Back in September, the Buffalo Sabres signed goaltender Alexandar Georgiev to a one-year, $825,000 contract. 

Georgiev did not make the Sabres' NHL roster out of training camp and was placed on waivers before joining their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In two games this season with Rochester so far, he has recorded a 0-2-0 record, a .896 save percentage, and a 3.57 goals-against average. 

With Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Colten Ellis, and Devon Levi all being ahead of Georgiev on the Sabres' depth chart, the fit just has not been there. 

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Sabres are looking to move Georgiev. 

"They are trying to find a new home for Alexandar Georgiev," Friedman wrote in his latest 32 Thoughts column. 

Teams in need of some goalie depth could consider pursuing Georgiev when noting that he has a low cap hit. Yet, he also just had a tough 2024-25 season split between the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks, posting a 15-26-4 record, a .875 save percentage, and a 3.71 goals-against average.

In 303 career NHL games split between the New York Rangers, Avalanche, and Sharks, Georgiev has recorded a 151-108-26 record, a .903 save percentage, and a 2.99 goals-against average. He was also an NHL All-Star in 2023-24.

The Detroit Red Wings remain in second place after their four-game road trip out West, an impressive feat despite some concerning signs. Before heading west, the Red Wings stopped in Missouri and surprised the Blues by winning both legs of their home-and-home series. That accomplishment looks a bit less impressive now, considering St. Louis has stumbled to a last-place start.

Detroit then traveled to California and opened the trip strong against the Los Angeles Kings but nearly gave the game away after allowing two goals in 40 seconds late in the third period. They managed to escape with a shootout win. The following night, they faced the difficult task of completing a road back-to-back and fell short losing 5–2 to Anaheim.

Two days later, they faced the young and improving San Jose Sharks, who pushed Detroit to the limit before the Red Wings prevailed in yet another shootout victory. The trip concluded this past Tuesday in Las Vegas, where Detroit battled hard against the Golden Knights. They held their own defensively against one of the best offenses in the league but were ultimately shut out in a narrow 1–0 loss.

4 games, 7 points. 🐱

Cat is our @xfinity player of the week! pic.twitter.com/I7NAzcDbZA

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 3, 2025

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

Depth scoring proved to be an issue throughout the road trip, with stars Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond, and captain Dylan Larkin carrying most of the offensive load. Overall, the team managed only 12 goals while allowing 13 across the five games. Of those 12 goals, the top trio accounted for seven, highlighting the growing problem of limited secondary scoring.

SWEET BABY RAY pic.twitter.com/bha6rCYD4M

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 3, 2025

Forwards Emmitt Finnie and Jonatan Berggren, both hot before the trip, went without a point over the five games. J.T. Compher also failed to record a point, while veterans James van Riemsdyk, Mason Appleton, and Andrew Copp each went without a goal, though all contributed at least one assist, with Appleton collecting two. It is also worth noting that van Riemsdyk scored the shootout winner against San Jose, providing some impact there.

It is difficult to be overly critical of Detroit’s recent stretch given the length and difficulty of the road trip, but there is a sense that the team’s early-season momentum has slowed. After starting 5–1–0, the Red Wings have gone 4–4–0 since, with two of those wins coming in shootouts. Seven of their last eight games have been on the road, which helps explain the recent dip in form, but the Red Wings now have a chance to reset as they return home for a seven-game stretch, with only a quick trip to New York next Sunday interrupting the homestand.

If Detroit can regain the balanced scoring and energy that defined their early-season success, they can reestablish themselves as a legitimate playoff contender. If not, the conversation will shift toward whether their hot start was merely a brief surge rather than a sign of true progress. The next few games will be pivotal in determining that answer for both the Red Wings and their fans.

Red Wings Prospect Carter Bear Bringing Grit And Growth After NHL ExperienceDetroit's 2025 first round pick Carter Bear embraces a more physical game, showing grit and growth in Everett. His NHL preseason experience is fueling this impactful development.

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

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

When the Montreal Canadiens take on the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night, Jakub Dobes will be in the net. Even though Samuel Montembeault was the uncontested number one last season, both goaltenders will have played the same number of games this season.

This is not a problem, nor is it a controversy. While once upon a time having a number one and a number two goaltender was a must, nowadays, there are examples of a 1A and 1B pairing working just fine. Did anybody complain about the Boston Bruins when Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark split the workload 50-50? They didn’t because both netminders allowed the team to win.

