he can find work when the need arises. The open question is how many more times that need will surface for him.

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Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

The Devils blew a three-goal third-period lead, but Jesper Bratt’s breakaway goal in overtime gave New Jersey a 5-4 win over the Blues on Thursday. [Devils NHL]

Connor Hellebuyck addresses his old team ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Jets:

“When the Devils acquired Meier from the San Jose Sharks in 2023, they were hoping they’d just landed the star winger they needed to play with Jack Hughes. It hasn’t worked out that way. Meier has been an uneasy fit in New Jersey from Day 1 and has never fully lived up to the eight-year extension he signed with the club shortly after he arrived. His production and underlying numbers have been … okay.” [Daily Faceoff]

Hockey Links

On Nikita Kucherov: “How aggressively should each team pursue the two-time Hart Trophy winner and three-time scoring champion? This week, The Athletic asked its NHL staff to put teams into four tiers — ‘they should do everything they can,’ ‘they should consider it,’ ‘they should at least look into it’ and ‘they shouldn’t bother’ — based on how they think each club should go about pursuing one of the biggest stars who could be available.” [The Athletic ($)]

“One team was told: ‘We’re not trading Kucherov now. We’re not trading Kucherov at the deadline. It’s his right to become a free agent, but he’s ours through June 30.’ There hasn’t been much back and forth because it appears BriseBois isn’t caught up in the rhetoric. The Lightning are playing the long game.” [Sportsnet]

“The PWHL is mandating neck guards for all players beginning this season, following a trend that has been growing since American hockey player Adam Johnson died from a skate cut in a game in England in 2023.” [Associated Press]

Brock Faber is back on the ice:

“According to the league, 18 players experienced their only career NHL action during the 2021 pandemic-shortened, 56-game season and/or in the 2020 COVID-19 bubble. Of them, five had the rare distinction of never playing in front of a crowd. Pandemic restrictions prevented fans from attending games in Canadian buildings throughout the regular season, and most American rinks didn’t allow fans until the middle or later part of the season, depending on the market. Each of these five players has their own perspective on never hearing the roar of a cheering NHL crowd from the ice.” [The Athletic ($)]

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

The Islanders liked their effort at home against the Hurricanes on Thursday night, but in the end no points were to be had. Sure, there were some nice efforts, but ultimately it was a “they are who we thought they are” performance. It’s gonna be a slog this season.

Islanders News

• About last night: Some nice moments, but familiar issues. [LHH | Newsday | Post]
• Takeaways: Pete DeBoer liked the line of Brayden Schenn with Victor Eklund and Emil Heineman. [Isles]
• U. of Maine alum Ben Hutton is officially on the roster. [Isles]
• The power play continues to suck. [Newsday]
• The players like the fisherman remix. [Newsday | Post]
• Whatever happens to Mat Barzal, it’s probably best that they are taking time with his recovery. [Newsday]
• Submit your personal data for the chance to do Schenn trivia and maybe win a signed puck! [Isles]

Brett Hull and Kelly Chase (a former NHL enforcer going through leukemia treatment) interview one of their idols, Bryan Trottier, about Saskatchewan, how the early Isles mentored him and Clark Gillies, the dynasty and more. They pay proper homage. [Ice Guardians podcast]

Elsewhere

• Some frontrunners for Rookie of the Year, including should-be Islander Jimmy Hagens. [Sportsnet]
• Speculating on the long game the Lightning are playing with Nikita Kucherov. [Sportsnet]
• Brad Marchand will still be out a while and you should feel sad for him. [NHL]
• P.K. Subban sings Hall of Famer Carey Price’s praise. (Man, it would’ve been great to defeat them for the Cup during the pandemic season.) [NHL]

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…

The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered their fourth consecutive loss on Thursday, falling 6-2 to the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena. [Recap]

Penguins head coach Dan Muse has defended Declan Carlile amid criticism of his recent play. While acknowledging Carlile has struggled in key situations and has been on the ice for a team-high 19 5-on-5 goals against, both patience with his development and legitimate criticism of his performance are warranted. [PensBurgh]

