The Detroit Red Wings announced Sunday that they have recalled center Nate Danielson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XUPDATE: The #RedWings have recalled Nate Danielson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Danielson, the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, has impressed since returning from a preseason injury on Oct. 24. In four games with Grand Rapids this season, the 21-year-old has recorded a goal and four assists for five points along with four penalty minutes and a plus-two rating.

Last season as a rookie with the Griffins, Danielson posted 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 71 games, ranking among the team’s leaders in points (6th), assists (2nd) and goals (6th). He also added one goal and nine penalty minutes in three playoff appearances. Among AHL rookies in 2024–25, he placed tied for ninth in assists, tied for 14th in points, and led the league in shorthanded assists.

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Since making his professional debut with Grand Rapids in spring 2024, the Red Deer, Alberta, native has totaled 44 points, 37 penalty minutes and a plus-six rating in 75 regular-season games.

Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XOK, NATE! 🚨: Danielson 🍎: MBN

Danielson turned heads during Detroit’s training camp and preseason, where he registered one goal and two assists in three exhibition games. Many believed he was close to making the NHL roster out of camp, alongside fellow rookies Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. The group all lived together during the offseason and are all seen as a key part of the Red Wings’ rebuild under general manager Steve Yzerman.

With his recall, Danielson could now get his long-anticipated shot to join that group in Detroit and potentially secure a full-time NHL role this season.

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A former Montreal Canadiens first-round pick is heading back to the American Hockey League (AHL).

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have assigned former Canadiens defenseman Logan Mailloux to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. In addition, the Blues called up Hunter Skinner with the roster spot that opened up from Mailloux's demotion. 

The Canadiens traded Mailloux to the Blues during this summer in exchange for forward Zack Bolduc. Mailloux has struggled during the beginning stages of his Blues tenure, as he has recorded zero points, seven giveaways, and a minus-12 rating.

Overall, Mailloux has had a shaky start with the Blues, so it is understandable that they have assigned him to Springfield. The former Canadiens blueliner will now look to get things back on track with the Thunderbirds from here. If he does, he could land another call-up to the Blues' roster in the near future. 

Mailloux was selected by the Canadiens with the 31st overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in eight games for the Canadiens over two seasons from 2023-24 to 2024-25, where he posted two goals, three assists, five points, 23 hits, and a minus-4 rating. 

In 135 games over two seasons with the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, Mailloux posted 26 goals, 54 assists, 80 points, and 165 penalty minutes. 

Two of the NHL’s top teams — and four of its brightest stars — faced off Saturday night as the  Colorado Avalanche met the Edmonton Oilers. But only one side looked like a Stanley Cup contender. The hope was that facing one of the league's best would bring out Edmonton's A-game. It didn't. In fact, the Oilers met the challenge that is Colorado by crumbling, left only to look in the mirror and ask who and what they really are. 

If this was a test, the Oilers failed it miserably. If this was a challenge, the players didn't meet it. If this was a benchmark, this team isn't close. 

After a 9-1 shellacking, head coach Kris Knoblauch said he hoped this was rock bottom. 

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In a strategic plan to counter speed and skill with speed and skill, Edmonton's top line was stacked. Connor McDavid skated alongside Leon Draisaitl and Jack Roslovic to combat Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Nečas, and Artturi Lehkonen. "I thought we were ready to play," said Knoblauch. It didn't take long to realize they weren't. 

“I hope this wakes up a lot of guys and we understand we’ve got a lot of growing to do to become a good hockey team.”

When Cale Makar struck first on a wrist shot at the 13:29 mark, the Oilers might have suffered a setback, but they weren't throwing in the towel. When Makar scored his second, it felt like the team simply gave up.

"There was a lot of deflation, especially after the second one after the faceoff. After that, it was a lot of guys beating themselves up and not playing very well," said Knoblauch. 

Unbelievably, it could have been worse.

After a Gabriel Landeskog goal was called back because of an offside, what could have been a lifeline turned out to be anything but. Before long, it was 3-0, then 4-0. During the television timeout in the second period, Stuart Skinner got the hook, and Calvin Pickard was in. Skinner wasn't great, but this felt a bit like a mercy pull. Who would have guessed it would be Pickard who needed the saving when all was said and done?

He didn't fare much better as Parker Kelly scored to make it 5-0 about two minutes after Pickard took the net. 

The Oilers drew a call when Mattias Ekholm was cross-checked, and McDavid wasted no time and slid one under Scott Wedgewood's pads. That was as close as it ever got.

Edmonton immediately gave up a shorthanded breakaway, and Parker Kelly scored his second of the game. The second period ended 6-1, with the Avs leading on the shot clock by a 21-16 margin. Yes, that's a .714 save percentage between the two netminders. 

If the question heading into the third period was how much worse could it get, the Avs answered that one early. MacKinnon scored on a 2-on-1 break with Necas. He scored again as he came out of the penalty box, going high on Pickard with a quick release to make it 8-1. A clearly frustrated Walman took a two-minute penalty for hooking, then another for unsportsmanlike. 

Adam Henrique got a short-handed breakaway but couldn't score. Jack Drury then scored his second of the night to make it 9-1. 

Who And What Are The Oilers... Other Than Pretty Bad Right Now?