Canadiens Call Up Defenseman From AHL
Canadiens Players All In For Movember
Canadiens Finally Get Burned After Playing With Fire

Besides, when Jacob Fowler is ready to graduate to the NHL, one of the two may have to move, and the higher their value, the better for the team. Until that moment comes, though, it’s perfectly fine for the winning goaltender to get the net.

While the Canadiens had an atrocious first period on Tuesday night and Montembeault gave up three quick goals, he could hardly be blamed for them, and he bounced back admirably, stopping the next 30+ shots sent his way, only allowing another one as he was vulnerable after dropping his stick. It was a reassuring performance from the starter, indicating he has turned a corner. However, ultimately, the Canadiens still lost the game, which is why it’s perfectly logical for Dobes to get the net in New Jersey on Thursday.

Bear Hug!!!

Boston Bruins Goaltender, Linus Ullmark, congratulates fellow Goalie, Jeremy Swayman, on his win against the Buffalo Sabres#NHLBruinspic.twitter.com/BCcMnahXcZ

— Micheline 📸 (@MiMiV4682) November 25, 2021

Suppose he has another great game and plays a significant role in a Canadiens’ victory. In that case, he should also be on duty on Saturday night at the Bell Center against the Utah Mammoth, especially since they’ve been impressive this season. It’s also worth mentioning that Montembeault hasn’t had an excellent record against them, 1-0-1 with a 2.89 goals-against average and a .889 save percentage. In this super-competitive Eastern Conference, where no team has a winning percentage below .500, every win and every point counts.

---

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

Subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. 

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Anthony Beauvillier has had a tough start to the season offensively with the Washington Capitals. In his first 12 games of the year, the 2015 first-round pick recorded just two points. 

Beauvillier also went through a long cold streak, as he did not record a point in seven straight games for the Capitals from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. However, he has now broken the ice in a big way. 

During the Capitals' Nov. 5 matchup against the St. Louis Blues, Beauvillier scored two goals in Washington's 6-1 win. With this, the former Penguin played a role in the Capitals getting their victory and improving to a 7-5-1 record. 

With his strong night, Beauvillier now has three goals, one assist, and a plus-6 rating in 13 games. Overall, his performance against the Blues was a nice step in the right direction for the former Penguins forward. 

The Penguins are now set to face off against Beauvillier and the Capitals on Nov. 6. 

In 63 games with the Penguins during the 2024-25 season, Beauvillier recorded 13 goals, seven assists, and 20 points. His time with the Penguins ended when he was traded to the Capitals ahead of the 2025 NHL trade deadline. 

On Wednesday night, New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer appeared on NHL on TNT to answer questions from the panel. 

The interview begane with a question from Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender and New York Rangers legend Henrik Henrik Lundqvist about "pinch yourself" moments early on in his career. 

Schaefer began his response with a chirp: "First off, it's pretty tough getting a Ranger asking the first question, not the Long Island native here", referring to Williston Park native Liam McHugh. 

Enjoy the interview: 

The full Matthew Schaefer @NHL_On_TNT interview, including dishin’ some NY rivalry chirps at @HLundqvistpic.twitter.com/sZp0850rGW

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) November 6, 2025

Schaefer has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 13 games this season, as he's off to a fiery start to his NHL career. 

He and the team are back in action on Friday nigth at UBS Arena against the Minnesota Wild. 

Kirill Marchenko(6-SHG) scored the only goal for Columbus, and Jet Greaves would give up four goals, including two in the first 1:32 of the game to seal it for Calgary. 

The Jackets didn't play too bad after the initial onslaught by Calgary but couldn't overcome those two goals. The Jackets would fall to the Flames in Calgary.

First Period - 2-1 Flames - 13-10 SOG - CBJ Goal - Kirill Marchenko(6-SHG)

Not a good start for Columbus. Just 56 seconds into the game, Morgan Frost put the Flames up 1-0. 36 Seconds later, Blake Coleman scored to make it 2-0. Yeah, not a good start. 

Kirill Marchenko cut the lead in half at 6:57 of the first with a shorthanded goal. He went streaking down the center of the ice and took a pass from Boone Jenner to beat Dustin Wolf. That was the CBJ's first shortie of the season. With that goal, which was his 6th, he extended his points streak to six games. 