Forward Egor Chinakhov has struggled to produce offensively early in the season after making a strong impression when the team acquired him from Columbus last year. The 25-year-old winger has been limited by injuries that caused him to miss several games, and has recorded four points in nine appearances (as of writing), though he has shown signs of regaining his scoring touch in recent contests. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL…

The Winnipeg Jets recalled former Penguins forward prospect Brayden Yager from the AHL’s Manitoba Moose on Thursday, giving the 2023 first-round pick another opportunity with the NHL club. Yager was deployed on the second line in practice, suggesting he may earn a look in the top six. [TSN]

The New York Rangers placed veteran goaltender James Reimer on waivers Thursday after he made just one appearance, allowing three goals on eight shots before being pulled in the first period of an Oct. 26 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. [Sportsnet]

Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber has been medically cleared to return to play after suffering a fractured skull during the preseason, though he does not yet have a set date for his season debut. [Sportsnet]

Although Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand has been skating for more than a week while recovering from a left knee injury, he said Thursday he may not return to the lineup until sometime in December. [NHL]

DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche have spent far too much time this season cleaning up their own messes.

Defensive breakdowns, careless turnovers, and too many nights asking their goaltenders to bail them out have become familiar problems. Thursday night against Nashville, however, offered a much-needed response. The Avalanche still lost 3-2 in overtime, but this time, there was something worth taking away from the effort.

That's not to say Colorado played a perfect game. Far from it. The opening period was another reminder of just how quickly things can unravel when the Avalanche get careless defensively. Nashville scored on its first shot of the night, courtesy of former Avalanche forward Ross Colton, and spent much of the opening frame making Colorado pay for its mistakes.

Jaden Schwartz answered with a blistering one-timer off a feed from Martin Necas, but the Avalanche continued to struggle with puck management and defensive coverage. By the time the first intermission arrived, Nashville had generated nine high-danger scoring chances. Colorado had some serious cleaning up to do.

And, for once, it actually did.

After allowing nine high-danger chances in the first period, the Avalanche surrendered just one over the final 40 minutes. They were more committed to their defensive assignments, did a better job protecting the middle of the ice, and stopped giving Nashville the kind of easy opportunities that had plagued them in their previous meetings.

Head coach Jared Bednar noticed the difference.

"I think there's no doubt in my mind that we played harder and more committed on the defending side," the Avalanche head coach said following the game.

Bednar acknowledged that Colorado was sloppy with the puck early, but felt his team settled into the game as the second period progressed.

HC Jared Bednar on the Avs' effort in OT loss to the Predators:

"Got to be happy with the effort. There's definitely some things that we can improve on, but I like the fact that we played hard and competed hard..."#GoAvsGo | #McRibpic.twitter.com/3rbdrA5fWO

— Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports) November 6, 2026

"I thought we settled in a little bit (in the second period). We did a nice job when we were checking, and then it was trading some scoring chances here and there."

It was an encouraging assessment from a coach who has watched his team struggle to put together complete performances. Bednar wasn't pretending everything was suddenly fixed, either. He made it clear there were still things to clean up, but he liked the commitment and competitiveness his players showed.

Following Tuesday's 7-2 beatdown at the hands of the Blue Jackets, Bednar said he would be changing his coaching approach with the team. Whatever that change was, it seemed to have helped."

Cale Makar and Devon Toews also recognized the effort, although another loss certainly wasn't what either defenseman wanted to be talking about afterward.

Makar felt the team had put together a good performance, pointing to the work ethic and the way players committed to their responsibilities. He also acknowledged that sometimes the bounces simply don't go your way.

"I felt like we had a really good game," Makar said.

Toews, meanwhile, pointed to the team's ability to find its footing after falling behind yet again.

"I felt like we had some good momentum earlier. Again, just by bouncing started behind again, but found a way to crawl back," Toews said.

That last part is worth paying attention to. Colorado has had too many games this season where an early setback turns into a complete unraveling. Thursday wasn't one of them.

