The Pittsburgh Penguins will face one of the best teams in the NHL to start the season on Saturday.
They'll be in Newark to take on the New Jersey Devils, who have won 10 of their first 14 games and are tied with them for first in the Metropolitan Division. Devils forward Jack Hughes has been lighting the league on fire, compiling 10 goals and 18 points in 14 games. He's a strong contender for the Hart Trophy after the first month of the season.
Jesper Bratt has also been great, racking up five goals and 15 points in 14 games. Dawson Mercer is second on the team in goals with eight and third on the team in points with 14.
The Devils are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Bratt scored the overtime winner for the Devils.
The Penguins are coming off a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday and are now 9-4-2 to start the season. They blew a three-goal lead for a second-straight game, but were able to rally in the third period thanks to a game-winning goal from Bryan Rust.
Arturs Silovs will start in goal for a second-straight game after he was steady on Thursday. The Penguins are taking it easy with prospect Sergei Murashov and potentially saving his NHL debut for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Kings.
Kevin Hayes, who has missed the first 15 games of the season due to an injury he suffered at the beginning of training camp, will make his season debut for the Penguins. He will slot in for Philip Tomasino, who continues to struggle.
Here were the lines at practice on Friday:
Forwards
Rust-Crosby-Kindel
Novak-Malkin-Mantha
Koppanen-Hayes-Koivunen
Dewar-Lizotte-Heinen
Defense
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Shea-Letang
Graves-Clifton
Dumba-Brunicke
Puck drop for this contest will be at 12:30 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
Nov 6, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen (47) and Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) battle for the puck during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Game Day
Who: Dallas Stars (7-4-3) at Nashville Predators (5-7-4)
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
When: 2:30 Pm CST
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Radio: 102.5 The Game
Betting line (via BetMGM):
Stars
-1.5 (+150)
O 6 (+100)
-160
Predators
+1.5 (-185)
U 6 (-120)
+135
Injury Report
Cole Smith (upper-body injury) is currently on injured reserve and is expected to miss 3-6 weeks.
Adam Wilsby (lower-body injury) is listed as week-to-week.
Captain Roman Josi (upper-body) is on injured reserve.
Preds Fall To Flyers, O’Reilly Expresses Frustration
The Nashville Predators carry a three-game losing streak into Saturday afternoon’s matchup against the Dallas Stars at Bridgestone Arena.
It’s been a particularly tough week for the Preds, losing two consecutive overtime games and managing only one goal in their last outing, a 3-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Preds forward Ryan O’Reilly expressed frustration after the Flyers’ game, not only for his team’s difficult stretch but his own play.
"I know for myself, (I'm) the No. 1 center and I'm turning over the puck," O'Reilly said following the game. "I can't make a 60-foot pass to save my life. You're not going to have much success if I'm playing pathetic like that.”
Forsberg Bobblehead Day
As the Preds play their final home game before heading to Stockholm, Sweden for the 2025 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal, Saturday’s game is a Swedish send-off of sorts for Filip Forsberg.
The first 10,000 fans inside Bridgestone Arena will receive a Filip Forsberg bobblehead to commemorate the Preds forward and the trip to his home country that starts on Nov. 14.
The Preds will face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a two-game series in Stockholm. Forsberg was born in Leksand, so this series will be a dream come true for him.
Team Leaders
Speaking of Forsberg, he currently leads the team in scoring with six goals and 12 points. O’Reilly has tallied six goals and 10 points. Michael Bunting is right behind (4g-5a) with nine points, while Erik Haula (3g-5a) and Luke Evangelista (1g-7a) are tied with eight points apiece.
Juuse Saros, who was on the receiving end of the tough loss against Philadelphia on Thursday, comes into Saturday with a 5-5-3 record, 2.88 goals-against average and .902 save percentage. Justus Annunen is 0-2-1, 3.70, .872.
The Preds’ power play comes into Saturday’s matchup 7-of-49 (14.3%), 28th in the NHL. On the penalty kill, the Preds rank 14th at 82.0% (9-for-50).
Milestone Watch
The next goal Michael Bunting scores will be the 100th of his NHL career.
Scouting The Stars
The Preds have already faced Dallas once this season, falling 3-2 in an Oct. 26 meeting at Bridgestone Arena.
Jonathan Marchessault and Spencer Stastney tallied goals for the Preds, who were playing the second night of a back-to-back.
After falling behind 2-0, the Stars clawed back to score three unanswered goals for the comeback win. Saturday will be the second of three matchups between the two clubs this season.