Walman spoke after the game, and said, "We deserved this tonight. Not really trending in the right direction for a while, they kicked our ass tonight." He added, "It's just frustrating. To a guy, we owe it to everybody in here to figure out, kinda what our role is, what everybody's role on the team is, and do it, cause we're not right now." Walman was confident they would get out of it, but it's going to take some tough talk from some of the guys in the room. "It's not acceptable right now." He added, "I've got to be better, everybody's got to be better. To a man, we've got to figure out what that looks like."

Colorado's Demolition Job Should Finally Wake Up the OilersColorado's dominant 9-1 win exposes Oilers' flaws. MacKinnon, Makar lead a terrifying, deep Avalanche squad.

That could take the Oilers stepping out of their comfort zone. Andrew Mangiapane was questioned about his willingness to be an agitating, in-your-face type of player. He said he needs to go out there and be a hard worker and tenacious. "If that comes, that comes," said Mangipane. 

Trent Frederic was asked why he's not been more physical. He responded that he's trying to get people to fight him, but no one wants to accept a fight from a guy who only has one goal in 15 games. He wouldn't accept a fight either if the shoe were on the other foot.

Both players seemed to miss the point Knoblauch was making. After the game, the coach suggested they couldn't wait for the game to come to them—the Oilers need to force their game onto others. Saturday night was a clear indication that this team is reacting rather than acting.

They lost 9-1, and that's with the Avalanche going 0-for-7 on their power play.

When asked in the morning what to expect of the game later that night, Knoblauch had said, "It will be exciting for the fans." Little did he know he would be speaking on behalf of Avalanche fans.  

What Oilers fans got was a reality check. Edmonton's ability to squeak out points in games they hadn't played well in was a luxury they can no longer afford. This was a total team loss, and addressing it has to start now. 

That means asking questions and finding answers. It's time to hunker down and work their way out of this. Knoblauch said they want to make it fun, but playing good hockey matters more. They do that first, they can worry about it being fun later. 

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Canadian left winger Brendan Leipsic, 31, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with SKA St. Petersburg, the KHL club announced on Sunday.

A former NHLer, Lepsic has played in the KHL since 2020 but has been without a contract since the end of last season. This will be his second tour of duty in St. Petersburg, having previously played there during the 2023-24 season.

Leipsic, who hails from Winnipeg, played junior hockey for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and was chosen in the third round, 89th overall, by the Nashville Predators in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. From 2014 until 2020, he recorded 59 points and 53 penalty minutes in 187 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals.

In May 2020, the Capitals terminated Leipsic’s contract after his misogynistic comments in an online chat group were leaked to the public.

Former Shark, Canuck Claimed Off Waivers In KHL Russian winger Nikolai Goldobin, 29, has been claimed off KHL waivers by SKA St. Petersburg, the KHL website announced on Monday. He had been waived by Spartak Moscow, the club for which he’d played the past two seasons.

Leipsic has played in the KHL continuously since 2020 for CSKA Moscow, Metallurg Magnitogorsk, SKA, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg and Sibir Novosibirsk, recording 170 points in 286 regular-season and playoff games. During the 2024-25 season, he was traded from Avtomobilist to Sibir and had 24 points across 61 games with both teams.

Leipsic joins an SKA team that currently sits eighth in the KHL’s 11-team Western Conference with 10 wins in 23 games. The team’s roster includes ex-NHLers Nikita Zaitsev, Rocco Grimaldi and Nikolai Goldobin and is coached by Hall-of-Famer Igor Larionov.

Igor Larionov Jr. To Play For Father In KHL American-Russian center Igor Larionov Jr., 26, has signed a one-year contract with SKA St. Petersburg, the KHL club announced on social media on Wednesday.

New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin put forth one of the best performances we've seen from him in quite some time when he stopped all 33 shots that came his way in their 5-0 shutout win over the New York Rangers. 

pic.twitter.com/k3RwRivhhb

— NHL (@NHL) November 9, 2025

"I felt focused in all three periods. I just played minute by minute. I could see it in my head all game," Sorokin shared postgame. 

With the shutout, Sorokin broke a tie with Billy Smith for the second-most shutouts in franchise history with 23. Glenn "Chico" Resch is first with 25.

"I feel like he's playing with a lot of confidence," head coach Patrick Roy said postgame. "I mean, we made the goalie coach change, and I think he's very comfortable with Sergei (Naumovs). They seemed to connect really well, and it's good for the team, it's good for him, and I like to see him play with that confidence and that focus. He seemed really big in front of the net, and that's what you want for your team."

#Isles Morning After: @stefen_rosner dives into the new D-pairs, the role they played in their 5-0 victory over #NYR & how key they are in this club finding consistency going forward: pic.twitter.com/0DJxLZxAO8

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) November 9, 2025

 "He was unbelievable," Islanders forward Bo Horvat said. "I mean, he made unbelievable saves at great times of the game. And when you have that confidence back there in your goaltender, it's fun to play in front of them. He was phenomenal."

Sorokin got off to a tough start this season, but he's turned his season around as of late. 

Over his last three games (2-0-1), Sorokin owns a 1.30 GAA and .952 SV%. That's the best save percentage of any NHL goalie who has made at least three appearances in that span, per Islanders statistician Eric Hornick. 

