On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins had one more opportunity to salvage points from a four-game Western road swing that, so far, had not gone their way. 

Unfortunately, they came up empty.

Despite a late push that nearly tied the game, the Penguins dropped their fourth-straight game, this time at the hands of the Utah Mammoth, 5-4. The loss ended their road trip at 0-4, and they dropped to 3-6-1 on the season. 

Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Declan Carlile found the back of the net for the Penguins, while goaltender Arturs Silovs stopped 24 of 29 Utah shots. The Penguins had a late push in the final minute during 6-on-5 play, but it wasn't enough to overcome what was yet another deep-dug hole. 

Pittsburgh actually opened up the scoring in this one when Erik Karlsson, just a minute and 11 seconds in, threw a puck toward the net on the power play that hit Mackenzie Weegar on the way in and trickled past Mammoth netminder Sebastian Cossa to make it 1-0. 

A PPG FOR PGH.

💰: https://t.co/EwnxWgMqMZpic.twitter.com/Ho21tt1hrA

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 20, 2026

However, the lead didn't last too long, as Lawson Crouse connected on a nice pass from down low to Clayton Keller breaking through the slot with his speed, and he put it past Silovs to tie the game six minutes in. Kevin Stenlund gave the Mammoth the lead just past the midway point. 

The Penguins got another power play opportunity just before the seven-minute mark of the second period, and just eight seconds into the power play opportunity, Rakell got the puck down low around the net. He used his reach on a stuff attempt, and it was a success, giving him his long-awaited first goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2.

He wanted it.
He got it.
He tied it. pic.twitter.com/Gu8B470rKf

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 20, 2026

But Utah hit back with some momentum of their own. Nate Schmidt potted one from the point a few minutes later to retake the lead for the Mammoth, and a few minutes after that, Kailer Yamamoto beat Chinakhov on a play to make it 4-2.

A minute and a half into the third, Utah added to their lead with a Nick Schmaltz power play goal, who scored his team-leading fifth man-advantage goal of the season. But the Penguins did respond in the form of Chinakhov's second goal of the season less than a minute and a half later, which also marked the first points for Andrei Kuzmenko and Spencer Stastney as Penguins on the assists.

Kuzy and Stastney record their first points as Penguins 🐧 pic.twitter.com/r9YqdDm4q6

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 20, 2026

After a long stretch without a shot, the Penguins grabbed momentum in the second half of the final frame. To cap off a nice cycle by the first line, Declan Carlile broke down the left side and finished a play to bring the Penguins to within one at 5-4. 

Down, not out 💪 pic.twitter.com/ZK8NN6rMhG

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 20, 2026

And, at the end of the game, they came very close to tying it. Pittsburgh was getting some sustained pressure with the goaltender pulled, and they even forced a few icing calls to keep tired Utah players on the ice. After a few blasts by Karlsson and Rakell missed the net, Karlsson finally did put one on net, and Cossa let a rebound squirt to Ben Kindel on the doorstep.

Kindel shot it toward the net with the seconds ticking off the clock, and Cossa made a pad save in desperation to preserve the Mammoth lead and send the Penguins home pointless.

BIG save from Sebastian Cossa 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1UiIWLuYyC

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 20, 2026

Here are a few takeaways from the Penguins' most recent loss:

- The result wasn't what the Penguins wanted. But there are some good things that happened in this game that the team can build on, especially after some pretty drastic lineup changes. 

It's no small thing that Rakell and Chinakhov both scored in this game. And not only did they score, they were two of the game's best players, with Chinakhov flanking Crosby's left and Rakell on Kindel's right. If those two - the Penguins' two best pure goal-scorers - can get going, they will be much better for it. 

The power play also stayed hot and scored on both of its opportunities in this game. It's three for its last three opportunities, and if that unit can get hot, the Penguins will - again - be much better for it. 

Karlsson, who did record his first goal of the season, registered his team-leading 10th and 11th points of the season to give him 11 points in 10 games. His 11 points is tied for third in the NHL among defensemen, as he only trails Evan Bouchard (16 points) and Quinn Hughes (12 points). 

And the push in the back half of the third showed that this team is capable of finding another level. Kindel was so, so close to tying that game, and Cossa made the save. The effort was too little, too late, but it's something to build on. 