Dallas is in a bit of a slump themselves. They’ve dropped three of their last four outings, the latest being a 7-5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night.
Mikko Rantanen paces the team with 20 points (8g-12a), followed by Wyatt Johnston (9g-8a) with 17 points and Jason Robertson (3g-10a) with 13 points.
Jake Oettinger is 5-3-2 in goal for the Stars with a 2.89 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. Casey DeSmith is 2-1-1 with a 3.15 GAA and .876 SP.
The Stars’ power play is third in the NHL (17-of-50, 34.0%). The penalty kill is 28th at 70.5% (13-of-44).
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The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to face the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena tonight.
The Vancouver Canucks come into this game 6th in the Pacific Division, 12th in the West, and 28th in the league. They've gone 4-6-0 in the last 10 and have lost 2 of their last 3 games.
But much like every team in the league, just because they've lost a few games doesn't make them any less dangerous. Couple that with the fact that Rogers Arena is a factory of sadness for the Blue Jackets, and tonight might be a long night for the CBJ. Columbus is 11-17-0-6, all-time in Vancouver.
Columbus has lost two straight games since their four-game winning streak and will be looking to pick up two points. Expect lineup changes for tonight, as Denton Mateychuk should return from missing the game against Calgary.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 16.1% - 25th in NHL
Penalty Kill - 68.4% - 30th in NHL
Goals For - 40 - 25th in NHL
Goals Against - 41 - 13th in NHL
Canucks Stats
Power Play - 19.2% - 19th in NHL
Penalty Kill - 68.0% - 31st in NHL
Goals For - 40 - 23rd in NHL
Goals Against - 50 - 26th in NHL
Series History vs. Canucks
Columbus is 26-32-2-9 all-time, and 11-17-0-6 on the road vs. Vancouver.
The Jackets are 7-3-1 in the last 11 games against the Canucks.
The CBJ went 1-1 vs. the Canucks last season.
Who To Watch For The Canucks
Columbus native Kiefer Sherwood leads the Canucks with 9 goals.
Conor Garland leads Vancouver with 8 assists and 11 points.
Thatcher Demko is 5-4-0 with a .912 SV%. He last played on November 3rd against Nashville and won.
Kevin Lankinen is 2-4-0 with a SV% of .880. He last played on November 5th, a loss against Chicago.
CBJ Player Notes vs. Canucks
Zach Werenski has 8 points in 14 games against the Canucks.
Sean Monahan has 29 points in 48 games.
Kirill Marchenko has 6 points in 5 games vs. Vancouver.
Elvis Merzlikins is 5-2-1 with an .892 SV% against Vancouver.
Injuries - Gudbranson on IR
Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 4 games - IR
Denton Mateychuk - Undisclosed - Missed 1 game
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 15
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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OTTAWA SENATORS (6-5-3) at PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (8-5-1) Faceoff: 1 pm, TSN5, RDS2
The Senators go another round with the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon. The two clubs met in Ottawa back on October 23rd with the Senators winning a defensive struggle, 2-1. Former Flyer Olle Lycksell scored the winner early in the second period before the two clubs completely shut each other down the rest of the way.
The State of Sens Nation
That win over the Flyers was the start of better things for the Senators. With the inclusion of that victory, the Sens have only lost once in regulation (4-1-2) since, though they have dropped their last two in overtime, falling 3-2 to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night and 4-3 to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Much of the dialogue in Sens Nation has centred on goaltending. With Linus Ullmark just 12 games into his four-year, $33 million contract, he hasn't come close to living up to the expectations that come with being the Senators' second-highest paid player. Ullmark stats so far are among the worst in the NHL, with an .863 save percentage and a 3.36 goals against.
While official lineups aren't out until closer to game time, backup Leevi Merilainen will get a look either Saturday or Sunday. He's only started in two games so far this season.
It's been a slow start for three Senators who are all just starting their new contracts. Along with Ullmark, Ridly Greig (4 years at $3.25 million per) and Fabian Zetterlund (3 years at $4.275 million per) are scuffling. In 14 games, Greig has 1 goal and 3 assists, while Zetterlund has 1 goal and 2 assists.
The Senators are on their Dad's trip so they made a father-son visit to Lincoln Financial Field to tour the Eagles' facility, dressing room, and even got to pose with the two Vince Lombardi Trophies the Eagles have won. Sens fans would love to see some of that championship aura rub off on the fellas.