The period slowed after the Marchenko goal, but Columbus was able to pull even on the shot clock and controlling most of the play. The period ended 2-1, and Jackets fans had to feel a lot better in the final 19 minutes of the period. 

Second Period - 4-1 Flames - 11-7 - No CBJ Goals

The Blue Jackets came out in the second with some good jump and put some pressure on Flames goalie Dustin Wolf. Unfortunately for Columbus, he's really good. 

Nazem Kadri scored 7:47 into the second to push the lead to 3-1. Kadri broke out on a 2-on-1 and beat Jet Greaves in his 1000th NHL game. Both of the Jackets defensemen were too deep and gave up a breakout. Under a minute later, Adam Klapka scored to make it 4-1, which pretty much would put the game on ice. Yet another 2-on-1 breakaway for the Flames. 

The Wheels are starting to get shaky on the Blue Jackets bus. 

The Blue Jackets actually controlled a lot of the second period, putting some quality shots on Dustin Wolf; they just couldn't beat him. They had more scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances as well. This turned into one of "those" games. By the end of the period, they started chasing the puck more and it was looking like they were going to give up a 5th goal. 

Third Period

The Blue Jackets were awarded their first power play at 57 seconds when Kevin Bahl hooked Charlie Coyle. The Flames killed it fairly easily to keep the lead at 4-1.

The Blue Jackets outplayed and outshot the Flames for the first 9 minutes of the third period, pumping 11 shots at Wolf before going to the power play with a little less than 12 minutes to play in the game. Columbus killed the penalty and kept it a three-score game.

The game was played 4-on-4 for two minutes when Ivan Provorov and Rasmus Andersson went to the box with matching minors. Nothing happened and the game would remain 4-1 Flames. 

Dean Evason would pull Jet Greaves with around five minutes to go in the game, but again, Dustin Wolf was too good and would stop everything. 

The Flames would add an empty net goal with under a minute left to send the Jackets to Vancouver with a second straight loss. 

Injuries - Sean Monahan looked to have injure his left hand or wrist. He took three shifts in the third and then left the game. Hopefully, it's just precautionary, and he'll be back for Vancouver on Saturday. 

Final Stats

Player Stats

• Kirill Marchenko scored his 6th goal of the season. He extended his points streak to 6 games and is on a point-per-game pace.
• Boone Jenner picked up his 6th assist of the season.
• Ivan Provorov had 6 shots on goal to lead the team.
• Jet Greaves could only make 21 saves on 25 Calgary shots.

Team Stats

• The Jackets power play went 0/1.
• The Columbus PK stopped two Flames power plays.
• Columbus won 58.8% of the faceoffs.
• The Blue Jackets had 22 of their shots blocked by Calgary.

Up Next: They visit the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday, Nov. 8th, and then the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, Nov. 10th. They will wrap up their Western swing with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken.

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

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.  

Let us know what you think below.

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.

More From THN Columbus

An Early Look At The Blues Jackets' Unrestricted Free AgentsThe NHL season is now more than a month in, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are off to a very good start. They currently sit in fifth in their Division with a 7-5-0 record. This looks like the season that they are going to push their way into the playoffs and bring playoff hockey back to Columbus for the first time since 2019-20. Can The CBJ Goalie Tandem Keep Up Their Great Play All Year?Since Sergei Bobrovsky bolted Ohio for sunny Florida, the Columbus Blue Jackets have struggled to find consistency with their goaltending position. It's been bad, like, really bad.  Overreacting To And Overanalyzing The Metro Standings As Of 11/03Devils dominate, Penguins surge, while surprising Blue Jackets climb. See where every Metro team truly stands early this season.

The Cutter Gauthier saga is well done and dusted at this stage, but some new developments are probably making it hard for the Philadelphia Flyers, and especially their fans, to not feel some type of regret towards the situation.

Gauthier, 21, recorded his first career hat trick for the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, thrusting him into a five-way tie for the NHL lead in goals (10) that includes himself, Cole Caufield, and superstar forwards Leon Draisaitl, Jack Hughes, and Nathan MacKinnon.

The Flyers, too, have a negative connection to Caufield, who was bypassed for defenseman Cam York in 2019.