Parker Kelly helped bring the Avalanche back with a terrific finish on a two-on-one rush early in the second period, tying the game at 2-2. Mackenzie Blackwood also did his part, stopping 22 of 25 shots and making several important saves to keep Colorado in the game.

Justus Annunen deserves credit, too. The former Avalanche goaltender stopped 30 of 32 shots and made life difficult for a Colorado offense that generated plenty of opportunities but couldn't find the finishing touch.

The power play remains an issue. The Avalanche still seem too interested in finding the perfect shot instead of taking advantage of the opportunities sitting right in front of them. T.J. Hughes had a particularly frustrating chance in the second period when he hesitated on a potential one-timer, allowing Nashville to recover and eventually kill off the penalty.

Those are the kinds of moments that can swing games, especially against a team that isn't giving you much defensively.

Then came overtime. Toews was called for hooking Steven Stamkos during a sequence that could have gone either way. Toews did hook Stamkos and tried to get out of it. However, Stamkos made the smart veteran play by holding Toews' stick in long enough to get the call. Nashville wasted no time and it was none other than Stamkos who buried the game-winner to hand Colorado a third straight loss to the Predators.

It's a frustrating ending, especially after watching the Avalanche work their way back into a game that could have gotten away from them early. But I'm not walking away from Thursday feeling the same way I did after those previous Nashville losses.

There is still plenty to fix. Colorado cannot keep digging itself into holes in the opening period, and the power play needs to be more decisive. But the defensive response was real, and that's something this group needs to carry into its next game.

The Avalanche have shown they can score. They've shown they have goaltending. What they need now is the willingness to defend with the same urgency every night, not just after spending 20 minutes chasing the game.

Colorado gets another shot on Saturday at home against the Detroit Red Wings.

The New Jersey Devils nearly collapsed against the St. Louis Blues. They led 4-1 in the third period but allowed three unanswered goals, sending the game to overtime. The Blues had all the momentum and a comeback in the works. 

It’s the type of game that the Devils weren’t happy with, and they knew it. They were overconfident and played loose at the end, thinking another home win was in the works. A few defensive breakdowns let the Blues back in. “We weren't really emotionally engaged in that third period. We didn't get pucks out; we were cheating a bit when they stayed in the zone,” Jesper Bratt stated after the game. 

Yet, the Devils still ended up on the winning side. In three-on-three overtime, Dougie Hamilton forced a turnover, sent the puck up the ice to spring Jesper Bratt open for a game-winning breakaway goal. The Devils were tested and not only recovered but showed there’s another layer to this team. There’s more character in this group to rebound after allowing three unanswered goals and still come away with a win. 

Devils Got A Wake Up Call, Even In A Win

With a 4-1 lead, the Devils were in control and outplaying the Blues. However, with comfortable leads comes confidence, sometimes too much confidence. The Devils, after overwhelming the Blues through two periods, tried to run up the score, and it cost them. “We just started making it up and tried to see how cool we could be,” head coach Sheldon Keefe stated after the win. 

The Devils closed out games in the past with their chip-and-chase, forecheck, and defense, daring the opponent to skate the full length of the ice for goals. Against the Blues, they were looking for a few extra goals. 

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The defense also drifted away from the style of play that helped build the 4-1 lead. Instead of controlling the puck and moving it out of the defensive zone, they chipped it and gave the Blues more possession as a result. “We just got a little bit off of our game. We were playing a little too defensively, chipping pucks out and not really sustaining pressure,” Connor Hellebuyck added afterwards.

These games are lessons for the Devils, a team that hopes to prove they are contenders this season. To do so, they must take games like these and come back stronger. “Everyone’s learning in this locker room, and lucky for us, we came out on top,” Anthony Mantha stated after the win. 

Devils Show They Can Bounce Back After Rough Games & Within Rough Games

When teams bend, they don’t want to break. However, when they lose momentum, it’s hard to regroup and come out with the win. The Montreal Canadiens learned this firsthand earlier in the week, blowing a 4-0 lead to the Winnipeg Jets in the final four minutes and losing 5-4 in overtime. 