They also whipped across the street to Citizens Bank Park to tour the Phillies' building and even take some swings in their batting cages. That was a special treat for centre Shane Pinto, who's apparently a big Philies fan.
This will end a stretch of three road games before the Sens open a four-game homestand on Sunday night versus the Utah Mammoth.
The Opponent
In their preseason NHL forecasts, not many of the experts saw the Philadelphia Flyers logo pop up in their playoff crystal balls, but the Flyers currently hold down a wild card with a record of 8-5-1 so far this season. That said, the Eastern Conference parity borders on the bizarre. Only six points separate first from 16th, and everyone in the conference is above .500 (points percentage).
The Flyers have gone 5-2-0 over their last seven games, and they've been relatively stingy, allowing just 2.6 goals per game. But when it comes to these routine-destroying 1 pm starts, a lot of trends tend to go out the window.
This may be the year that Trevor Zegras' point production catches up with his sublime skill level. Zegras leads all Flyers in scoring with 15 points in 14 games, so the change of address this season after five years in Anaheim appears to have served him well.
Former Ottawa 67's captain Travis Konecny is on a six-game point streak after a goal and an assist in the Flyers' 3-1 victory in Nashville on Thursday.
Senators projected lineup (subject to change)
Nick Cousins -- Tim Stutzle -- Drake Batherson Ridly Greig -- Dylan Cozens -- David Perron Michael Amadio -- Shane Pinto -- Claude Giroux Kurtis MacDermid -- Lars Eller -- Fabian Zetterlund
Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen Tyler Kleven -- Nikolas Matinpalo
Linus Ullmark Leevi Merilainen
Flyers projected lineup (subject to change)
Owen Tippett -- Christian Dvorak -- Trevor Zegras Matvei Michkov -- Sean Couturier -- Bobby Brink Nikita Grebenkin -- Noah Cates -- Travis Konecny Nicolas Deslauriers -- Rodrigo Abols -- Garnet Hathaway
Cam York -- Travis Sanheim Nick Seeler -- Jamie Drysdale Emil Andrae -- Noah Juulsen
The Flyers saw a comeback bid fall short Saturday afternoon as they suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Matvei Michkov and Jamie Drysdale provided the Flyers’ goals. Michkov trimmed Ottawa’s lead to 2-1 in the second period before Drysdale tied the game a little over halfway through the third period.
But the Senators recovered as Tim Stutzle scored the OT winner with his second goal of the day. Trevor Zegras was a step behind in coverage after skating toward the bench for an attempted change.
“He wanted to come off, but you’ve got to be decisive,” Rick Tocchet said. “It was a tough play, but you’ve either got to come hard or you’ve got to stay on.”
The Flyers (8-5-2) have lost their last three home games, scoring just 1.67 goals per game.
They’ve played a lot of close games this season, with nine being decided by one goal. They’re 4-3-2 in those games.
Tocchet’s club is 0-1-1 against the Senators (7-5-3) with one more matchup to go Feb. 5 back here in Philadelphia.
• Samuel Ersson made his first start since Oct. 28 after being activated off injured reserve before Thursday’s game.
The 26-year-old converted 10 saves on 13 shots. The Flyers were able to shore things up after a rocky start and allowed just one shot in the third period.
But it wasn’t enough and an early hole didn’t help.
“I’ve got to do a better job getting the team ready,” Tocchet said.
Ottawa jumped out to a 2-0 lead not even six and a half minutes into the game. The goals came in the span of one minute and five seconds.
On the first goal, Bobby Brink was unable to play the puck up the boards, which allowed the Senators to find a wide-open Stutzle for a blast from the circle.
The Flyers were poor in coverage again on the second goal when Michael Amadio made a move in close off a nice pass by Claude Giroux.
Two days ago, the Flyers gave up a goal just 1:44 minutes into the game, but they went on to beat the Predators, 3-1.
“Obviously I’ve got to look at myself,” Tocchet said. … “We’re a little bit slow starting the game, we just seem a little bit off. That falls on me.”
Senators netminder Linus Ullmark stopped 20 of the Flyers’ 22 shots.
“That’s two games now that the other team comes out stronger than us and out-battles us,” Sean Couturier said. “It makes it hard on us to come back. But as much as it could have been a frustrating day, we didn’t give them a whole lot after the first [period].”
• Michkov has scored a goal in back-to-back games, a really good sign for the Flyers.
“Every game, I feel better and better,” Michkov said through translator Slava Kuznetsov, a Flyers consultant.