In six games since Naumovs became the goalie coach (2-1-2), Sorokin owns a 2.14 GAA with a .915 SV%.

Don’t look now, but after going 0-2-1 to start the season, the Chicago Blackhawks have gone 7-3-2 in their past dozen games, including a 4-0 blanking of the Calgary Flames Friday night.

If the Stanley Cup playoffs began today, the Blackhawks would be a playoff team as they currently sit in the second wild card spot. That’s obviously a stretch, but as we approach the 20 percent point of the season, it’s impressive that the Hawks are where they are in the standings.

But the strange thing about the Hawks isn’t that Connor Bedard is phenomenal. No, the odd thing is that Chicago’s defense has undergone a drastic improvement. To wit: last season, the Blackhawks had the NHL’s second-worst defense, averaging 3.56 goals-against per game. This year, Chicago is averaging just 2.60 goals-against, the fourth-best number in the entire league. If it seems like that is an unsustainable pace for Chicago on ‘D’, that’s because it probably is.

Still, many of the Blackhawks’ ducks are starting to fall in a row. For instance, goalie Spencer Knight was the key reason why Chicago shut out the Flames, turning aside all 33 shots he faced Friday for his first shutout of the season and the sixth of his four-year NHL career. 

In six of his past nine games, the 24-year-old Knight has posted a save percentage of .938 or higher, and his overall SP of .926 and his goals-against average of 2.33 this season are outstanding. The Blackhawks indeed gave up star defenseman Seth Jones in the trade that brought Knight to Chicago, but you have to believe Hawks GM Kyle Davidson is extremely satisfied that the trade has improved his team.

The way things are playing out, Chicago is looking like they’re going to be far more competitive this season. If Bedard continues evolving into the icon many thought he would be, and if Knight continues standing on his head, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Hawks could be on the fringes of the playoff conversation by the end of the season. 

To be fair and realistic, the Blackhawks are likely to experience some regression in the weeks and months immediately ahead. But with every game they play so far this year, they appear to be turning the page on a competitive downswing era and returning to being a legitimate Cup contender. 

Chicago has suffered through some terrible performances in recent years, and there are still lessons to learn as a group as they continue to establish a new team identity, but at long last, the Hawks appear ready and able to take that next competitive step. Davidson has put many of the pieces in place in the Windy City, and now it’s on the players and coach Jeff Blashill to execute and reward Blackhawks fans for sticking with them through the lean years.

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Nov 8, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson (21) drives towards the goal as Nashville Predators defenseman Nicolas Hague (41) defends during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. Alan Poizner-Imagn Images

It took 17 games for defenseman Nicolas Hague to score his first goal as a member of the Nashville Predators. Through the first eight games to start the season, the 6-foot-6, 240-pound left-shot defender was on injured reserve after suffering an upper-body injury during the Preds’ pre-season opener.

Hague had one assist coming into Saturday afternoon’s contest against the Dallas Stars at Bridgestone Arena on Filip Forsberg Bobblehead Day.

When the 26-year-old Hague finally netted his first goal as a Predator after nine games and 168 minutes of ice time, he wasn’t celebrating after the game. The Predators had just lost another one-goal game and suffered their fourth straight loss.

“There are no moral victories,” Hague said simply when asked about his goal following Saturday’s 5-4 loss to Dallas.

Indeed. The Preds had their chances, but defensive lapses, failing to convert on four of five power-play opportunities and a sluggish first period resulted in their sixth one-goal loss 17 games into another disappointing start.

Hague’s goal came at the 4:43 mark of the second period after the Stars had taken a 2-1 lead on a Roope Hintz goal. Hague took a feed from Nick Blankenburg at the left point and put a shot past Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger glove side to tie the game at two. Erik Haula earned the secondary helper.

The very first GOLDEN Haguerbomb 🤩 pic.twitter.com/CcyErpYrQ5

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) November 8, 2025

Hague picked up his second assist of the season just 27 seconds later when Ryan O’Reilly fed Forsberg, who scored a goal on his Bobblehead Day to put the Preds in the lead 3-2.

The lead was short-lived, as Dallas tied the game before Steven Stamkos netted a power-play goal to put Nashville back in front, only to see it slip away with two goals by the Stars in the span of 47 seconds.

“We weren't good enough from the start,” Hague said. “Just too many costly mistakes and they compound now and came back to bite us today.”

For the game, Hague logged 22:21 of ice time with two shots on goal and a +1 rating. He came into the day with one assist through eight games.

The Preds acquired Hague last June from the Vegas Golden Knights along with Vegas' own conditional third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft in exchange for forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.

Hague then signed a four-year, $22 million contract with the Preds. at his introductory press conference in July, he expressed a desire to be a more offensive-minded defender.

"I think there's more to give [in my game] offensively," Hague said in July. "In juniors, I was an offensive guy, and when I came into the NHL, there's a heavy focus on defending in this league. You're not going to make it anywhere if you do that."

In 373 career NHL games, Hague has recorded 86 points (21-65-86) with a +17 rating. The Preds were looking to get younger and stronger on defense, qualities Hague possesses.

Every bit of scoring touch Hague can add will certainly be a bonus, however, especially when so many close games have been lost early in the season.