The Devils squandered the 4-1 lead and not only regrouped to force overtime but won it as well. In the past, the Devils wouldn’t hold on and win these games, but they are a different group this season. They can turn the page and find their game to win games. 

It’s not the first time this season they’ve rebounded. They’ve bounced back from rough losses, whether it was the 4-2 loss on Oct. 17 to the Washington Capitals or the 5-2 loss on Oct. 28 to the Colorado Avalanche. The recent game is also not the first time that the Devils lost the grip on the game yet recovered and won. The Nov. 3 game against the Edmonton Oilers saw them blow a 3-1 lead, and they still managed to win 4-3 in the shootout. 

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The Devils have a bend-but-don’t-break mentality, but also know what it takes to win and play that way. “We dictate a lot of our play; it's our game, and we really take it to teams. When we bring our game and stick to it, we're going to get a lot of positive results,” Hellebuyck mentioned after the win over the Blues. With an 11-5 record, the Devils know what winning hockey looks like, and they are still working to play that way every night. “We're just a group that continues to learn. The recipe for us to win games is right there for us. I think there's no shortcuts,” Bratt added afterwards. 

The Message Heading On The Road

The Devils wrapped up a brief homestand with two wins, albeit two close calls that required overtime. Up next is a difficult road trip, another trip that will test this team. It starts with a road game against the New York Islanders on Nov. 7. The Islanders defeated the Devils 6-0 on Oct. 3 at UBS Arena and haven’t lost to their divisional rival since Nov. 9, 2024 (they’ve outscored them 17-1 in the last three matchups). 

Then the Devils face the Toronto Maple Leafs as the second game on a back-to-back. The road trip wraps up on Nov. 10 with a matchup against the Winnipeg Jets in Hellebuyck’s much-anticipated return. 

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What’s the message heading into this road trip? “Nothing changes. Just get back to our game and keep playing a good brand of hockey,” defenseman Luke Hughes stated after the recent win. 

For the Devils, the key is getting back to the style that made them successful. It’s the structure on the defensive end and the focus for all three periods. It helped them on the latest road trip, where they went 2-1 and defeated the Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights. Now, the Devils are hoping it results in another successful three-game trip. 

In his 1980 hit Against the Wind, Detroit-born singer-songwriter Bob Seger tells the story of someone who keeps pushing on and persevering even as they get older and life gets harder. The Vegas Golden Knights might not be ‘living to run and running to live,’ but they sure are fighting and finding ways to win, even when they aren’t playing their best hockey.

That’s certainly what they did tonight in a low-scoring win over against the Detroit Red Wings.

“I liked our first period a lot,” said Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig. “What we didn’t get was rewarded. And then I think we got away from it, because it maybe didn’t show up on the scoreboard. But like I said, we found a way to get it back and get two points.”

Detroit came in waves during the second period, but Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart held the line and made 25 saves in a 2-1 win. Red Wings goaltender Daniil Tarasov held Vegas off the scoresheet until early in the third period, but they stuck with it and eventually broke through.

“We just stuck with it and found a way,” Hart said after the win. “I think that’s what it’s all about in this league, just finding different ways to win. It’s not always gonna be pretty; it’s not always gonna be perfect. And tonight, I thought we just stuck with it and found a way to win.”

“We’re finding ways to gut wins out,” agreed forward Braeden Bowman. “I think our group’s pretty comfortable in those situations.”

1. Defense is Great, But…

The Golden Knights did a lot of good tonight, and I’ll get to that in a minute. But first, the bad.

This team shouldn’t continuously struggle to score. They won tonight, yes. But you won’t win many games scoring fewer than three goals, and the Golden Knights have done that quite a lot recently. 

They scored 41 goals in the first 10 games of the season. In their last eight, they’ve scored just 18 goals. Only 10 of those 18 goals have come at 5-on-5. Both of their goals tonight came at 5-on-5, but they didn’t break through until the third period. 