Overall, though, Gauthier is now on a seven-game point streak that dates back to Oct. 21, and he's already up to 10 goals, six assists, and 16 points in just 12 games with the Ducks.

And, to top it all off, Gauthier, per the Ducks' PR staff, is the first NHL player aged 21 or younger to score 10 goals in his first 12 games of a season since Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews did so in the 2018-19 season.

Between the league leaders in goals and that last stat, Gauthier is in pretty good company.

As for the Flyers, they did get a solid return with the addition of Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick that recently became Jack Murtagh, but that doesn't quite compare to what their former top draft pick is doing over in Anaheim.

Note from Ducks PR:

Cutter Gauthier is the first NHL player 21 or younger to score 10 goals in his first 12 games of a season since Connor McDavid in 2018-19 and Auston Matthews in 2018-19#FlyTogether

— Patrick Present (@PatrickCPresent) November 5, 2025

Drysdale, 23, is starting to look like he's finally coming into his own this season after years of struggles marred by injury. He's now the team's best driver of play on defense, and his five points in 13 games is solid, too.

At the same time, is it enough offense to continue vaulting a player of his 5-foot-11 size into a featured role on a competitive NHL defense?

It's not common, but it isn't like it hasn't happened before, either. Players like Gus Forsling, Alex Carrier, Jared Spurgeon, Andy Greene, Sean Walker, Dante Fabbro, Nick Jensen, Nate Schmidt, and Rasmus Sandin are all not the biggest guys and don't/did not produce crazy offensive numbers, but emerged as reliable top-four defenders at some point in their careers.

Some later than others, yes, but it happened.

Are any of those worth a potential 40-goal-scorer like Gauthier on an ELC? With the exception of Forsling, no, even though Spurgeon and Greene eventually became captains for Minnesota and New Jersey, respectively.

Flyers' Trevor Zegras Gets Big Praise From Canadiens StarTrevor Zegras' great start to the season has gotten the attention of Canadiens star Cole Caufield.

Eventually, too, Drysdale is going to have to push his offense and creativity a little further to reach the heights some of those players reached, which means consistent 30- and 40-point seasons.

The former No. 6 overall pick is on pace for 31 currently - one fewer than his previous career high of 32 - and he earns some grace in that the Flyers are the 10th-worst team in the NHL in scoring this season - worse than the Chicago Blackhawks.

At some point, the production may come, or it may not, but the final verdict on the Flyers' controversial trade will depend on it.

They did well enough managing a situation that was never going to work out for them, but it's fair to question why the Flyers drafted someone who would come to spurn them, and question what motivated Gauthier to spurn them to begin with.

Thanks, Maple Leafs! Flyers' Nikita Grebenkin Scores 1st NHL Goal to Help Beat CanadiensFlyers rookie Nikita Grebenkin continues to make a case for more ice time with his assist against the Maple Leafs and first NHL goal against the Canadiens.

It's likely those answers won't come until after Gauthier's playing days are over or until after this Flyers regime runs its course, but this discourse will always come to the forefront for as long as Gauthier plays well and succeeds in the NHL.

The same is true of Zeev Buium and Jett Luchanko, and Cole Caufield and Cam York.

The Flyers have no way of running from their recent past, especially as long as the team is not making meaningful pushes for Stanley Cups.

Objectively, though, Gauthier's sudden breakout after a solid rookie campaign represents a missed opportunity on the Flyers' end, but it's too late now. The results are the results.

The Florida Panthers will look to bounce back from a tough start to their road trip when they face the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night.

Florida dropped their trip opener to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday by an embarrassing final score of 7-3, a game that the Cats were actually leading 3-2 midway through.

Now they’ll look to get back on the winning side of thins against a Kings squad that, much like the Panthers, are working their way through an inconsistent start to the season.

Los Angeles started the season with only one win over their first six outings, but since then they’ve gone 5-1-2.

Overall, the Kings have only four regulation losses through 14 games, which isn’t bad at all.

As for the Panthers, they got right back to work on Wednesday following Tuesday’s loss to the Ducks.

Florida held a practice at the Kings’ training facility, the Toyota Sports Performance Center in El Segundo, where the theme seemed to be getting back to the basics.

“We’ve played hard games in LA, and I expect that (tomorrow),” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I’d like to see us get back to that a little bit. We worked on some things today at practice that we just didn’t have enough of in our game last night.”