Hague would feel better if his goals led to more actual victories, not moral ones.

"We're not going to outscore everybody every night," Hague said Saturday, echoing the same sentiments of Steven Stamkos a couple of weeks ago. "We gotta button it up... I'd rather win 1-0 , but you're going to have those (high-scoring games). We gotta grow up and mature a little bit as a group."

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Kirill Marchenko(7,8) and Dmitri Voronkov(6) scored the goals for Columbus, while Elvis Merzlikins 21 of 25 Vancouver shots in the loss.  

This wasn't the best outing for Merzlikins, who gave up the game-winner with five minutes left. The goal was one he will definitely want back. 

The first line of Dmitri Vorokov, Adam Fantilli, and Kirill Marchenko was the only noticeable line on the ice for the Blue Jackets. Between the three of them, they combined for 8 points, 14 shots, and were a plus-3. 

The second line of Miles Wood, Sean Monahan, and Kent Johnson were noticeable for negative reasons. The three of them had zero points, 4 shots, and were a minus-6. 

The Jackets are now 0-3 on their current five-game road trip. 

First Period - 0-0 - SOG 11-8 in favor of Columbus

The first five minutes of the first period was fairly back and forth, with Vancouver getting the better of the scoring chances. The Jackets got their first power play when Lukas Reichel went off for hooking Del Bel Belluz. The Canucks killed the penalty, but the Jackets did get a few good looks. Lankinen made a pair of saves to turn the CBJ away. 

Cole Sillinger was called for holding Quinn Hughes with just over three minutes left in the period. Columbus killed the penalty off with ease, as Elvis Merzlikins had to make zero saves on the Canucks man advantage. 

Overall, it was a very good period for the Blue Jackets with lots of good pace. It seemed as though they were ready to play, and it showed. The Jackets had more scoring chances, high danger scoring chances, and had a higher Fenwick and Corsi. A very good period on the road for the Blue Jackets. 

Second Period - 2-2 - SOG 13-8 in favor of Columbus

Just 1:06 into the second, Sean Monahan drew a high sticking call against Conor Garland which gave the Jackets a power play. Vancouver would kill it off, but again, Lankinen made two saves to keep the game scoreless. 

Jake DeBrusk scored the first goal of the game at the 5:28 mark of the second. But just over a minute later, Kirill Marchenko scored to tie the game, and 7th of the season. The goal was assisted by Dmitri Voronkov and Denton Mateychuk. It extends Kirill Marchenko's point streak to seven games. 

Mathieu Olivier was given a game misconduct at the 7-minute mark for boarding Elias Pettersson. It was a very dangerous play, as Pettersson had no clue that Olivier was coming for him. The Blue Jackets killed off the penalty, giving Vancouver very few good looks at Merzlikins. 

With 6:58 left in the period, Dmitri Voronkov scored his 6th goal of the season when he jammed one into the net from in close on Kevin Lankinen. The goal was assisted by Marchenko and Fantilli. 

Drew O'Connor tied the game with 57 seconds left. Somehow, he wasn't called for crosschecking when he absolutely decked Dante Fabbro and then scored. Very questionable no-call on that sequence. 

The Jackets again played a very good road period. 

Third Period

The third period saw both teams playing four-on-four for a little over a minute, which would end without a goal. 

Conor Garland scored to make it 3-2 with just under 14 minutes left, in what felt like a back-breaking goal. Despite how well the Blue Jackets have played in this game, this goal just felt like it was going to be the game-winner. Luckily, it wasn't. 

Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the night when he took a pass from Dmitri Voronkov to tie the game at 3. It was a beautiful setup from Voronkov, Fantilli, and Damon Severson. 

With 5:45 to go, Brock Boeser scored, in what could be described as a very soft goal. It put the Canucks up 4-3. 

Final Stats

Player Stats

• Kirill Marchenko scored two goals and had an assist. He now has a seven game points streak.
• Dmitri Voronkov scored a goal and had 2 assists.
• Denton Mateychuk had an assist and was a plus-2.
• Adam Fantilli had two assists and five shots.
• Elvis Merzlikins stopped 21 of 25 Canucks shots.

Team Stats

• The Jackets power play went 0/2.
• The Columbus PK stopped two Canucks power plays.
• Columbus won 59.6% of the faceoffs.

Up Next: Columbus takes on the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, Nov. 10th. They will wrap up their Western swing with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken.

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Shortly after the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers left the building after their game on Saturday afternoon, both organizations got the bad news that Mel Bridgman had passed away at the age of 70.

Bridgman had strong ties to both organizations. He was the first GM in Senators history, but was better known for his playing career, starting with the Flyers. who chose him first overall in the 1975 NHL Draft. That was unusual since they'd just won back-to-back Cups. They acquired the pick by trade, and it was the only time in history that the Flyers have picked first overall.

Bridgman went on to play his first 462 NHL games in a Flyers sweater, and also played for the Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, and Vancouver Canucks. He finished his career with 701 points across 977 regular-season games from 1975 to 1989. Bridgman also never backed down from a scrap and took on all comers, a perfect fit for the Broad Street Bullies, posting 1,625 career penalty minutes.

