Monday’s NHL slate may be small, but it’s packed with excitement as four high-stakes matchups promise fast-paced action, dramatic finishes, and plenty of highlight-reel moments. One of the night’s most intriguing games features the Columbus Blue Jackets taking on the defending back-to-back Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers.

Columbus enters the matchup on a three-game skid, while Edmonton has also struggled with losses in six of its last eight. Both teams are desperate to turn things around. The Blue Jackets are looking to rediscover the momentum that fueled their earlier four-game winning streak, and the Oilers are eager to restore their reputation after suffering a 9–1 blowout loss to the league-leading Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.

For those following our betting challenge, we start with a modest $10 bankroll and aim to grow it through smart, data-driven wagers. In past runs, we’ve turned profits into triple-digit totals. Tonight’s same-game parlay focuses on the Oilers–Blue Jackets matchup, presenting a great opportunity to rebound after our recent hot streak cooled off. Our bankroll had climbed to $264.60 before taking a loss in last Tuesday’s Golden Knights–Red Wings game, but we’re ready to get back on track.

All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly. 

Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM.

Are The Pittsburgh Penguins For Real?Crosby and Malkin are revitalized, leading league-leading Penguins. Can this aging core sustain a Stanley Cup push with solid goaltending and surprisingly deep support?

Picks: Blue Jackets +1.5 & Over 4.5 Goals (-114)

The Oilers’ long-standing goaltending issues continue to be a major problem, with no stability in net. This weakness has cost them dearly during both of their recent Stanley Cup Final runs. So far this season, Edmonton is allowing an average of 3.44 goals per game, ranking among the NHL’s bottom five teams defensively. Their offense has not been able to make up the difference, which was clear on Saturday when they were dominated at home by Colorado.

Heading into Monday’s matchup, the Oilers will be desperate for a strong response after widespread criticism suggesting they lack what it takes to make the playoffs, let alone return to the Stanley Cup Final.

The Blue Jackets are also looking to end their recent skid. Even though they enter as significant underdogs, they have won five of their last seven meetings with Edmonton. Goals should be expected in this matchup, as these teams have combined for four or more goals in 11 straight games against each other.

Columbus has also struggled on the defensive end, ranking 12th-worst in the league with a 3.21 goals-against average this season. However, the Blue Jackets have been strong against the spread, going 8-3 when listed as underdogs. The Oilers, in contrast, have one of the league’s worst betting records at 4-12 against the spread this season.

With a $10 bankroll, a wager on the Blue Jackets and the over at -114 odds would return a profit of $8.80 for a total payout of $18.80. With a full NHL slate scheduled for Tuesday, it is an ideal opportunity to build on momentum and continue growing the bankroll.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to face the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place.

The Edmonton Oilers are going to come into this game angry. The Oilers were absolutely demolished by the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday by a score of 9-1. They will be looking to let out some frustration and blow the doors off the Jackets. They come into the game 4-3-3 in their last 10 games and have lost three straight games, and they desperately need a win.

The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, have also lost three straight and sit at NHL .500 with a record of 7-7. Much like Edmonton, Columbus really needs to break out of this slide. The Jackets typically play tough in Edmonton; they just can't get the wins. All-time, they are 9-23-0-2 on the road inside Rogers Place. Yeah, not good. 

Something positive needs to happen for the Dean Evason and the Columbus Blue Jackets tonight. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 14.7% - 29th in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 70.7% - 27th in NHL
• Goals For - 43 - 25th in NHL
• Goals Against - 45 - 15th in NHL

Oilers Stats

• Power Play - 33.3% - 2nd in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 81.8% - 12th in NHL
• Goals For - 47 - 14th in NHL
• Goals Against - 55 - 26th in NHL

Series History vs. Oilers

• Columbus is 27-36-3-3 all-time, and 9-23-0-2 on the road vs. Edmonton.
• The Jackets are 5-2 in the last 7 games against the Oilers.
• The CBJ went 1-1 vs. the Oilers last season.

Who To Watch For The Oilers

• Connor McDavid leads the Oilers with 17 assists and 22 points.
• Leon Draisaitl leads Edmonton with 10 goals.
• Stuart Skinner is 4-4-3 with a SV% of .889.
• Calvin Pickard is 5-2-2 with a SV% of .836.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Oilers

• Zach Werenski has 8 points in 12 games against the Oilers.
• Sean Monahan has 27 points in 45 games.
• Cole Sillinger has 9 points in 8 career games against Edmonton.

Injuries - Gudbranson on IR

• Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 6 games - IR

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 16

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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When Kent Hughes decided that Alexander Romanov was expendable and struck a deal with the New York Islanders for their first-round pick in 2022, he was doing it because he needed a second-line center. He thought the Chicago Blackhawks' Kirby Dach would be it. After three seasons and two significant knee injuries, whether he can be that player for the Montreal Canadiens remains in doubt. He has played in only 48% of the Canadiens' games since being acquired, making it hard to know what he can really do.

In his first season in Montreal, he showed some great flashes, and at some point, there were even fans ready to crown him first circle over Nick Suzuki. Needless to say, those days are long gone. This is the last year of the bridge contract Dach signed when he arrived, and that means this season is a significant one for him, and so far, so good.

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When playing with Zachary Bolduc and Brendan Gallagher this season, he has six points in eight games, for a total of seven points in 12 matches. Projected on 79 games (since he’s missed three games so far), that’s a 46-point pace, which would be the highest total of his career. Since being reunited with Gallagher in the game against the Philadelphia Flyers, he has four goals in three games, and after scoring a beauty on the breakaway, he was shown on the Canadiens’ bench sharing a laugh with coach Martin St-Louis, which illustrates the good mindset he’s in.