The 20-year-old winger fended off Ottawa defenseman Jake Sanderson before making a move toward the net and ripping home a shot. He screamed to the crowd in celebration.
“Our staff, since we’ve been here, has been stressing body position before the puck,” Tocchet said. “That was classic, what he just did. A lot of times, guys will go to the puck and they get stripped. We’re a team that still has to get better at that. What Mich did is something that we’re preaching all of the time, and that was textbook.”
In the first period, the Flyers had a failed power play. Michkov and Travis Konecny had some words on the bench. It didn’t look like they saw eye to eye on what they were trying to execute.
But after Konecny recorded an assist on Michkov’s goal in the middle stanza, he gave the youngster a fist-pound and patted him on the head. Two competitive guys working through things.
• Giroux has enjoyed seeing his old team.
His first-period helper gave him 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 11 career games against the Flyers.
• Carl Grundstrom, who was acquired in the Ryan Ellis trade, made his Flyers debut after being called up Friday from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
The 27-year-old winger came to the Flyers with 292 games and 43 goals on his NHL résumé. He wore No. 91 and opened the game on a line with Konecny and Noah Cates.
• The Flyers have three days before their next game Wednesday when they host Connor McDavid and the Oilers (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Yet, there were also some under-the-radar signings this off-season that are already looking like home runs early on. Due to this, let's take a look at three players who have been big surprises with their new clubs early on this season.
Justin Brazeau, RW, Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins signed Justin Brazeau to a two-year, $3-million contract in free agency this summer. When this move was made, it was expected that the 27-year-old winger would simply provide the Penguins with more forward depth for their bottom six.
Yet, Brazeau has been far more than that early on for the Penguins.
Brazeau had a spectacular start to the season with the Penguins, posting six goals and 12 points in 12 games. He also cemented himself a spot in Pittsburgh's top six, playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Anthony Mantha.
Victor Olofsson signed a one-year, $1.575 million contract with the Colorado Avalanche in late August. This was another move that did not get a ton of attention, but it has been paying off tremendously for Colorado early on.
Olofsson is thriving with the Avalanche, as he has recorded five goals and 12 points in 14 games. This included him putting together a three-goal, five-point performance against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 26.
The Avalanche's primary reason for acquiring Olofsson was to bolster their secondary scoring. So far, the 5-foot-11 winger is providing far more than just that.
Corey Perry, RW, Los Angeles Kings
Corey Perry, 40, is turning back the clock with the Los Angeles Kings.
After signing a one-year, $2-million contract with the Kings this summer, which also includes $2 million of potential performance bonuses, Perry has been fantastic for Los Angeles.
In nine games this season with the Kings, Perry has recorded six goals, nine points, and a plus-4 rating. He is also continuing to stay hot, as he has four goals and six points in his last five games.
When noting that his cap hit is only $2 million for this season, the Kings are getting fantastic value from the 21-year NHL veteran.
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It's been a whirlwind over the last week or so for New York Islanders rookie Calum Ritchie. After the whole Raleigh fiasco, he's been able to settle in a bit more.
While we are still waiting for offense, with no points in his first four games of the season, Ritchie's defense is what's allowed him to remain as the second-line center -- for the most part.
In Friday's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild, in which no one played well, head coach Patrick Roy altered his lines, demoting the 20-year-old to the fourth line before the end of the second period.
Ritchie has averaged 13:56 minutes per game, with his time on ice dropping in each game that he's played. Now, he and the team will try to redeem themselves when they battle the New York Rangers on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
"That'll be pretty cool," Ritchie told The Hockey News on battling his new cross-town rival. "Obviously, I played there in preseason, so I kind of got a taste of what Madison Square Garden is, and the rivalry between the two teams. But, yeah, that'd be pretty cool."
But for Ritchie, this isn't just his first Rangers-Islanders game. It will be a special moment for him and his brother
"I have some family coming down. My brother's coming down. It'll be his first time watching me play in the show. So that's pretty cool," Ritchie said.
Ethan Ritchie, 23, is a left-side defenseman who played three games for the Providence Bruins (2023-24), playing in the ECHL with the Maine Mariners (63 games in 2023-24). He played three games for the ECHL's Fort Wayne Comets in 2024-25.
"H's at school now in Halifax, SMU," Ritchie said. "So, he talked to his coach and asked him if he could fly down for a game. They had a game canceled this weekend, so he got the go-ahead."
Ritchie said his parents will be in attendance as well.