Two years after retiring as a player, that's when Ottawa entered the picture.

Without much experience at all, the Senators hired him as their first GM. With expansion draft rules much different from what they are now, new teams in those days were set up to fail with a 100 percent guarantee. In fact, with Bridgman only two years removed from playing, he could have jumped into action with the Sens and wouldn't have been their worst player.

Some expansion draft day issues also hampered Bridgman and the Senators, as the club famously had laptop troubles. But Bridgman's only NHL entry draft went better, yielding the very talented Alexei Yashin, still the only Senator in history to be nominated for the Hart Trophy.

The Senators issued this statement on social media:

The Ottawa Senators are saddened to learn that Mel Bridgman has passed away.

After a stellar playing career in the NHL, Mel served as our first general manager when we returned to the NHL for the 1992-93 season. He presided over our inaugural entry draft, where the club selected Alexei Yashin with the second overall selection.

The Ottawa Senators organization sends its deepest sympathies to Mel’s loved ones at this difficult time.

The Flyers also issued a statement:

The NHL Alumni Association announced Bridgman's death on Saturday. The cause of death was not disclosed.

Just like every year, the Montreal Canadiens held their Hockey Fights Cancer on Saturday night, and I’ll admit that I struggled to hold back the tears when they introduced the kids currently battling this awful disease. Not just because of the kids, but because it hit closer to home this year with my dad currently fighting the big C. Hopefully, the themed night prompted a lot of people to donate to cancer research and one day, we’ll have a cure.

Several Canadiens players chose to dedicate their fight against cancer to the coach consultant Roger Grillo, who is currently battling the disease, as announced by the organization this morning. The ceremony came to a close when a youngster who had just beaten the disease rang the bell that symbolizes his victory, to the cheers of 21,000 fans, an inspiring moment, to say the least.

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Inspire Confidence

While a goaltender’s first job is without a doubt to stop the puck, anybody who’s ever manned the net will tell you that another one of their roles is also to inspire confidence. Allowing a goal on the second shot of the game hardly inspires that, and while I don’t want to keep hitting on Samuel Montembeault when he’s down, it’s hard not to mention it.

The first goal came off a rebound he allowed on the first shot he faced from the Utah Mammoth, and while the goal wasn’t entirely on him (Joe Veleno completely lost his man on the play), the result remains the same: a shaken goaltender who struggles to inspire confidence.

A few minutes later, on a shot that wasn’t all that threatening, Montembeault spilled the puck after making a save, and it was slowly trickling into the net when Jake Evans came to his rescue to save the day and prevent the Habs from being down 2-0.

Montembeault bounced back spectacularly, however, stopping 15 of the 16 shots he faced in the second frame and making some key saves in a third period he called the best the team had played this season. Right now, it seems like the goaltender needs to build his confidence all over with every game. While that’s not ideal, it’s better than not having any confidence at all. By his own admission, Montembeault stated that the deeper the game got, the more comfortable he felt.

Reacting To The Refs

Like it or not, referees are mere mortals, and, like every human, they will make some mistakes. Granted, mistakes seem to happen a lot these days, but whatever happens on the ice, players must keep playing.

Early in the second period, Josh Anderson fell to the ice and felt that he had been interfered with. Instead of jumping up and keeping on playing, he wasted some time staying on the ice looking at the ref. As a result, the Mammoth got a three-on-one and scored a go-ahead goal. After the goal, Anderson was looking at the ref as if to say, “Look what you’ve done”. It’s not the first time this has happened this season, and the last time it did, he got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in a game the Canadiens ended up losing against the Edmonton Oilers. Lessons need to be learned. Thankfully for Anderson, Cole Caufield was on hand to tie the game right back.

Minutes later, as the Bell Centre crowd was loudly booing because Jayden Struble had been tripped, Oliver Kapanen and Alex Newhook took off with speed on the wing. The young Finn fed Newhook, who cut inside and scored, making it 3-2 Montreal before the boobirds had even stopped voicing their displeasure. Without a doubt, the much better way to react to a disappointing call or no call in this instance.

Frustration is understandable, but you lose nothing by continuing to play if there’s something you think warrants a penalty. Worst-case scenario, you’ll give a few seconds of unnecessary effort, but it’s much better than costing your team a goal.

Goal Scoring Leaders

At the time of writing, the Canadiens have the league’s top goal scorer and the rookie top scorer as well, a rare feat for this team. Cole Caufield has 12 goals in 15 games, on pace for 66 goals, that’s a Rocket Richard Trophy-winning pace. There’s no guarantee he’ll be able to keep it up, but it’s impressive, nonetheless.

The more he plays, the harder Caufield makes it for Team USA to ignore him for the Olympics. The Americans want to play a rugged game like they did in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but Olympic hockey is a different animal, and it won’t be called the same way. Leaving behind a player who can not only score but also do it in clutch moments could be a tremendous strategic error.

As for Oliver Kapanen, the youngster now has six goals and four assists for 10 points in 15 games, which might be a surprise to some, but not to Martin St-Louis:

He’s such an intelligent player; he does all that without cheating. He does it without just going to get those things (offensive production). I think Kappy has great qualities. He plays the game that’s in front of him, does what the game dictates, and as I said this morning, it’s rare that you don’t get rewarded offensively when you have the skills. And he has the skills, with the computer he has and the skills, I’m not surprised, but I’m happy about how he goes and get those things offensively, he doesn’t do it at the expense of his defensive work.