TVA Sports (@TVASports) on XToute une feinte de Kirby Dach et Martin St-Louis apprécie!

At the faceoff dot, he’s got a 45.9% success rate, which is over five percent better than he has ever had in his career. On Thursday night in New Jersey, he won the five face-offs he took, which is an excellent sign of improvement. Speaking about Dach’s play this season on Saturday night, the coach said:

I was really happy he scored at the end . He’s another guy who I feel like is really trying to play with the right intentions, in terms of on the other side of the puck, and he’s getting rewarded. It’s so nice when a player’s really bought in, and working at it, and asking questions, and looking at video, and his actions are actually matching what he’s saying when he’s talking… His habits are matching what he says that he wants. It’s rare (players playing the right way) don’t get rewarded, especially with the tools that he has. The game almost becomes a little bit easier. Not that it’s easy, but easier in the sense that you’re always in the right spots, and when you do that, you’re going to touch the puck more. You’re not just working hard, you’re not just sweating, you’re actually playing with a lot of purpose on the ice. And that’s what he’s doing. And you want those players to get rewarded.

- St-Louis on Dach

Of course, 46 points in a season isn’t really worthy of a top-end second-line center, but Dach is improving daily, and it takes time for a player to get results when he plays the St-Louis way. Just look at Cole Caufield, who saw his goal production go down momentarily while he was learning to play the way his coach wants him to play. Speaking of Caufield, he had this to say about what makes the big center perform so well after the last game:

I'd say confidence, and you know, just him getting his legs back. I think, obviously, nobody truly knows what he's been going through the last couple of years, and that's the type of player we expect in this room. He's been doing that consistently for the past 5-6 games. It definitely makes our team a lot deeper, and I'm proud of him for how hard he's worked, and the success. There's more to come.

- Caufield on Dach

The sniper clearly believes there’s more to come from Dach, and it does seem to trend that way. There are already talks that his performance might be worthy of getting another try with Ivan Demidov on his wing, and while I understand the point, I wouldn’t rush it. Dach and Demidov are both doing well on their respective lines right now, and playing with Gallagher and Bolduc, there’s less pressure on Dach. I’m not advocating for never playing them together, but for now, with the team winning and their respective lines being productive, I’d stick to the current formula.

Somewhere down the line, they will be reunited. They have to, since it’s Dach’s contract year and Kent Hughes is higher on Dach’s ceiling, but there are still 67 games left in the season. That’s plenty of time, as long as he remains healthy, of course, but you can’t rush the process just in case he gets injured again.

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Dennis Hildeby did as much as he could in the Toronto Maple Leafs' 5-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

Fresh off a call-up from the AHL's Toronto Marlies on Saturday afternoon, the 24-year-old has seen 67 shots combined from the Hurricanes and Boston Bruins in the last two days. And he looked strong despite the .894 save percentage on Sunday night vs. Carolina.

"He made a lot of saves," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said after the loss. "I mean, we gave him, what, three breakaways in the second period? Maybe four, I don't know. I lost count. You know, (the loss) has nothing to do with the goalie."

What was going through Hildeby's mind when the Hurricanes were skating in all alone, one after another, in the middle frame?

"I mean, it happens," he said.

"You just got to try and stop them. It's not going to look like that entire game. It's just for that certain moment that things aren't going that well, so yeah, we had some fortunate bounces there with the bar and the post, like I said."

‘It’s Obviously Not Up To Par’: Anthony Stolarz Assesses His Play After Being Pulled By Maple Leafs In Loss To The BruinsAnthony Stolarz has seen his play decline as the Leafs' goaltender has seen an increased workload.

Toronto was up in the game 4-2 before the Hurricanes stormed back with three unanswered goals. Carolina's 47 shots on goal were the most Hildeby has ever faced in his NHL career. Matter of fact, it's the most shots he's ever faced during his professional career in North America.

"They threw a lot of pucks to the net, which can get tough," Hildeby said. "We created some chances, but a couple of mistakes there from me there, on the third especially, which kind of messed up our two-lead there."

Through two games with the Maple Leafs, Hildeby has a .910 save percentage. He got the start against the Hurricanes to allow Anthony Stolarz to get rest after being yanked early in the second period against the Bruins.

Omar (@TicTacTOmar) on Xthese are all from this period lead or no lead, this has got to stop

We don't know what Stolarz would've brought had he played on Sunday. However, we do know one thing: if the Maple Leafs need to go to Hildeby again at some point, I'd say there's confidence from Berube to put him in the net.

"Yeah, I mean, he's the reason why we had a chance to win the hockey game," said John Tavares. "I thought he was phenomenal. A heck of a job on the PK, especially in the third period too. Tight hockey game. So, he was great."

---

Below is more from Hildeby after the game on his performance, plus what it was like to be a part of the Hockey Hall of Fame game.

Q: Overall, how did you feel about your performance?
A: Tough to analyze shortly after, but yeah, a lot of good stuff, but a couple of bad stuff too, which kind of cost us there, so yeah, it's tough to analyze.

Q: What were the mistakes in the game?
A: I just forgot to stop the puck there. Yeah, I know a lot of shots, which was fun.

Q: A chunk of those shots coming from breakaways and giveaways, how difficult was that to deal with? 
A: Yeah, a breakaway is harder than a shot from the blue line usually, so it's definitely a harder chance, but I had some luck there with the post and the bar a couple of times.

Q: What was it like to be part of the Hall of Fame game, the ceremony or the game? What was it like to be part of a night like this?
A: It was fun. I saw some great legends there. I wasn't really too sure about where I was supposed to stand. I didn't really know much before, but I had a ton of fun. It just sucks we couldn't get them a win.