Puck drop is coming at 7 PM ET on MSGSN. We will talk to Roy at 5:45 PM ET.
The Pittsburgh Penguins visit Newark tonight to take on the New Jersey Devils in a matchup between two of the NHL’s hottest teams.
The Penguins enter the game at 9-4-2, while the Devils sit at 10-4-0.
New Jersey remains undefeated at home (6-0-0) this season after defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4–3 in overtime on November 6. The Penguins also played that night, earning a 5–3 win over the Washington Capitals.
The Devils currently rank second in the NHL standings with 20 points, while the Penguins sit fourth, also with 20 points.
Dillon on Facing Pittsburgh
At Friday’s practice, defenseman Brenden Dillon discussed the challenge of taking on a veteran Penguins team with The Hockey News’ Kristy Flannery.
“I think for tomorrow, a team that those guys have been together not just years, but decades — they know each other, they can read off one another,” Dillon said. “Year after year, they seem to always be near the top. First and foremost, staying out of the box is going to be our best bet — try to play five-on-five, and when they do get a power play, have good sticks and just be aware.”
This will be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs.
Players to Watch
Devils
Jack Hughes – 10 goals and 8 assists through 14 games.
Dawson Mercer – off to a career-best start with 6 goals and 4 assists.
Penguins
Bryan Rust – 5 goals and 9 assists so far this season.
Sidney Crosby – 9 goals and 5 assists in his last 10 games.
Injuries and Lineup Notes
Devils Defenseman Dougie Hamilton did not skate at practice on Friday after leaving Thursday’s game early. His status remains uncertain for tonight’s matchup.
Due to Hamilton’s absence, the lines at Friday morning’s skate were adjusted.
Colton White was recalled from the AHL’s Utica Comets and could draw into the lineup if Hamilton is ruled out.
“It’s really exciting,” White said to NHL.com. “It’s been a long time since I’ve played — a lot of hard work and a long wait. I’m just really excited and grateful for the opportunity.”
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET at Prudential Center, as the Devils look to remain perfect on home ice and extend their winning streak.
At some point in the near future, the Philadelphia Flyers are going to have to make some tough trade decisions. That time could arrive sooner if some players continue to put forth more of the same.
One name in particular that finds itself back in trade chatter is none other than Owen Tippett, who was mired in rumors at the start of the season, only to silence the crowd with a five-goal outburst across the span of five games.
Since then, though, Tippett, 26, has just one assist and no goals in his last eight games, and the Flyers are said to be getting worn out on these low points, according to a new report.
"While hot and cold stretches are to be expected of a shoot-first winger, the inconsistency in Tippett’s game has started to become tiresome from those within the organization, based on conversations I’ve had," Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff reported Tuesday. "The Flyers do like Tippett’s game but feel like they may not have the right player(s) to properly complement his style."
Therein lies the problem: the Flyers have tried nearly everything to get Tippett going consistently in his four years in Philadelphia.
Names like Travis Konecny, Morgan Frost, Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras, and Sean Couturier come to mind.
Tippett will turn 27 in February, so there's little room left for true development at this stage of his career. Being a streaky scorer is inherently fine at the NHL level, but you also have to question the Flyers' patience level with that when they have younger, cheaper options like Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Porter Martone, and Bobby Brink at the same position.
"According to team sources, there are some internal questions as to where Tippett will fit long term with the Flyers," Di Marco added. "Marc Bergevin of the Los Angeles Kings front office has taken in several Flyers games recently, causing speculation on whether they could be looking at Tippett. While I have no doubt the Kings could be, they don’t have many assets the Flyers like, I’m told."
The obvious choice for many would be Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke, but the Flyers appear to be headed towards a more physical identity defensively to complement the presences of Cam York and Jamie Drysdale.
That said, the Flyers have done extremely well with reclamation projects over the last few seasons under GM Danny Briere, and that line of communication has been and still is open with the Kings.
The Kings were part of the three-team deal that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus, and Andrei Kuzmenko left for Los Angeles and earned the Flyers a third-round pick for his short but solid tenure in Philadelphia.
Other options, if the Flyers won't add another winger to an already overcrowded pool, might include Kirill Kirsanov or 2025 first-round pick Henry Brzustewicz, a 6-foot-3 London Knights defenseman who was teammates with Flyers prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk.
Perhaps Los Angeles may also be willing to part ways with out-of-favor center prospects like Akil Thomas and Alex Turcotte; the latter was drafted ahead of Zegras in 2019, and the two were teammates for parts of four seasons playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program.