A Panthers player who has seen a good amount of success during his career in Los Angeles is the same guy who paces the team in scoring so far this season: Brad Marchand.

Through 12 games, Marchand leads all Panthers with 7 goals and 13 points. He’s currently riding a five-game point streak in which he’s accumulated 4 goals and 7 points.

Over the course of his career, Marchand has racked up 16 goals and 26 points over 23 games in Los Angeles, including a plus-19 on-ice rating. He’s also riding a five-game point streak in Los Angeles, with 5 goals and 10 points during the run.

Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Thursday’s tilt with the Kings:

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

LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA

Evan Rodrigues' Eventful Night Against The Ducks Highlights What He Brings To The Panthers

Three takeaways: Undisciplined Panthers struggle keeping up with speedy Ducks

Panthers kick off road trip with frustrating 7-3 loss in Anaheim

Sam Bennett Returns To Panthers Practice; Evan Rodrigues Absent

Panthers begin west coast swing looking for revenge against high-flying Ducks

Photo caption: Oct 16, 2025; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Florida Panthers center Evan Rodrigues (17) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Prudential Center. (Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images)

Red-hot Sharks do just about everything right in blowout 6-1 win over Kraken originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

SEATTLE — The Sharks did everything … right?

How often has that been the case in recent years?

In a 6-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday at Climate Pledge Arena, the Sharks’ offense was humming, with goals from six different players, including Macklin Celebrini, who now is tied for the most points in the NHL with Connor McDavid.

The power play got off a recent schneid, with the unfairly maligned John Klingberg potting a goal.

A penalty kill that’s struggled most of the season killed 6 of 6 Kraken power plays, and even got a short-handed goal, from Ty Dellandrea.

And Yaroslav Askarov was especially strong when the game still was in the balance in the first period, stopping 28 of 29 shots overall.

The Sharks, 5-2-1 in their last eight after an 0-4-2 start, actually have played consistently decent hockey for most of the year, but this might be the first game where it’s all come together.

Read The Full Story At San Jose Hockey Now

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

The Vancouver Canucks kicked off their four-game homestand with a 5-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Aatu Räty and Evander Kane scored the goals while Kevin Lankinen stopped 23 of the 27 shots he faced. As for the star of the game, that would be Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight, who made 43 saves in the victory. 

Overall, this game was a mixture of chaos and frustration. Despite outshooting Chicago 45-28, the Canucks could not buy a goal until late in the third. By then, the Blackhawks had already built a four-goal lead, which was insurmountable for Vancouver. 

One of the issues in this game was quantity over quality when it came to shots. While the Canucks did generate some chances from in tight, the majority of their shots ended up coming from distance. There were also moments where players elected to pass rather than get pucks on net, which ended up costing Vancouver in the end. 

A good way to describe what happened is that despite having 45 shots on net, the Canucks did not get enough puck on Knight. While that may not sound logical, it was a reality on Wednesday night. As mentioned, Vancouver needs to work on the quality of shots, as even though he faced a high volume of shots, Wednesday was not a difficult outing for Knight. 

"The first goal was just, there was a mistake on the goal," said Head Coach Adam Foote post-game. "And I think the next couple, maybe, I don't know if it's mental fatigue. Then you allow maybe frustration to come in, and you overpress. We've all been there as players, where you help a buddy out too quick, or you lose a little trust. Whatever it is, I'm not telling them it was one thing, but you're probably right about trying to do too much or help or overpress at times. That could happen in a game where you could easily be up three or four holes in the first two periods. Get one called back, and then you're coming off a trip where you have fatigue, and then all of a sudden you might be mentally a little bit frustrated."

The penalty kill was once again a story as the Canucks allowed a goal for the fourth straight game. Wednesday, it was Tyler Bertuzzi who scored with the man advantage as Chicago scored on their only power play. Post-game, Foote was asked about the penalty kill and why the team has struggled over the past few games. 

"When goals are going in, doesn't matter what you say, it's not what you want. You're going to hear bad, but tonight was so different than, say, the last couple games, where I think it was a fatigue move. There was a time where we went down and pressed, and then next guy pressed, the next guy press, and the moment was wrong, but the guys were trying to do the right thing. And that could happen with mental fatigue."