Q: What was it like seeing Mats Sundin there?
A: It's always a pleasure. I've run into him before. He’s quite a huge legend in Sweden and in Toronto, obviously, so it's always fun seeing him.

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The New York Islanders snapped their two-game skid on Saturday inside Madison Square Garden, kicking off what’s to be a massive seven-game road trip through the heart of November.

For the final six teams on this road trip, it’s the first meeting of the season for the Islanders, all except against the Detroit Red Wings at the tail end of the trip. All six teams are at least two games above .500, and all but Detroit and Utah are in the top two of their division.

Starting strong against the struggling New York Rangers became almost a must-win for the Islanders, as the Blueshirts are currently the worst team they’ll face during this gauntlet away from UBS Arena.

Tonight, the first game will be against the New Jersey Devils, the last game in the Eastern Time Zone for 10 days for the Islanders.

The Devils have won three of their last four games, and will be a team that enjoys playing with speed in the same way the Islanders do. The key to surviving against them will be structured play, otherwise New Jersey can poke some serious holes in New York’s defense.

After tonight, the Islanders ship out west, beginning with a Thursday night game in Las Vegas, where the Golden Knights await. Through their first seven trips against Vegas, New York’s gone 4-3-0, with Vegas being a top team every year throughout their franchise’s history.

This year, Vegas added Mitch Marner, making a deadly team that much more dangerous. 

The very next night, the Utah Mammoth plays host to the Islanders, kicking off what will be three-straight games against Central Division foes, all against teams with a record above .500.

It’s a quick turnaround for New York, bouncing between time zones for a road back-to-back against high-speed teams, something that could easily exhaust the Islanders.

Unfortunately for the Islanders, the road isn’t getting any easier after that. After just one off day, they’ll be in Denver for a Sunday night clash with Brock Nelson and the Colorado Avalanche. The game would be Calum Ritchie's first against the team that drafted him, too.

Colorado is 10-1-5 thus far, and on Saturday decimated the Edmonton Oilers 9-1. It’s not going to be easy by any stretch of the word.

In case you think it gets any easier, the Islanders close up the Western swing 48 hours later, squaring off with the Dallas Stars in Texas.

If you’re exhausted just thinking about playing Vegas, Utah, Colorado and Dallas, just remember those four games come in six days, with long travel dotting the way, including that time-zone switch between Vegas and Utah.

Every single point the Islanders can earn out west will be monumental, as the schedule is nothing less than a brutal gauntlet against some of the best teams in the NHL in an abbreviated trip. 

It all ends next Thursday, when on the way back home from Texas, the Islanders fly northeast to Detroit, where the Red Wings host the Islanders. The Islanders pummeled Detroit 7-2 in UBS Arena on October 23, when Detroit came in on the second half of a back-to-back.

Last year, the Red Wings swept the Islanders, with all results coming in regulation.

Nothing’s a given about this road trip. If the Islanders can scratch a .500 or better record over the next six games, it’ll go a long way to keeping them in the fight.

During a compressed schedule due to the Olympics in February, survival over the long haul becomes the biggest key.

While obviously dominating on this road trip and going on a run would be the best-case scenario, it's a brutal stretch for any team. Just gritting out points to keep themselves afloat is the biggest key throughout this run.

After this stretch of games, the Islanders get rewarded with a seven-game home stretch, and 13 of their next 17 at UBS Arena, with the all 17 getting played inside the Eastern Time Zone.

It all starts tonight in New Jersey, with puck drop coming just after 7 o’cloc

On Sunday, the Chicago Blackhawks ended their six-game road trip with a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. With a 3-2-1 trip, the Blackhawks are now 8-5-3 for 19 standings points. This latest victory put them in a top-three spot of the Central Division. 

There have been many key contributors to this success, and one of them is Artyom Levshunov. The 2024 second overall pick has been great lately, as he is starting to show why he was such a highly touted prospect. 

Levshunov's two assists against the Red Wings give him six on the six-game road trip. He is now up to nine in 15 games on the season. Levshunov is still awaiting his first career NHL goal, but that will come soon enough. The chances are there for both him and his teammates.

With the way his development has come along since the beginning of training camp, it is clear that Jeff Blashill has been great for him. 

For one, Blashill moved Levshunov to the first power play unit when they were struggling. He replaced Sam Rinzel on the top unit, and they've taken off since. Levshunov finds lanes to make great passes to the forwards in areas where they can then make creative plays towards the net. 

Since that move, the power play has taken off, including a 3/3 performance against the Red Wings on Sunday. Levshunov assisted on two of those three goals. 

"He's definitely continuing to get better," Blashill said of Levshunov on Sunday after their win over the Wings. "Probably at the end of the game tonight, he got a little bit loose. We had a conversation earlier in the year about attacking the game and being assertive. He's a guy who plays on his instincts, and his instincts are good."

The head coach has trust in the player, which is paramount to his development if he is going to continue playing in the NHL over the AHL. Blashill runs the 11/7 strategy in most games, which is meant to help the young defensemen stay fresh. Levshunov has been the one to benefit most from this. 

When the Blackhawks selected Levshunov second overall in the 2024 draft, they envisioned him being a guy who can play on a top pair for an elite team. Well, with Sam Rinzel and Alex Vlasic also there with him, there is no pressure. They can just roll out really good defensemen regularly. 

Blashill won't go with 11 forwards and 7 defensemen forever, but it's helping Levshunov (and other young guys) grow into their NHL bodies. The impact being made on Levshunov is clear every game.

His compete, love for his teammates, and desire to be the best are all things he does on his own. Creating good habits to impact his game for the better is where Blashill comes in handy. 