Oh, and York and Brink were part of that group, too.
The Kings are quickly running out of time to make the most out of what's left of the careers of Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty, and Darcy Kuemper, and maybe one last move to jolt some life into the forward group would do them some good.
Di Marco noted that the Flyers are not actively shopping Tippett, but there should be no surprises these talks came back up with this ongoing two-week slump.
Down on one knee, William Nylander roofed a puck over Utah Mammoth goaltender Vitek Vanecek on Wednesday for his sixth goal of the season. He celebrated the goal and the fact that this is his best start to a season in his NHL career.
The 29-year-old has collected 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in his first 11 games, putting him in a six-way tie for second among NHL skaters. None of those six players — or the three with 21 points — have played less than 13 games.
"I think he's always scored lots of goals, but I think this year he's making more plays with the puck and getting assists," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Friday. "Like I said before, he's an underrated passer. I mean, he's a good playmaker, but he's always scored a lot of goals."
What stands out most about Nylander's start this season, beyond others, is the amount of primary assists he's racked up. Eleven of the Swede's 14 helpers this year are primary assists, tying him for the league lead with Evgeni Malkin in that department.
Within the Maple Leafs, only Matthew Knies — who's also gotten off to a wicked start — is near Nylander for primary assists with nine (four of his 13 helpers are secondary assists).
One of Nylander's best games this year came during a comeback win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night. Auston Matthews started the scoring early in the third period (with Nylander getting a secondary assist). Nylander followed up with two goals of his own to tie the game, and Bobby McMann scored the game-winner.
"For me, I just think it's his timely goal-scoring. The quality of goals in big spots, in big moments," Anthony Stolarz said of what he's noticed about Nylander's start to the year.
"He's stepped up in a big way and I think the guys have rallied around that."
Below is Nylander's production throughout the first 11 games of the season over his career:
"Just trying to play better hockey every year," Nylander said on Friday, "just trying to work on my game every year and try to get better, so it's nice to see that I'm getting rewarded for it."
Despite missing a couple of games early, Nylander's production has contributed to Toronto winning games. Fourteen of his 20 points to begin the season have come during Maple Leafs wins. And after a shaky start in October, the club has put together three straight wins to begin November.
What's been the key to that success?
"I don’t know, we had a great Halloween party in Philly," said Nylander, who went to the party dressed as Darth Vader.
As to why he chose Darth Vader, Nylander smiled: "We ordered the costumes day of, so I mean, we didn’t have much planning to do."
Nylander and the Maple Leafs will look to continue trending upwards on Saturday night, when they welcome the Boston Bruins and former Maple Leaf, Fraser Minten, into town. The Bruins are one point up on Toronto for third in the Atlantic Division with two more games played.
The Buffalo Sabres are dead-last in the (Atlantic) division, they have lost five of their past six games, and they’re now tied for last in the Eastern Conference. It’s an unacceptable situation that’s going to be in the front of the mind of Sabres ownership. This franchise has missed the playoffs 14 straight seasons, and could be outside of the playoff picture looking in again this year.
Indeed, if Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula look at this Buffalo team from the perspective of a Sabres fan, they’d immediately sound the alarm for the organization and start throwing people overboard. And that could mean the end of the road in Buffalo for GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff. And that could happen sooner than later.
There has to be accountability for a team that clearly has some major holes in it. And that falls at the feet of Adams, who has had many years to try and stick the landing. It hasn’t happened, and you can’t get around it. The same goes for Ruff, who hasn’t come in and steered this Sabres team into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Adams and Ruff’s future is tied together, and if one goes, the other will be soon to follow.
But the changes to come for the Sabres won’t be limited to Buffalo’s coaching and management picture. The roster will be undergoing extensive renovations, and that will mean the Sabres make major trades. And although five Buffalo players have some form of- no-trade or no-move clause, the reality is no one will be safe if the Sabres decide to blow it up.
We’re not suggesting star forward Tage Thompson and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin will definitely be moved, but Adams – or whomever it is replacing Adams – has to listen to all offers. When you consistently underachieve, there should be no sacred cows. And who knows – Dahin and Thompson may grow weary enough of the constant losing and accept a trade out of town.
There has to be a sense of currency we haven’t seen from the Sabres up until now. Buffalo is in a bare-knuckle fight to be in the conversation as a playoff team, and they could be fighting for a playoff spot all season long. But their slow start to the season has put every other team in the East ahead of them. That qualifies as a disaster.