- St-Louis on Kapanen

At the time of writing, the Canadiens had two of the top three rookie scorers in the league. Ivan Demidov has the lead with 13 points, two points ahead of Matthew Schaefer, who stands on 11, while Kapanen trails him by a single point. I don’t think many believed that would be the case when the puck dropped on the season.

In the end, the Habs won this one 6-2, and the locals went home happy after an excellent show.

The Canadiens will enjoy a day off tomorrow before getting back to work with a practice in Brossard on Monday morning. Their next game will take place on Tuesday night when they’ll host the Los Angeles Kings.

Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) on XDans le cadre des initiatives #LeHockeyPourVaincreLeCancer de cette année, Nathan de Leucan a été invité à sonner la cloche à un match des Canadiens pour souligner la fin de ses traitements contre le cancer! As part of this year's #HockeyFightsCancer initiatives, Nathan from

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Mario Ferraro, surging Sharks have eyes on NHL playoffs after beating Panthers 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.

It has been a long time since we’ve seen Mario Ferraro smile this much after a game.

“I’m trying to keep it cool, right?” the long-time San Jose Sharks defenseman said after a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Saturday night. “Obviously, I’m excited about what I see right now. I really want to push for playoffs.”

Playoffs?!

That’s not a word that has been said in San Jose in November in a long time.

Of course, the Sharks are just 16 games into the season.

“It’s a long season,” Ferraro said. “Personally, from a team standpoint, we know we still got work to do.”

But who could blame the Sharks lifer, part of six straight seasons out of the playoffs, if he’s excited? At 7-6-3, it’s the first time that the perennial cellar-dwellers have been over .500 since they were 28-27-8 on March 22, 2022.

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The Anaheim Ducks wrapped up their brief, two-game road trip that had them take on the Vegas Golden Knights in a Saturday night showdown two days after a barnburner of a 7-5 win against the Dallas Stars on Thursday.

The Ducks were looking to extend their five-game winning streak against a Vegas team that they’ve struggled against, especially on the road, since the franchise’s inception. Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier entered play, each with their own eight-game point streaks they were trying to preserve. Unfortunately for Gauthier, his ended. Carlsson, however, continued his rise toward superstardom with a three-point night.

The Ducks went with their exact lineup that earned them their last three victories.

Game #14: Ducks vs. Golden Knights Gameday Preview (11/08/25)

Ducks Hot Start May Mean Olympic Consideration for Some Players

The Knights were hoping to retake the Pacific division lead and return to the win column against Anaheim, after dropping their Thursday night game to Tampa Bay 6-3.

The Ducks turned to Petr Mrazek in net for this game, marking just his third appearance in the team’s first 14 games to open the season. After two shaky outings to start the season, he saved 36 of 39 shots. None of the goals he allowed could be classified as “soft,” and he made numerous game-preserving stops toward the end of the third and in overtime, as Vegas made their final push toward a desired two points.

The Knights turned to Akira Schmid in this game, who stopped 25 of the 29 shots he faced.

Game Notes

The two teams were evenly matched to start the game, trading zone time, rush chances, and good defensive efforts. The Ducks seized control of the game during the second, overwhelming Vegas with their relentlessly clean exits and rush chances that led to extended cycle opportunities.

Vegas countered with an onslaught of their own in the third period, where they totaled 21 shots and a whopping 35 shot attempts. Anaheim’s defensive structure, along with Mrazek’s stellar play down the stretch, took the Ducks to overtime with a 3-3 tie, where offensive dynamo Jacob Trouba (kidding…kinda) ended it for Anaheim, sending them home with four points of a possible four on their road trip against a pair of Cup contenders from the West.

Defensive Zone Coverage: The Ducks have become comfortable and effective in their new zone system, as demonstrated best by these last two games against Dallas and Vegas. Even when they don’t get their desired early kills and are hemmed in for spells, as happens from time to time (it is still hockey), they are able to conserve some energy and protect the most dangerous seams.

Their standard positioning makes it easier for puck carriers to know where and when support is arriving, and outlets remain in more predictable spots on the ice, allowing them to exit cleanly and build plays more effectively. The next area to work on will be for the weak-side winger and defensemen to be more aware of activating defensemen or opposing covering forwards as they sneak down toward the back post, looking for soft ice.

Zellweger-Trouba: Once again, this pair showed why they’re analytically one of the best in the NHL. They accounted for four points (1-3=4) between them, 62.9% of the expected goals share, 53.8% of the shot share, and 59.5% of the shot attempts share.

They drive play from the blueline when in the offensive zone, reading off each other and their supporting forwards so they can pinch or cut down from the point to open up space or become passing options. Trouba’s defensive stick has become one of his most effective tools, as he consistently breaks up attacks in the d-zone, after which Zellweger pounces on the loose puck or an open lane to ignite a rush.

Rush Defense: The Ducks' rush/transition defense remains an area of concern. They did well to patch the middle of neutral ice, where they previously would allow cutting forwards to find the ice between defensemen with speed to manufacture breaks. However, Vegas exploited the Ducks’ puck-watching backcheckers and easily found their trailers for the Knights’ first and third goals in this game.