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

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Florida Panthers will wrap up their four-game western swing on Monday night when they visit the Vegas Golden Knights.

Florida has won just one of three so far on the trip, though it can be argued that they've deserved a better result. 

After kicking off the roadie with an embarrassing 7-3 loss in Anaheim, Florida put together one of their strongest outings of the season two nights later in Los Angeles, defeating the Kings 5-2.

Unfortunately for the Cats, they weren’t able to build any momentum on the victory, at least in the standings, due to them getting goalied by Yaroslav Askarov on Saturday night in San Jose.

Florida dominated the final 40 minutes of that game but couldn’t get the puck past San Jose’s spectacular young goaltender and ultimately had to accept the undeserved defeat.

Now, if the Panthers can wrap up the road trip with a strong, resounding win in a very tough building to play at, it would go a long way toward treating this adversity-filled expedition as a positive experience.

This game will also be the second and final meeting between Florida and the Golden Knights this season.

They previously locked horns just over two weeks ago, a game the Panthers were quite pleased with.

Sergei Bobrovsky, who is expected to start on Monday, turned aside 26 shots while helping the Cats to a 3-0 win over Vegas.

We’ll see if they find a way to pull off a repeat performance in a building that, for many of these players, comes with some pretty harsh memories.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Monday’s matchup in Vegas:

Carter Verhaeghe – Evan Rodrigues – Sam Reinhart

Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand

Jesper Boqvist – Sam Bennett – Mackie Samoskevich

A.J. Greer – Cole Schwindt – Noah Gregor

Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad

Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones

Dominic Sebrango – Jeff Petry

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Photo caption: Nov 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends the goal against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images)

The Buffalo Sabres are back to their losing ways, falling Saturday to the Carolina Hurricanes by a 6-3 score. Two days earlier. They were shut out by the lowly St. Louis Blue Jackets. So they’ve now put together a trio of three-game losing streaks this season and sit dead-last in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference.

And if Buffalo loses its next two games – a distinct possibility, given that they’ll be taking on the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche – the Sabres will have lost eight of their past 10 games. 

If you’re a new Sabres fan, you have to be shuddering at those nuggets of info. If you’re a long-time, long-suffering Sabres fan, you have to be sighing in exasperation at them. It’s a familiar feeling in Buffalo – excuses, letdowns, anything but consistently above-average performances.  

And it isn’t just *that* the Sabres are losing it’s *how* they’re losing. Indeed, their last two defeats have come in regulation time, robbing them of the so-called “loser point”. If they did get one or two more loser’s points, Buffalo would be right there in the thick of things. Instead, they’re on the periphery.

We’ve been saying it frequently because it bears repeating: the Sabres have to win far more series than not, and when Buffalo does lose – they need to earn as many loser’s points as possible. It’s going to take somewhere in the area of 40-45 wins to make the Stanley Cup playoffs this season, and that means the Sabres will need to improve on the 36 wins they posted last season.

Sabres Entering Stretch That Could Spell End Of The Line For GM, CoachThe Sabres once again are in a difficult stretch. And if they can't win more consistently, the jobs of GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff are in serious jeopardy.

After the Mammoth and Avalanche games, the Sabres will take on the Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers ,Calgary Flames and Chicago Blackhawks. The Wings and Oilers present a serious challenge for Buffalo, but the games against the sad-sack Flames and Blackhawks are games the Sabres absolutely need to win in if they’re going to be a playoff team this season.

The Sabres can’t keep meandering along and expect to be a playoff team. Buffalo has been bitten hard by the injury bug this year, but the time for excuses has come and gone. We’re more or less at the 20 percent mark of the season, and that sound you hear is the tick-tick-ticking of the clock that’s counting down this iteration of the Sabres. 

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

We’re nearly at the point of no return with this group of Sabres talent, and Buffalo's players know it. It’s time for this Sabres team to either put up or shut up. And the time for the Sabres to do so is right now.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

After a brief two-game road trip and before another three-game road trip, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night at Honda Center. The Ducks entered play on a six-game winning streak and having won eight of their prior nine games, including the night before in Las Vegas, where they defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in OT.

The Jets dropped back-to-back games to the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks to kick off the California leg of their six-game road trip.

Game #15: Ducks vs. Jets Gameday Preview (11/09/25)

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 OT Win over the Golden Knights

Before the game, the Ducks activated forward Ryan Strome off IR, but he did not make it into the lineup for this game. The Ducks went with the same lineup that earned them their last four victories.

The Jets inserted Cole Perfetti into their lineup for this game for his season debut.

Lukas Dostal returned to the Ducks’ net for the start of this game for the 12th time in the Ducks’ first 15 games of the season. He stopped 23 of 24 shots.

In the Winnipeg crease, Eric Comrie got the start and saved 17 of 21.

Game Notes

This was the Ducks’ best 60-minute, 200-foot effort of the season. They’d made a habit of starting games slowly and ramping up after getting settled. No such thing happened in this game. In every situation (5v5, power play, penalty kill), the Ducks were aggressive and dictated the flow of play.

They were cohesive in the defensive zone, which sparked rush opportunities, where they were ever-dangerous and effective, before winning pucks back and going to work on the cycle. The stars kept shining, and the unsungs made every little decision right to keep pucks and bodies away from Dostal.

"There's still some small stuff we need to get better at, which says a lot about our team," Leo Carlsson said after the game. "That we can get better, which is nice as well."

Defensive Zone Coverage: The Ducks’ coverage had one notable, if slight, hiccup that wound up in the back of their net. On occasion, they’re susceptible to sorting issues after pressure has been established. If there’s an activated defenseman or reactivated high F3, the center and/or weak-side defenseman has been a split second late to recognize and eliminate a seam.