That’s likely to be a playoff dream-killer for Buffalo, so there has to be a playoff push for the Sabres right now. You can’t wait for the trade deadline and start adding assets if you think you’re close to doing great things. Your core needs to be running things, and up until now, the Sabres haven’t been able to do that.
The Sabres are clearly on the hot seat in a way few other teams are. The prospect of being on the team that extended Buffalo’s playoff drought to 15 years is not a pleasant one, and all Sabres fans care about is that streak coming to an end.
And if Buffalo can’t make a push up the standings – and soon – the Sabres will look rather different than they do right now.
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The Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Calgary Flames 4-0. Connor Bedard had four points, Tyler Bertuzzi scored two more goals, and Spencer Knight earned a shutout.
However, it wasn’t all great for the Blackhawks. They lost Frank Nazar to injury in the first period. Joel Farabee of the Flames made a strange play that led to Nazar falling awkwardly. Farabee had to respond to this action with a fight against Colton Dach.
Nazar did not return to the game, as the Blackhawks announced ahead of the start of the second period.
After the game was over, when asked about it, Jeff Blashill gave what is considered to be a positive update on the up-and-coming star forward. Blashill called Nazar’s injury day-to-day and didn’t rule him out for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.
If Nazar misses one game or no games, that would be a huge win for the Blackhawks. He is one of their leaders when it comes to offense, defense, and special teams. Few forwards on the team help their team in all three zones more than Nazar.
As more updates are made available on the coming day, The Hockey News will have updates.
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The Chicago Blackhawks came into their Friday night matchup against the Calgary Flames feeling good after a matchup against the Vancouver Canucks that finished strongly for them. They were mostly outplayed, but they found a way to win a hockey game thanks to their goalie, Spencer Knight, and a third-period offensive output.
Although the Canucks are no wagon, the Flames may be the worst team in the NHL. They are the worst, based on record, as they entered with a mark of 4-9-2 for 10 points. No team wants to be in 32nd place out of 32, so the Blackhawks had to expect the Flames to come in nice and angry.
Calgary, however, was unable to hang with Chicago. Over the course of the game, the Blackhawks took it to the Flames. It all started with Tyler Bertuzzi scoring two goals to follow up his hat trick against the Canucks. These two goals, the first two of the game, set a win in motion.
In the third period, Andre Burakovsky put the game out of reach with his 6th of the season to make it 3-0. Connor Bedard assisted on both Bertuzzi goals and this Burakovsky goal.
Bedard, extending his point streak to 7 games with three assists, wasn’t enough for him. With under five minutes remaining in regulation, Bedard scored on a breakaway to make it 4-0 Blackhawks. That stood as the final. A four-point night for Bedard tied him for the league lead in points at the time of the goal.
Spencer Knight made 33 saves to earn the shutout. To say he’s been spectacular this season would be an understatement, and he finally has his first shutout in a Blackhawks sweater.
That’s two straight wins for the Blackhawks, and a 2-2-1 record on the road trip with one game remaining. After starting 0-2-1 on the trip, they still have a chance to turn it into a positive stretch of games away from home.
Frank Nazar Injury/Fighting
The Chicago Blackhawks announced during the game that Frank Nazar would not return after leaving the hockey game with an injury. Joel Farabee had to answer to Colton Dach in a fight for the play that led to Nazar's injury. It was a lower-body injury, and an update will be provided when available.
Not long after, Oliver Moore took a bad hit from MacKenzie Weegar, and Alex Vlasic stood up for him in a fight. Eventually, Nick Foligno took on Joel Hanley to cap off a three-fight game.
The Chicago Blackhawks are clearly a team that stands up for each other. Winning usually follows organizations that battle for each other just as much as with each other.
Next up for the Chicago Blackhawks is a Sunday afternoon match with the Detroit Red Wings. This will be the sixth game out of six on the road trip, with a chance to turn it into an above .500 set.
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Calgary’s struggles continue as Bertuzzi, Bedard lead Chicago to victory.
The Calgary Flames’ offensive woes continued Friday night as they were shut out 4-0 by the Chicago Blackhawks at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday night.
Tyler Bertuzzi opened the scoring late in the first period, redirecting a pass at the side of the net past Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf to give Chicago a 1–0 lead after 20 minutes.
In the third, the Blackhawks pulled away. Bertuzzi struck again on a 2-on-1 rush, finishing off a crisp feed from Connor Bedard and roofing the puck for his second of the night — and fifth in just two games.