There will need to be increased communication between the retreating defensemen and the backchecking forwards in regards to who needs support and who needs trailers accounted for.

Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier: Not much more can be said about Carlsson, as he has raised expectations to the point where if he doesn’t dazzle, it’s an anomaly. Of course, he dazzled in this one, but the areas where he most impressed were defensively and in surveying opposing attacks in the neutral zone. He anticipated, disrupted, and dug for pucks to create offense in this game. On this trajectory, he could become the 200-foot, dominant, two-way center his ceiling was advertised as when he was drafted in 2023, just with way more offensive upside than expected by most.

Gauthier saw his point streak end, but it’s clear the game is slowing down for the sophomore winger. He is scanning the ice with and without the puck to greater effect, and has improved his play-connecting skills just inside the offensive blueline, even looking for and finding streaking teammates (mainly linemate Beckett Sennecke) in the slot. He’s finding ways to present himself as a passing option for teammates regardless of where he is on the ice: high-danger areas, high middle, on his backhand, on the wall, etc. These are encouraging signs for a budding (or arriving) star goalscorer.

The Ducks’ string of Cup-hopeful opponents continues on Sunday, when they’ll host the Winnipeg Jets at Honda Center, before embarking on a three-game road trip, starting on Tuesday against the NHL-best Colorado Avalanche.

Takeaways from the Ducks 7-5 Win over the Stars

Takeaways from the Ducks 7-3 Win over the Panthers

Anaheim Ducks on the Tip of National Media Tongues

LAS VEGAS -- The Golden Knights got third-period goals from Pavel Dorofeyev and Kaedan Korczak to erase a two-goal deficit, but it wouldn't be enough as the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks won 4-3 in overtime.

Anaheim (10-3-1) snapped a four-game skid against the Knights (7-3-4), who swept the series last season. With the win, the Ducks are three points ahead of Vegas and Seattle (7-3-4).

The surprising Ducks have now won six straight, a streak that has come against teams that had a combined record of 38-21-7.

Trailing 3-1 after two periods, Dorofeyev scored a power-play goal less than four minutes into the third when he gathered a loose puck after a faceoff in the right circle, skated to the slot and fired the puck past Anaheim goalie Petr Mrazek.

Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on XSCORE O FEYEV 🚪

Korczak tied the game with a little more than five minutes left in the game when he fired from the exact same spot where Dorofeyev scored from, firing a laser past three defenders and Mrazek.

Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on XBIG TIME KORCZY 🐲😮‍💨

Jacob Trouba scored the game-winner with 32 seconds left in overtime.

Brett Howden also scored for the Knights while Akira Schmid made 25 saves.

Leo Carlsson scored twice, and Frank Vatrano also scored for the Ducks. Mrazek finished with 36 saves.

Howden put Vegas on the board first when he took a beautiful pass from William Karlsson, who streaked down the right side and below the goal line before backhanding the puck back in front for the one-timer.

Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) on XHowie's third of the season gets us going 💪🍞

The Ducks tied the game when Olen Zellweger fired a shot from the point, and Vatrano was in the right spot to get a stick on the puck to beat Schmid.

After playing 5:03 over the entire first period, Karlsson did not return for the final two periods. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said after the game it was a lower-body injury, and would not speculate yet if Karlsson is day-to-day until hearing more on Sunday.

Carlsson's two second-period goals gave Anaheim a 3-1 lead.

"I think our third period was encouraging," Howden said. "They're a good team, they're playing well. But I think a lot of it is on us, too. It wasn't our kind of hockey."

KEY MOMENT: After squandering a power-play opportunity to start the third period, the Golden Knights got a second chance when Carlsson was called for high-sticking Jeremy Lauzon. At the time, Vegas was mired in a 2-for-24 skid with a man advantage, but was able to capitalize with Dorofeyev's goal. The Knights are now 3 of 26 on the power play in the last eight games.

"We needed a power play goal, hadn't gotten one in a while, gave us some life," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "And really thought we should have won the game. I'm not walking out of here tonight, gonna beat our guys up. Were there pockets of the game we weren't enough? Of course. Certainly, a game we should have had the two points."

KEY STAT: The Golden Knights opened the season tied for the league lead after outscoring teams 10-4 in the second period. Over their last eight games, though, they've been outscored 7-1 in the middle stanza.

"I don't think we're terrible in the second period," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "I'll have to look at it again. Obviously, we gave up goals, so you look at the results weren't good."

WHAT A KNIGHT: Defenseman Brayden McNabb had two blocked shots for the Knights, upping his league lead to 47 this season. McNabb is the franchise's all-time blocked shots leader with 1,322 since the inaugural season, a tally that also leads all NHL skaters in the same stretch. McNabb has appeared in 274 consecutive games after appearing in all 82 games the previous three regular seasons. McNabb is on pace to become the first Vegas skater in franchise history to reach 600 games played with the organization (597).

UP NEXT: The Golden Knights continue their season-long six-game homestand on Monday against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

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.

’Twas a snowy night in Edmonton, and the only thing falling faster than the flakes was the Oilers’ defensive structure, as the Colorado Avalanche stormed into Rogers Place and proceeded to dismantle their hosts. 