Other than that, and in every zone, they played more defensively flawless hockey than they had at any point this season. They were killing plays early, recovering when pucks didn’t make it to safety, and forechecking in waves to continue attacking at every turn. A subtle, yet impactful benefit of switching to a zone coverage system comes when loose pucks find their way to corners and the boards. Defensemen now have a better probability of winning loose pucks due to not having to shadow an attacker throughout the entire zone. In man-to-man, every puck is a 50/50 by default.

61-23-45: Cutter Gauthier has established himself as an elite NHL goalscorer in his second year in the league. So, of course, he subverts expectations and has taken his playmaking abilities to an unexpected level. He’s drawing the attention of defenders, both at 5v5 and on the man-advantage, before manipulating the on-puck assignment and finding his linemates in dangerous ice. Beckett Sennecke could have had a few more than the two he potted in this one, thanks to Gauthier alone.

"I thought he had the puck a lot," head coach Joel Quenneville said of Gauthier after the game. "Even when it wasn't his, he found a way to get it back. I think he's having a more effective stick and he's a threat to shoot from anywhere. 

"His release is pretty good. Sometimes, it's drawing a lot of attention, that shot. Then all of a sudden, things are opening up, and he's god good play recognition and can make seam passes. He had a couple of nice plays."

Speaking of Sennecke, with the puck on his stick, he’s clearly becoming more comfortable in open ice and along the walls, as he’s now dictating and driving offense for his line for extended stretches. He’s scanning and anticipating on the defensive side of the puck, and his stick is breaking up plays and igniting odd-man opportunities.

McTavish is filling in the vacancies in Gauthier’s and Sennecke’s games, specifically, small-area play, where McTavish’s skill, size, and motor are on full display.

20-91-19: The Ducks’ top six was everything they’d have been expected to be in this game. Chris Kreider continues his dominance below the bottom of the circles, and Troy Terry has developed a rapport with Leo Carlsson in transition. Terry’s manipulation of defenders just inside the offensive blueline has become an area Carlsson has recognized as one where attention will be off him, and he can find space where Terry can feed him for potent downhill looks.

Ryan Poehling/Penalty Kill: The Ducks' PK had a good showing after a shaky stretch against the Dallas Stars and Golden Knights. The PK goes into an all-out pressure when pucks are on the boards, and are looking to pounce on any that are fumbled that they can turn up ice the other way. When attackers had clear possession, they were smart to recover and protect the middle, so as not to expose seams and keep pucks on the perimeter.

Poehling, in particular, and with his speed, was a one-man play killer in the middle of the ice in the defensive zone. He got sticks on pucks on the forecheck and broke up passing attempts in every zone. He’s one of the aforementioned unsungs of this game.

The Ducks, the NHL’s second-best team, will continue their gauntlet schedule of Cup contenders on Tuesday, when they’ll travel to Denver to face the Colorado Avalanche, the NHL’s best team.

Ducks Hot Start May Mean Olympic Consideration for Some Players

Takeaways from the Ducks 7-5 Win over the Stars

Takeaways from the Ducks 7-3 Win over the Panthers

Curse begone! 

Gavin Brindley scored in overtime and the Colorado Avalanche eradicated their five consecutive overtime loss streak with a 5-4 win Sunday night at Rogers Arena.  

B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) on XBRINDLEY CALLS GAME WITH HIS FIRST CAREER GWG 🚨

Nathan MacKinnon led the way with a five-point night, scoring twice—including a power-play marker—and adding three assists. He finished the weekend with nine points after posting a two-goal, two-assist performance in Colorado’s 9–1 win over the Oilers on Saturday. He now leads the NHL in goals (14) and points (29). But he was far from the only Avalanche player who shined. 

Artturi Lehkonen scored twice, including a power-play goal, to help propel Colorado to the win. Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin also chipped in with two assists each. Mackenzie Blackwood made 29 saves in his second start of the year. 

For Vancouver, they saw goals from Linus Karlsson, Kiefer Sherwood, Jake DeBrusk, and Drew O’Connor. Kevin Lankinen stopped 27 shots. 

First Period 

At 6:41 of the period, Makar glided through the neutral zone and into the right circle before slipping the puck to Nichushkin. Nichushkin deftly sold the shot, toe-dragging the puck across the slot and freezing the defense just long enough for MacKinnon to step into a one-timer, hammering it into an open net as Lankinen was completely fooled to give Colorado a 1–0 lead. 

Moments later, after Ross Colton drew a slashing penalty, the Avalanche struck again on the power play. Victor Olofsson left a drop pass for MacKinnon in the slot—sloppy, perhaps, but serviceable—and MacKinnon, in true professional form, corralled the puck and fired it anyway, beating the goaltender for his second goal of the game. 

Vancouver broke through at 11:47 of the period when Linus Karlsson punched in a rebound past a sprawling Blackwood. Filip Hronek fired a shot from the point through traffic, the puck kicking off Blackwood’s pads before a brief stick battle with Devon Toews unfolded on the left side of the crease. Karlsson’s second backhand attempt finally found daylight, giving the Canucks their first of the night. 

Makar was whistled late in the period after Conor Garland took an extra jab at Blackwood following a cover-up. Makar took immediate exception, corralling Garland from behind and driving him to the ice, earning a roughing penalty in the process. The Avs killed the penalty and late in the kill, Drury went on a breakaway but was turned away by Lankinen. 

Second Period 

The Canucks evened the score at 1:55 of the second period when Sherwood slipped a backhand past Blackwood following a mismanaged clearing attempt by Toews that left the puck in Vancouver’s hands. 