Ultimately, there are positive and negative takeaways from this game. While Vancouver was able to dominate in terms of offensive possession time, the Canucks struggled in their own zone and were caught out of position on all four goals scored with Lankinen in net. As mentioned, Wednesday was a chaotic and frustrating night for not only the players but also the fans watching at Rogers Arena. 

Stats and Facts:

- Canucks set season high with 45 shots

- Evander Kane led all players in this game with 10 shots on net

-  Tom Willander extends his point streak to two games

- Pierre-Olivier Joseph records his first point with Vancouver

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

No Scoring

2nd Period:

No Scoring

3rd Period:

3:06- CHI: Tyler Bertuzzi (4) from Matt Grzelcyk and Connor Murphy
6:46- CHI: Tyler Bertuzzi (5) from Connor Bedard and Artyom Levshunov (PPG)
7:39- CHI: Ilya Mikheyev (4) from Ryan Donato and Oliver Moore
11:37- CHI: Tyler Bertuzzi (6) from Louis Crevier (3), Ryan Donato
16:49- VAN: Aatu Räty (1) from Pierre-Olivier Joseph
18:00- VAN: Evander Kane (3) from Quinn Hughes and Tom Willander
19:00- CHI: Connor Bedard (7) from Spencer Knight (ENG)

Up Next:

The Canucks continue their four-game homestand on Saturday when they battle the Columbus Blue Jackets. Last season, the two teams split their season series, with the Canucks going 1-0-1. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT from Rogers Arena. 

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

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

The Best Moments From Each Of The Canucks’ 6 Pre-Game Videos

Garland Returns, Lankinen Starts As Canucks Host Blackhawks

Predicting The Outcome Of The Canucks’ Upcoming Four-Game Homestand

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.

Through the first two periods of the hockey game, the Chicago Blackhawks were lucky to be in a scoreless tie with the Vancouver Canucks.

Being outshot 35-19 through two is not a recipe for success, but Spencer Knight kept them in the game. At that point, the Blackhawks needed to change the narrative. Otherwise, they would have had no chance of winning. 

Tyler Bertuzzi's Hat Trick

Tyler Bertuzzi kicked off the scoring by deflecting a Matt Grzelcyk shot off his body and into the net. He is one of the best in the league at sneaking to the back door of the net-mouth and scoring. He didn't even need his stick to score this puck, but they all count the same on the scoreboard. 

Remarkably, Bertuzzi scored another goal just over three minutes later. This one was almost a carbon copy of the first goal. This time, he used his stick to redirect it into the net. 

After Ilya Mikheyev scored his fourth of the season to make it 3-0, Bertuzzi completed the hat trick by collecting a loose puck in front of the net and putting it away. This was the fourth career hat trick for Bertuzzi, and his first in a Blackhawks sweater. 

Connor Bedard's Best Game In His Hometown

A lot has been made about Connor Bedard visiting Vancouver, his hometown, every time he goes there. His previous visits, however, have not gone well for him or the team. This time, he came out and played his best game he's ever had against the Canucks. 

For one, he collected an assist on Bertuzzi's second goal. He made a great cross-ice shot pass, which caught Bertuzzi's stick and went into the net. This assist is Bedard's first career point against Vancouver. That sealed a six-game point streak for Bedard, who is on pace to shatter all of his career highs. 

Bedard also sealed the victory with an empty-netter. This is his first goal against the team he grew up cheering for. It isn't just any empty netter, though. Spencer Knight made a great pass to the neutral zone, and Bedard collected it by chipping it and spinning past a former Norris Trophy winner in Quinn Hughes. He then tucked it into the open cage. That 5-2 score would hold as the final. 

Spencer Knight

Vancouver rallied to find two goals in the third period, but that doesn't take away from Spencer Knight's overall dominant performance. He ended up making 43 saves on 45 shots, which is a save percentage of .956. 

Knight also had the aforementioned primary assist on Bedard's empty netter. His ability to play pucks behind the net and advance them is an important weapon for the Blackhawks. 

Without the brilliance of Knight, especially during an extremely subpar second period by the team as a whole, they would not have won the game. 