Colorado poured in nine goals in a full-scale rout, a 9–1 shellacking that left the Oilers buried under an avalanche in every sense of the word. 

Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) on XMake that nine.

Four Avalanche players scored twice—Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Jack Drury, and Parker Kelly—highlighting just how lopsided the night became. It was Colorado’s first nine-goal game since April 13, 2022, when they beat the Los Angeles Kings 9–3 at Ball Arena. MacKinnon had a hat trick in that one; this time he settled for two goals and two assists, giving him a four-point performance. Scott Wedgewood stopped 23 shots. Gavin Brindley, who was playing the first time after sustaining a concussion against the Vegas Golden Knights, had a goal and an assist for Colorado. 

For MacKinnon, he’s up to 24 points tallied on the season, tied for first in the league with San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini. His 12 goals are also tied for first in the NHL with Montreal’s Cole Caufield. 

The Oilers’ lone tally came courtesy of Connor McDavid; beyond that, the night resembled a full-scale oil spill. The goaltending, in particular, was as shaky as ever. Stuart Skinner was yanked midway through the second period after surrendering four goals on 13 shots, and Calvin Pickard didn’t fare any better—if anything, he was worse—allowing five goals on 21 shots in relief. 

First Period 

The Oilers came out flying in the early stages and 4:23 into the period, Martin Necas tripped McDavid to put Edmonton on the power play. Colorado withstood the assault and killed the penalty. Six minutes into the game, Colorado was held shotless, but MacKinnon got room and broke free down the ice, but was tripped up by Darnell Nurse as he let go of a shot. As a result, Colorado got their chance on the man advantage. 

With four seconds left to go in the power play, Brindley was called for tripping Evan Bouchard, who appeared to trip over Brindley’s skate. On the very next play, Jack Roslovic made it 4-on-4 again after he earned an interference call after running over Parker Kelly. 

Makar snapped a wrister from the right circle, threading it over Skinner’s right shoulder to stake the Avalanche to a 1–0 lead. The sequence began with MacKinnon commandeering the puck along the left wing. Edmonton tried to smother him with a quick double team, but that was precisely the trap MacKinnon had set. By drawing both defenders out of position, he opened a seam to Devon Toews, who collected the puck in stride and slipped it across to Makar. The defenseman walked into space unhindered and uncorked a razor-sharp wrist shot to finish the play. 

Landeskog appeared to have added to the avalanche of offense, wiring home a one-timer off a crisp drop pass from Victor Olofsson in the slot. But for the second time this season, “The Captain” saw a goal erased, this one overturned after a coach’s challenge confirmed that Drury had slipped offside on the entry. 

Tensions simmered late in the frame. McDavid drew a high-sticking minor for catching Josh Manson under the visor with 3:15 left—no blood, so only two minutes. Seconds later, Jake Walman compounded Edmonton’s troubles by cross-checking Brindley into the boards, handing Colorado a 5-on-3 advantage. 

After a frenetic, chaotic opening twenty minutes, the Avalanche carried a 2–0 lead into the intermission. 

Second Period 

Brindley scored his second of the season just 2:37 into the period, and a little more than two minutes later, Drury added his own second of the night with a beautiful redirect off a Brent Burns slap shot from the point, stretching the lead to 4–0. 

The Oilers responded by pulling Skinner for former Av Pickard, but the switch made no difference. With 10:26 left in the frame, Kelly buried his third of the season after taking a pass from Brindley in the slot and faking Pickard out of his skates before sliding a backhander home to make it 5–0. 

Edmonton finally got on the board with 8:30 remaining, scoring just seven seconds into a power play after Josh Manson was called for cross-checking Mattias Ekholm. McDavid snapped a wrister from the left circle past Wedgewood on the short side to cut the deficit to 5–1. 

Colorado returned to the power play when Vasiliy Podkolzin was whistled for high-sticking Drury, and although the Avalanche generated plenty of pressure, Pickard held strong—at least for the moment. 

Landeskog later took a tripping penalty on Bouchard, but even that worked against Edmonton. Kelly struck again, scoring shorthanded on a breakaway to push the lead to 6–1 with 5:22 left in the period. 

Third Period 

The rout rolled on just 24 seconds into the final period when the Oilers mishandled the puck at the blue line, allowing MacKinnon to scoop up the loose puck and rip it past Pickard on a 2-on-1 rush, pushing the score to 7–1. 

MacKinnon later went to the box for roughing David Tomasek in front of the net. But the moment he stepped out of the penalty box, he jumped into the play, took a pass in stride, and snapped another shot past Pickard for his second of the night at 5:02. Colorado’s lead swelled to 8–1. 

The Avalanche earned a four-minute power play when Walman was called for hooking Victor Olofsson and then hit with an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct after shouting something that didn’t sit well with the officials. Colorado couldn’t capitalize on the man advantage, but they scored anyway—Ross Colton found Drury in the slot, and he buried his second of the game. 

In summary, this was a beatdown. 

Next Game 

The Avalanche (9-1-5) have a quick turnaround as they take on the Vancouver Canucks (8-8) on Sunday, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. local time at Rogers Arena. 

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