At 10:08, Nichushkin was assessed a holding penalty on DeBrusk as the latter charged the net. The call was peculiar, as replay showed Nichushkin had collided with DeBrusk but made no discernible attempt to restrain him. Colorado’s penalty kill, however, held firm once again. 

Vancouver dictated the pace for extended stretches, yet Toews nearly swung momentum back in Colorado’s favor with a sharp one-timer from the point with roughly six minutes remaining, only to be denied by Lankinen. 

Late in the period, Olofsson was sent to the box for holding Garland along the boards, but the Avalanche’s penalty kill remained impenetrable, successfully killing off their fourth infraction of the game. 

Third Period 

The Avalanche reclaimed a 3–2 lead just 30 seconds into the third period when Lehkonen deftly redirected Brent Burns’ slap-pass from the left slot while being checked by Quinn Hughes. After a turbulent second frame, Colorado opened the third with conviction. 

The Avalanche earned a power play at 6:45 after Evander Kane tripped Cale Makar, but the advantage quickly unraveled. Nichushkin turned the puck over twice—surviving the first miscue but paying dearly for the second, as O’Connor intercepted the play, broke free, and beat Blackwood on a clean breakaway to knot the game at three. 

Brindley then drew a holding penalty on Tom Willander with 10:50 remaining, granting Colorado another opportunity on the man advantage. Thirty-seven seconds later, Lehkonen capitalized again, jamming home a rebound off a Marty Necas shot to restore the Avalanche lead at 4–3. 

As the clock approached the four-minute mark, Vancouver surged. Blackwood answered with a pair of crucial stops—first stoning Hughes on a wrist shot, then denying Pettersson’s backhand attempt after a slick deke, despite momentarily losing the rebound. Colorado managed to clear the danger. 

Moments later, Gabriel Landeskog cross-checked Hughes in the back, handing the Canucks a late power play. Vancouver wasted no time, as Brock Boeser threaded a pass to DeBrusk for a sweet redirection that eluded Blackwood, tying the game 4–4 with 3:01 left in regulation. 

Makar pressed in the final seconds, unleashing several challenging shots on Lankinen, but the Vancouver netminder turned them all aside. Overtime beckoned. 

Overtime 

Curse begone. After five consecutive overtime losses, the Avalanche finally exorcised their demons. Brindley carried the puck up the ice and fired a shot from the left circle that Lankinen kicked aside. The rebound, however, proved costly—Lankinen misplayed it, allowing Brindley to swoop in and poke it home, securing a dramatic overtime victory for Colorado. 

Next Game 

The Avalanche (10-1-5) return home on Tuesday to face the Anaheim Ducks (11-3-1) at Ball Arena. Puck drop is at 7 p.m. local time.  

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Obviously, there is such a thing as getting too far ahead of the curve in sports.

Anything can change at any moment. Players can look like all-timers one day and the league’s worst the next. Organizations can change gears depending on results and on the pipeline. There is an element of unpredictability in sports - and, in this case, hockey - that makes them exciting.

And that is especially true with young players. On Sunday afternoon, the Pittsburgh Penguins debuted their top goaltending prospect, Sergei Murashov, at home against the Los Angeles Kings on the second leg of a back-to-back. Murashov, 21, earned the call-up after a roaring start at the AHL level for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - which included a .931 save percentage and a 1.73 goals-against average - and after it was announced that veteran netminder Tristan Jarry would miss at least the next three weeks with a lower-body injury. 

The Penguins may have dropped the contest, 3-2, but Murashov had some moments to shine. And - regardless of the result - the fanfare around his debut speaks to a larger narrative.

The game against the Kings was their second sellout of the season, and yeah, it probably had a thing or two to do with the fact that it was a Sunday afternoon game and that the Pittsburgh Steelers did not play until the evening since they were in San Diego to face the Chargers. But this team is also just exciting, and a large part of that has been the emergence of a trio of young players who have fans looking forward to the future - and who have been helping the Penguins win hockey games.

Murashov - along with 18-year-old forward Ben Kindel and 19-year-old defenseman Harrison Brunicke - are all now on the Penguins’ current active roster. Each of them are the best prospects at their respective positions that the Penguins have to offer right now, and each of them has made a sooner-than-expected NHL arrival. 

Takeaways: Penguins Fall To Kings, 3-2, For Third Loss In Four GamesAfter earning just one of four points on a back-to-back weekend set against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/">New Jersey Devils</a> and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings">Los Angeles Kings</a>, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> may just welcome the brief Swedish vacation they’ll embark on starting Monday.

Of course, things are just beginning for Murashov. Brunicke has not received consistent playing time as of late, and a decision about his future looms since he hit the nine-game mark Monday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And Kindel continues to impress at the NHL level this season, as he has five goals and seven points in 15 games. 

Even if things aren’t coming to fruition at the same time for each of them, one thing is abundantly clear: The Penguins have more talent in their system right now than they have in many years, and these three players figure to be a huge part of their future.

In fact, they very well could represent three key pieces of their future core. And because the Penguins might have that “core” piece at each position already in their organization and making some degree of impact at the NHL level, it could certainly change a lot about the Penguins’ approach to building out the rest of the team.

Kindle, a center, has shown an NHL readiness that not many expected so soon. At 18, he doesn’t look a touch out of place, and his all-around game is already operating at a high level. So far, he is looking like a lottery-level talent, and the Penguins may just have a core or franchise-level center on their hands - something that certainly helps a rebuild along.

Penguins' Top Prospect Ben Kindel Gets Big OpportunityThere have been a ton of boxes checked for <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' rookie sensation Ben Kindel in the last two months.