Watch Every Blackhawks Goal

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XHawks on the board✅Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XTyler Bertuzzi goal no. ✌️Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) on XIlya Mikheyev scores against his former team for his 4th goal of the season. That's 3 third-period goals in a span of 4:33 for Chicago. #BlackhawksChicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on XAND THAT’S A TYLER BERTUZZI HAT TRICK🧢🧢🧢B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) on XBedsy with the spin, the pickup, and his first goal in his home area of Vancouver 🔥

Next Up For Chicago

Vancouver was the fourth of six stops on the current road trip. Chicago is now 1-2-1 with three out of eight points collected.

Next up for the Chicago Blackhawks is a Friday night matchup against the Calgary Flames. The Flames are 4-9-2 and struggling, but that does not mean that it will be a free pass for Chicago. Calgary is loaded with talent and can use it to win games at any time. 

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.

Trevor Zegras is off to an absolutely scorching start to his tenure with the Philadelphia Flyers, leading top NHL insider Elliotte Friedman to believe contract extension talks could some soon.

Zegras, 24, has impressively ripped off four goals, 11 assists, and 15 points for the Flyers in just 13 games, accounting for nearly half of the team's 38 goals entirely on his own.

The former top Anaheim Ducks draft pick seems to have found the perfect fit for himself landing in Philadelphia with good friends Jamie Drysdale and Cam York, and that should give the Flyers all the more reason to keep him long-term.

After all, York, also 24 and a fellow draft classmate, just re-upped with the Flyers for five years this summer.

"Extension I’m starting to wonder about: Trevor Zegras, Philadelphia. Eligible now. Yes, it’s only been 13 games, but it looks like a good fit and I can see the Flyers gauging interest in lengthening the relationship," Friedman wrote in his latest "32 Thoughts" column.

Flyers' Trevor Zegras Gets Big Praise From Canadiens StarTrevor Zegras' great start to the season has gotten the attention of Canadiens star Cole Caufield.

Friedman, with as many connections as he has and as many reports he's made, has an intimate of understanding of how pretty much every NHL team operates at this point in his stellar career as an insider in hockey.

From the Flyers' side of things, there aren't any apparent problems with a potential contract extension worth dwelling on.

They're loaded with cap space after offloading Joel Farabee and Ryan Ellis this year, while Egor Zamula, Nick Deslauriers, and Christian Dvorak are all on expiring contracts.

The Flyers have also had interest in acquiring Zegras for quite a while, so they obviously coveted the player and moved to get him from the Ducks for a reason.

Zegras, on the other hand, is due for a considerable raise performing at his current rate, which may or may not deter talks from the Flyers' side.

For example, if Philadelphia shells out a $10 million AAV contract in December and Zegras finishes the season with 50 or 60 points, then it might not work out so well.

That said, the 24-year-old is currently carrying a $5.75 million cap hit, so something in the $8- or $9 million range would do, especially as Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny are the only two Flyers players making more than $7 million as things currently stand.

I had already considered the Flyers could move quickly to try and get something done with their newfound star player, but now that Friedman is on it, too, there might be more to it.

On that note, it's pretty clear what the Flyers should do: extend Trevor Zegras. That's not up for debate, really.

The Calgary Flames celebrated in style on Wednesday night, earning back-to-back wins for the first time this season with a decisive 5–1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Nazem Kadri, suiting up for his milestone 1,000th NHL game, led the way with a goal and a spirited performance that ignited the Saddledome crowd. The Flames came out firing early, scoring twice in the opening minute and never looking back.

Morgan Frost opened the scoring just 56-seconds in, redirecting a shot past Columbus goaltender Jet Greaves. Moments later, Blake Coleman doubled the lead with his fifth of the season. The Blue Jackets responded later in the first with a shorthanded goal from Kirill Marchenko, who beat Dustin Wolf five-hole on a breakaway.

But the night belonged to Kadri and the Flames. Early in the second period, Kadri buried a top-shelf finish off a feed from Joel Farabee to restore Calgary’s two-goal cushion. Less than a minute later, Adam Klapka made it 4–1, holding onto the puck on an odd-man rush and ripping a shot glove-side. Mikael Backlund added an empty net goal to seal the deal. 

Wolf stopped every shot he needed to the rest of the way, making a career-high 42 saves, picking up his fourth win of the year to move to 4–7–1 on the season.

The Flames improve to 4–9–2, while Columbus falls to 7–6–0.