Sure, you could chalk that up to a great performance by Daniil Tarasov, the Red Wings goalie, who certainly played well. But the fact of the matter is that the Golden Knights have an elite offense, and it’s at least mildly concerning that they continuously struggle to score. 

It’s hard to argue with results, and the Golden Knights have won their last two games and picked up a point in the game before that. But over their past eight games, they’ve only scored more than two goals twice. And one of those 2+ goal games only happened because of two empty-net goals.

Now, onto the good.

2. Watch the Young Man Run (Against the Wind)

The Golden Knights have their fair share of talent on their roster, and the stars usually deliver. The stars can’t shine every night, but that isn’t always a dagger. Recently, the young Golden Knights have stepped up and scored big goals when their team needed them.

Braeden Bowman isn’t a rookie anymore, but he’s still a young player finding his way in this league. His game-tying response goal tonight was just another big moment in a Golden Knights sweater.

“It was a great play right off the face off from Hanny to Oly,” said Bowman following the 2-1 win. “And then [Olofsson] makes a great play to Herts, who slides it over to me, and I just kind of shot it. It went through a couple sticks and found its way in.”

Then, with a minute and 42 seconds remaining in the third period, Golden Knights rookie Trevor Connelly scored yet another big goal to put his team ahead late.

“I knew Jack, we were coming down with speed and kind of saw the D man overcommit,” said Connelly. “I thought if I pulled it around and got a quick shot, it might catch the goalie. Lucky shot for sure.”

This is Connelly’s third straight game with a goal. All three have come in the third period.

“He’s unreal,” said Bowman when asked about Connelly. “He’s doing a great job, and he’s having some fun doing it, too... Kudos to him. He’s playing unbelievable right now.

“He’s so fun to watch. He’s got lightning speed; he can do pretty much everything,” Bowman continued. “There’s not a lot to dislike [about his game]. When he’s out there, he’s playing hard, and he’s getting to those areas that you have to get to. He’s strong on his skates, and he’s fast— he’s really fast. His puck skills are unbelievable, world-class... He can do some pretty elite stuff with the puck, and it’s cool to see it working out in games.”

3. On The Road Again

The Golden Knights might not be fully out of their rough patch, but they sure are fighting through it. Their game isn’t perfect, but they’re sticking with it and finding ways to win. That’s what good teams do. 

“I think we’ve just been finding our game when we need to,” said Braeden Bowman following the win. “We have some periods of games where we’re not at our best, but I think we’ve done a good job of having a ‘bend, don’t break’ mentality and finding our way out of it. And then when we need a big play, there are guys making them.”

NHL players and coaches alike say the game is simpler on the road, and the Golden Knights are echoing those sentiments right now.

“I think it was good timing for us to get on the road,” said goaltender Carter Hart following the 2-1 win. “It’s good to kind of get together and be together on the road for 9 days. Anytime you’re on the road for stretches like that, I think it’s very important for our bonding as a group. It’s been a good trip, and we’re looking forward to keeping it going on Sunday.”

Familiar faces turned foes as the Colorado Avalanche welcomed the Nashville Predators to Ball Arena for the first of four meetings this season. We caught a glimpse of former Avs Ryan O’Reilly, Alex Kerfoot, Jack Drury, Ross Colton, and Justus Annunen.

Oh, and I wouldn’t be surprised if former Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland was in attendance as well. Tonight, the home team erased a one-goal deficit twice only to drop the extra point in overtime after a nasty post and untimely penalty.

The Game

Jack Drury made it clear when the Avalanche played the first time around that the win meant a lot for Ross Colton, saying, “I’m happy for Ross,” after their 6-2 win back on October 25.

Well, Colton would exact even more revenge tonight, getting the scoring going on a play where he didn’t give up on the puck. At 4:01, in the first, Nashville took its first lead of the night, with Ryan O’Reilly getting the assist.

Next, Jaden Schwartz leveled things when Brock Nelson’s forechecking pressure led to a Predators turnover that found Martin Necas’ stick. As Necas left the goal line, he found Schwartz, who was working toward the net. Jaden beat Justus Annunen, and the game was tied 1-1 at 9:11 in the first.