Then, there is the smooth-skating Brunicke, who - even if he may not quite be as NHL-ready as Kindel has shown up to this point - is pretty advanced for a teenage blueliner. Once he gets up to NHL speed on his reads - namely in the defensive zone - he should be a force to be reckoned with, as he has shown high-ceiling ability in transition and offensively and could be a top-pairing defenseman a few years down the road.

And, as for Murashov - the newest arrival - it’s difficult to point to a goaltending prospect the Penguins have had with this much hype since Marc-Andre Fleury, who debuted with Pittsburgh in 2003 and retired second all-time in wins. The young Russian netminder has dominated at every level of professional hockey in his young career, and he was the Penguins’ best goaltender throughout the pre-season. His stint may not last beyond Jarry’s injury, but if he shows well, the Penguins could rest assured that they may have a star talent waiting in the wings.

Of course, a lot else needs to go right, too, for the Penguins to have a sustained window of success in the future. They will probably need another center as part of their core, and that could be someone they may or may not already have. A left defenseman to complement Brunicke would be ideal as well, in addition to a top-line winger - someone the Penguins may also already have in Rutger McGroarty.

But, if the trio of Kindel, Brunicke, and Murashov do pan out and are part of that future core for the Penguins, that means the future is already here - and that means it’s looking bright, too.

Opinion: Despite Struggles, Brunicke Should Remain With PenguinsThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> made a flurry of moves Tuesday, sending young blueliner Owen Pickering back to the AHL, placing three others on injured reserve, <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-call-up-3-players-announce-several-roster-moves">and recalling two veterans and top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov from the AHL</a>.

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It's no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been one of the top storylines of the 2025-26 NHL season so far. 

They were 8-2-2 heading into November, good for first in the entire NHL. It was a start that nobody saw coming, considering almost everyone in the national media picked them to be one of the worst teams in the league.

Their schedule got a bit tougher at the turn of the month, and they just finished up a stretch of five games in the first nine days of November. They went 1-3-1 in those games and now have the next five days off before they play two games against the Nashville Predators in Sweden. The two games are part of the NHL's Global Series.

Part of that 1-3-1 stretch was from this past Thursday through Sunday, when they played three games in four nights. They beat the Washington Capitals on Thursday before playing a really strong game against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. They got a point out of Saturday's game, even though they probably deserved two, before losing in regulation to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday. 

Sunday's contest against the Kings started well for the Penguins, who led twice, including in the third period, before losing 3-2. It looked like they ran out of gas in the third period, as their forecheck wasn't there, and they were lackluster in their own zone. Even Penguins captain Sidney Crosby enjoyed one of his quietest games of the season. Once Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made a save on a great Bryan Rust chance early in the third period, it was lights out from there. 

Now that this busy stretch is over, the Penguins will have two games in a 12-day span. They'll fly to Sweden on Monday before playing the first of two against the Predators on Friday. They'll play the second game of the Global Series on Sunday, and won't play again until Nov. 21 in Pittsburgh against the Minnesota Wild.

This is a perfect time for the Penguins to get their legs back and recharge for a little bit. It's huge because this team is dealing with a ton of injuries right now, and it may bring some of them closer to a return. The Penguins are currently without the services of Rickard Rakell, Noel Acciari, Justin Brazeau, Caleb Jones, Tristan Jarry, Rutger McGroarty, and Filip Hallander.

Rakell and Brazeau had been off to great starts to the season, especially Brazeau. He was fitting in perfectly on the second line with Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha before going down with an injury before the Nov. 1 game against the Winnipeg Jets. He has six goals and 12 points in 12 games. 

The Penguins May Now Have Three Pieces Of Their Future Core - And That's A Big DealObviously, there is such a thing as getting too far ahead of the curve in sports.

Jarry had also been playing well before he got hurt against the Toronto Maple Leafs last Monday. Yes, he didn't have a good third period against the Maple Leafs in that game, but he's still saving 4.8 goals above expected with a .911 save percentage and a 2.60 goals-against average. 

This extended time off will also give the coaching staff time to tweak some things in the defensive zone, since, per MoneyPuck, the Penguins rank 28th in 5v5 expected goals against per 60 at 3.01. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Penguins have allowed 408 scoring chances against at 5v5, which is the second-worst mark in the league. Only the Wild have allowed more (413). They have also allowed 167 5v5 high-danger chances against, which ranks second-worst in the league. 

The coaching staff will also have to make a decision on defenseman Harrison Brunicke, and there's a chance it could come this week. He has played in nine games, meaning if he plays a 10th, his entry-level contract will kick in. Brunicke has been scratched for the previous three games after playing in his ninth game on Nov. 3 against the Maple Leafs. 

It'll be fascinating to see how rejuvenated everyone looks when the puck drops at 2 p.m. ET on Friday for the first Penguins-Predators game in Sweden. The second game will start at 9 a.m. ET on Sunday. 

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After recording his 500th career point and the game-winning goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, it seems like the perfect time to look back on how Kevin Fiala joined the Los Angeles Kings.

It was June 29, 2022, when former Kings GM Rob Blake acquired Fiala from the Minnesota Wild. In return, Los Angeles traded away defenseman Brock Faber and a 2022 first-round pick.

On the same day, he signed a contract extension with the Kings, inking a seven-year deal worth $7.875 million per season.

In his final season with the Wild, Fiala recorded a career-high 85 points, scoring 33 goals and 52 assists. Since then, the left winger hasn’t reached that point total, but has set a personal best in the goals department last season with 35 tallies.

Aside from the goals, Fiala has been relatively consistent since his move from Minnesota. In his first two seasons with Los Angeles, he put up 72 and 73 points, respectively. His ice time has gradually increased in his tenure with the Kings, too.