Three Takeaways

1. Kadri’s milestone moment

Nazem Kadri became the 407th player in NHL history to skate in 1,000 career games — and he made it count. The veteran centre not only scored a big goal but brought energy and poise all night. Kadri now leads the Flames in scoring with 11 points (4G, 7A) through 15 games.

2. Quick strikes define the night

The Flames’ offence found its rhythm through bursts of momentum. They scored twice within the first 92-seconds of the game and later added a pair of goals just 37-seconds apart in the second period. That kind of timing proved too much for Columbus to handle.

3. Kuznetsov earns first NHL point

Defenceman Yan Kuznetsov, recalled from the AHL Wranglers on Tuesday, made his season debut and recorded his first career NHL point with an assist on Klapka’s goal. Despite a few early jitters in his own zone, the 23-year-old settled in and showed flashes of composure as the game went on.

It has been a busy 24-plus hours for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who put three players on injured reserve, sent a player back to the AHL, and recalled three other players. 

And it comes as no surprise that the roster move getting all of the attention is the call-up of top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov, who thoroughly impressed in training camp, just won AHL Goaltender of the Month honors, and has dominated at every level of professional hockey.

While the two other call-ups may not be young or nearly as exciting for some fans, they were call-ups well-earned - and they are two players at an important crossroads in their careers.

Veteran forward Danton Heinen and veteran defenseman Ryan Graves were those other two players recalled, and this represents a second-chance NHL opportunity for them with the Penguins. Both players were waived at the conclusion of NHL training camp and went unclaimed, and they were re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) in the aftermath.

To their credit, a lot of veteran players get discouraged and don't take those situations very well. In this case, both players handled it as best they could - and they took the opportunity and ran with it. 

The 30-year-old Heinen returned to the NHL Tuesday in a tie for the AHL lead in points with 14, and Graves - also 30 - led all defensemen on the team with a goal and seven points in 10 games on the season. Both players could have taken a wrong turn in the wake of their AHL assignment. 

But that's not what happened.

Penguins Call Up 3 Players & Announce Several Roster MovesThe Pittsburgh Penguins have made a series of roster moves.

"At the end of the day, it’s the kind of person you are, too," Graves said. "You’re not going to go there and sulk and complain. You’re still playing hockey for a living. That’s pretty cool. There’s been some aspects of it that have been really hard. But I’ve been on the side of it where you’re a 20-year-old kid and coming into the American League, and there’s some guys that I’ve played with that came down and you could see both sides of how guys take it.

"You can either go there and ride into the sunset and just take it with a bad attitude and be miserable, or you can go there and you can try to play and work on your game and get better. It’s a good league, so just go there, put in work and try to come back.”

And, now, Graves is just trying to make the most of his second opportunity.

“Obviously, this is where you want to be. It’s a tough situation," Graves said. "Obviously, you want to play in the NHL. It’s the best league in the world. It’s hard to be here. I have an appreciation for that. You go there [to the AHL], you want to go with a good mindset and you want to be back here. So I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity.”

Sergei Murashov’s First NHL Shot With The Penguins Is HereSergei Murashov is set to make his NHL debut with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the coming days.

Heinen gave a pretty similar response. 

"You always try to learn from mistakes, learn from things," Heinen said. "I don’t think you can look back with regrets. You’ve just got to keep looking forward.

“I just want to prove that I believe I’m an NHLer and I believe that I can help this team win. That’s what I’m coming up here to do and do everything I can to show it.”

Obviously, an AHL assignment for someone who has been playing in the NHL for a long time is never easy. But it helps that Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is off to a hot start in the AHL, and it fostered an environment for Heinen and Graves to thrive.

"The coaches put a good system in.," Heinen said. "They communicate well. It’s a great group of guys, good hockey players… It’s definitely well run.”

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.

And even if the ultimate goal is always to play at the NHL level, Graves was able to pull a lot from his experience with the AHL squad. 

“There’s a lot you can take from it," Graves said. "It’s how you approach it. You go down there. You get a lot of opportunity to play. You play in all situations. You play a lot of minutes, some of them [in situations] you might not play here. It’s nice to be able to build confidence and feel the game. And you can work, and you can make mistakes and you can keep playing because you’re going to play a lot. And you just try to build your game and build confidence.

"So, that’s the approach you have to take to it. I feel like I played well down there. So, again, I’m just trying to make the most of the opportunity here.”

---

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