The Predators weren’t done scoring in the first period as Vitali Pinchuk scored his first career NHL goal. He earned the net-front chance after Reid Schaefer stole the puck from Brock Nelson and found him in a dangerous area. The goal came at 14:34 in the first, giving Nashville the 2-1 lead to end the first.

We saw only one goal in the middle frame when Parker Kelly roofed one at 5:08 to tie things at 2-2. Parker Kelly ended up on a break after a great chip play from Logan O’Connor. O’Connor was along the boards and made a heady play to get the puck to the middle of the ice and out of the defensive zone, and Kelly did the rest.

The third period opened up as Nashville and Colorado traded chances, but both Justus Annunen and Mackenzie Blackwood stood tall and came through while their side was down a man. The final frame ended without a goal from either side, and the game went to overtime.

The OT period was all Avalanche until it wasn’t. The home team generated a flurry of chances, including one for Devon Toews, who was all alone after MacKinnon found him streaking toward the net. He beat everything but the post. Soon after, Devon Toews found himself in the penalty box for holding Steven Stamkos.

In the end, Steven Stamkos tied Luc Robitaille for the 5th most power-play goals in NHL history with his game-winner, earning the Predators the extra point and the 3-2 OT victory.

Takeaways

Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was very vocal and honest in the days since Colorado’s 7-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and it seems to have struck a chord at least for tonight. The Avalanche spent a lot of time on the penalty kill, and the Predators have been pretty lethal on the power play so far this season.

We saw the Avalanche approach the kill with attention and urgency, even when typical PK guys like Brent Burns were in the box. That’s just one example, but for me, effort was not an issue this evening.

Mackenzie Blackwood had one incredible save in the first period and what could have been a game-saving save midway through the third and final period. For the most part, both goalies were good tonight, and that always makes for an entertaining game.

I’m getting the sense that although many players on these two teams are friendly off the ice, a budding rivalry could be brewing, and with all the familiarity, it could get juicy. All I know is I’m circling the next Avs vs. Preds game on my calendar, coming in January of 2027.

Nathan MacKinnon left the ice visibly frustrated after the OT loss, which makes sense, as the Avalanche had the win on their stick late in the third on a power-play chance, and again a few times in the bonus period. MacKinnon has been held pointless in 5 of Colorado’s 8 losses.

Up Next

The Detroit Red Wings will come to Denver for a 7 o’clock Saturday matchup with their old flame at Ball Arena.

Steven Stamkos continued to make his mark on the NHL history books on Thursday night, as he hit a major milestone with his game-winning goal.

The Nashville Predators were looking to continue a strong start run of form, as they've won two in a row, as they visited the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night. It also marked Ross Colton and Jack Drury's return to Ball Arena after the duo joined the Predators during the past offseason.

Ross Colton scored the opening goal of the night, just 4:01 into the game, knocking the puck past Mackenzie Blackwood during a scramble in front of the net. It was undoubtedly a special goal for Colton, as it marked his first goal against his former team since being traded.

Just before the halfway point in the opening frame, Jaden Schwartz was able to beat Justus Annunen for his seventh goal of the season to tie things up. Vitali Pinchuk nearly scored his first career goal moments later, but was denied by the goal post.

Pinchuk wouldn't be denied for long though, as at 14:34 in the first period, he scored with a backhand shot from a tight angle, going over Blackwood's shoulder to restore the Predators' lead. 

At 5:08 in the second period, Parker Kelly scored on the rush, beating Annunen on his blocker side, to tie the game once again.

60 minutes weren't enough to determine a winner, as after a scoreless third period, the game went into overtime.

After Devon Toews was penalized for hooking Steven Stamkos, Stamkos scored his 247th career power play goal to not only secure a win for the Predators, but he also tied Los Angeles Kings great Luc Robitaille for fifth on the all-time power play goal leaderboard. Stamkos' goal came off of a one-timer from the top of the circle.

The Predators are now officially on a win-streak, with three straight victories. They'll return home on Saturday as they play the St. Louis Blues at Bridgestone Arena.