'I Don't Know How He Does It': Los Angeles Kings’ Corey Perry Playing Like An Anaheim DuckLos Angeles Kings right winger Corey Perry has been playing like he was with the Anaheim Ducks all those years ago, despite being in season No. 21 and as a 40-year-old.

This season, he has seven goals and five assists for 12 points in 16 appearances. He’s been a reliable scorer and offensive player for Jim Hiller’s squad, getting his name on the scoresheet more than in every other contest.

As for what went the other way to the Wild, Faber has become an excellent young defenseman in the NHL. He had a strong rookie campaign, finishing second in Calder Trophy voting behind Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard.

In that first season - following two regular-season games and six playoff games the year before - Faber recorded eight goals and 47 points in 82 games. Last season, his production dropped off, and he put up 29 points, despite scoring a career-high 10 goals in 78 appearances.

Speaking of last season, his responsibility grew immensely for both club and country. He averaged 25:32 of ice time and was called to represent Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-off.

Where Does Kuemper Stand In Team Canada’s Goaltending Depth Chart?Darcy Kuemper has been solid for the Los Angeles Kings lately, including a shutout in his last appearance. However, where does he stand on Team Canada's goaltending depth chart ahead of the 2026 Olympics?

Now, in his third full season with the Wild, he has three goals and nine points in 16 games, seemingly on pace for what he was producing in his rookie campaign.

The other part of that trade was the first-round pick in 2022 going to Minnesota. In other words, left winger Liam Ohgren was selected with the 19th pick.

Ohgren, 21, has played 33 career NHL games, including five games this season for the Wild. Lately, he’s been with the AHL’s Iowa Wild, where he’s scored three goals and five points in nine games.

Overall, the Kings received an elite offensive mind who can be a threat on a nightly basis. And the Wild received a bright, young defenseman who should log plenty of ice time for years to come.

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For the third consecutive game, the Detroit Red Wings struggled to find the back of the net and paid for it with their third consecutive regulation setback. 

While they had no shortage of opportunities on Sunday afternoon against the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena, they were repeatedly denied by goaltender Arvid Soderblom, who put together one of the best performances of his career with 44 saves. 

Meanwhile, Detroit badly lost the special teams battle. The Blackhawks scored on all three of their power-play opportunities, while the Red Wings failed to convert on the five chances they had, which included a four-minute opportunity late in the second period. 

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Afterward, team captain Dylan Larkin pointed the finger at himself not only for the lack of scoring in their three recent setbacks but also for not winning key face-offs. 

“Starts with the face-off, which I take most of the time, and not winning them, and we’re going down 200 feet and that’s on me and got to win the first battle of the two minutes," Larkin said. "Last year when we were good (with the man-advantage), this year even when we had it going good we were winning those draws and attacking and getting the kill on their heels.”

“I have two back doors in two nights and zero goals to show for that, that’s on me," he continued. “People look to me to score and look to the big guys to score, and I think I would point the finger at myself.”

Larkin, who scored Detroit's only goal in the first period of play, had a golden opportunity on a two-on-one rush with Lucas Raymond, only to have what appeared to be a certain goal stopped by the left skate of the outstretched Soderblom. 

NHL (@NHL) on XWHAT A SAVE FROM ARVID SODERBLOM 😱

Following what was an extremely encouraging 5-1 start to their centennial campaign, the Red Wings have since gone 4-6. Additionally, they've also failed to score on each of their last 13 power-play opportunities. 

“I don’t want to make too much out of it. It’s not good enough right now, but we have a good power play," Larkin said. "We have the personnel there. We’ve showed it. Not just over a few games, but over years. We’ve showed that we can be good. We just got to figure it out.”

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According to the NHL media site, the Anaheim Ducks have activated forward Ryan Strome from injury reserve. Strome has yet to make his season debut, as the Ducks have gotten off to the best start to a season (10-3-1) since 2014-15.

Strome sustained an upper-body injury in a preseason practice, forcing him off the ice and onto IR for the first month of the 2025-26 season. Strome had been extraordinarily healthy in his three seasons in Anaheim, and since he signed a five-year contract in July 2022 with an AAV of $5 million. In those seasons, he’s suited up for 82, 79, and 82 games, respectively.

“Experience. He’s one of the guys,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said of what he brings to the team. “I think that with him, he’s going to come on this trip. I don’t know if he’ll play on the trip, but he’s getting close.”

Strome has been an automatic and exact 41-point producer for the Ducks in three of their leanest offensive years in their history. With a new coaching staff, systems, and budding young stars, the Ducks are the NHL’s top offensive team, averaging 4.14 goals/G. One wonders if Strome will see an uptick in production upon his return to the lineup, as he’s one of the players who seems like a perfect fit for the Ducks’ zone defense, play-building, and puck possession systems.

With Mikael Granlund also currently out due to an injury and Frank Vatrano serving admirably on the team’s fourth line, Ryan Poehling has played the last four games as the Ducks’ third-line center between Alex Killorn and Nikita Nesterenko. It would seem Strome could slide into that line without disturbing any impactful chemistry that’s developed within the rest of the forward group.

He’s been practicing with the team for the last week in a non-contact jersey, and indications suggest he’s set to make his season debut on Sunday when the Ducks host the Winnipeg Jets.

“I think he’s very close to getting consideration to play,” Quenneville said just before the Ducks defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in OT on Saturday.

Radko Gudas has been placed on IR, and Granlund remains out, but not on IR.

“Yeah. I say a little bit (away), but not that far. Close,” Quenneville said of his remaining two injured roster players.