Moments later, Bedard sparked another odd-man rush, setting up Andre Burakovsky in the high slot for Chicago’s third goal. Bedard scored the fourth goal late in the third with a highlight reel breakaway goal to go with three assists, extending his point streak to 10 games.
It was another night of frustration for the Flames, who outshot the Blackhawks but failed to convert on their chances against goaltender Spencer Knight. Calgary sits at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 4-10-2 record and just 10 points through 16 games.
There were some tense moments in the second period when rookie defenceman Zayne Parekh — back in the lineup after being scratched — collided with Nick Foligno and left the game with an upper-body injury. He did not return.
With the team short on defence, Farabee was shifted to the blue line midway through the game to help fill the gap.
Three Takeaways:
1. Parekh shows promise before injury
Before exiting, Parekh stood out early with a strong defensive stick on Bedard and generated a shot on goal. His absence was noticeable after leaving the game following a collision with Foligno.
2. Odd-man rushes prove costly
Defensive breakdowns and turnovers continued to haunt Calgary. Three of Chicago’s four goals came off odd-man rushes after turnovers — a glaring issue that has plagued the Flames throughout the season.
3. No finish despite pressure
Calgary outshot the Blackhawks but couldn’t find any finish around the net. They lacked any sustained offensive zone time, and Knight turned aside every Flames opportunity for the shutout. Matt Coronato had 11 shots on net in the contest.
In the 2023-24 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished with a 38-32-12 record, good for 88 points.
They missed the playoffs by three points, and a big reason for it was their power play, which ranked 30th in the league at 15.3%. It was a stagnant unit that overpassed, never went to the net, could barely gain the zone, and never had a shoot-first mentality. The power play went through a 0-for-37 slump during the season, which was insane considering the amount of firepower that the Penguins had (and still have to this day).
The unit's failures cost assistant coach Todd Reirden his job, and David Quinn was brought in before last season to fix a broken unit. He did a great job with it, helping the Penguins finish with the sixth-best power play at 25.8% last season. They missed the playoffs by more than three points, but got back to basics on the power play. The zone entries were cleaned up. A net-front presence was established. They weren't playing patty-cake at the blue line. They had a shoot-first mentality.
All of those qualities have been turned up several notches to start the 2025-26 season as the Penguins currently have the top power play in the league at 35.9%. The unit went 3/5 against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, and it could've gone 4/5 or even 5/5 after spending a ton of time in the offensive zone.
One of the biggest reasons for the PP's hot start is because of assistant coach Todd Nelson. Nelson joined the Penguins' coaching staff under head coach Dan Muse during the offseason after Quinn followed former Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan to New York. Nelson wants his players to zip the puck around with authority and keep penalty killers guessing, and both features have been on display throughout the first month of the season.
If you go back to the first power play goal on Thursday, the Penguins moved the puck beautifully through the offensive zone before Ben Kindel delivered a gorgeous cross-ice pass to Sidney Crosby. It caught the Capitals completely off guard.
Another example of these qualities in action came during the Penguins' game against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 23. They had some great puck movement before Crosby finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe play near the goal line. The Panthers didn't see it coming.
Crosby is super thrilled with the work that Nelson has put in on the PP.
"I think it has changed a little bit, just based on injuries, so I think it's about everybody being on the same page, being organized, and executing," Crosby said after Friday's practice. "For the most part, you don't want to change your game plan night-to-night, so I think that we're pretty consistent in how we want to approach it, and there are always little tweaks, depending on who you play, but I think it's been pretty clear as far as the mindset of the group. That has a lot to do with the way they are structuring it and organizing it, and it's up to the guys to go out there and execute."
While Bryan Rust's process hasn't always been there in all situations this season, he scored a beauty of a PP goal on Thursday, which turned out to be the game-winner. It came off a ridiculous feed from Evgeni Malkin, who has eight assists and nine points on the man-advantage.
Rust echoed a lot of what Crosby said about Nelson after practice, including calling Nelson "awesome."
"Todd's been awesome," Rust said. "He's given us a blueprint on kinda what to do and I think he's also given us the leeway to kinda play with a little bit of a creativity, which I think, there's obviously a fine line of getting too out of control, but I think we're in a good spot right now and we're trying to continue to keep getting better and keep on building."
The Penguins' PP is going to face tougher penalty kills this season, including on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, who rank sixth in PK percentage, but as long as that unit keeps every PK guessing and on their toes, it's going to be really hard to stop.