Report: Penguins Are Willing To Deal Veterans. What Does That Mean?According to a new report Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Kyle Dubas are ready to open the doors for a youth movement.

- As far as the defense? Yeah, it hasn't looked great. The details haven't been there. The own-zone coverage has been atrocious, to put it nicely. 

But there is a very large something to be considered here. 

The Penguins have five new players on their blue line. Three or four of them are playing on any given night, and every pairing has at least one new face. 

Yes, every team in the NHL has been forced to work around a much-shortened preseason and training camp. But no team in hockey has as many new faces on the blue line as the Penguins. It's well-known that it typically takes defensemen a bit more time to adjust to new teams, new partners, and new systems. 

The defense has been a letdown, but if there can be a neutral take from this, much of the inconsistency and utterly baffling breakdowns can probably trace back to the fact that these guys simply have not had a lot of runway together. It's the same thing on the forward front, but it's even more true on the blue line: It's going to take some time for the coaching staff and the players to figure out the right combinations on the back end. 

Maybe this defense is far worse than last season's, maybe it isn't. The simple fact of the matter is that it's game 10, they have four of those five new defensemen on the NHL roster and playing, and more time and experimentation is needed to truly determine what things are probably going to look like for the remainder of the season. 

If the same issues and breakdowns persist with this frequency two or three weeks from now, yes, that's a different conversation. But, for now, the blue line needs more time to figure out what works and what doesn't. The shortened camp did not afford the opportunity for any runway whatsoever, especially with prospect-heavy preseason action. 

Even if it's not entirely an excuse, it has certainly been a factor.

Penguins Make Pair Of Defensive Roster MovesWith one injury already on the blue line and another possible injury from Saturday, Pittsburgh needed some insurance on the blue line.

- That said, yes, Carlile did score a goal, and a big one. 

But he has displayed some problematic defense for several games now.

In a few previous games, defensive zone turnovers were the culprit. It was clear that he and Karlsson were not meshing as a pairing, so he was put on a second pairing with Kaedan Korczak in this one, while Stastney was stapled to Karlsson.

The culprits in this one for Carlile? Two blown net-front coverages. He failed to win a net-front battle against Stenlund on his goal, and his failure to box out Jack McBain at the net-front resulted in him screening Silovs on Schmidt's goal. 

Stennything is possible ✨ pic.twitter.com/B9FmBVMMZo

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) October 20, 2026

Then, on the power play goal, Schmaltz was left completely uncovered at the net-front prior to his goal, and Carlile was all the way up at the point like a forward. On the surface, this isn't a problem because of the Penguins' rotating PK, but Carlile is in this position frequently on the PK. He should probably have stayed down low with Karlsson prior to that sequence. 

There is far too much risk in Carlile's game right now, and both Spencer Stastney and Ilya Solovyov, the latter playing his first NHL action of the season, were serviceable in this game. If Sam Girard is ready to go Thursday - or Trevor van Riemsdyk - I'm not sure that Carlile has been playing well enough to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis. 

- Bryan Rust was injured sometime during the second period in this game, and he did not return. The only thing known up to this point is that it's a lower-body injury.

If he isn't good to go for Thursday's game against the Florida Panthers - and if he goes to injured reserve - I'd expect Avery Hayes or Rutger McGroarty to get the call, as they are lighting up the AHL right now with nine points each in six games. 

In any case, that's a tough break for Rust, who was injured out of camp to start the season. This guy's biggest knock in the last decade has been his inability to stay healthy, and it's a shame because the Penguins are a better team when he's in the lineup. 

Penguins' Rust Exits Game Against Utah With InjuryThe Pittsburgh Penguins' top-line forward exited Monday's game during the second period and did not return.

- The Penguins are now 3-6-1 after 10 games. The Philadelphia Flyers - who took 10 games to win a hockey game - are now tied with them points-wise and have just one less win. And the Columbus Blue Jackets are just one point behind them in the basement of the Eastern Conference. 

That said, the Penguins are still only four points removed from a playoff spot in the early going.

They take on Florida Thursday. Last season, they were 3-0 against the Panthers and outscored them, 19-9. 

This is not last year's Florida team by any means, but it's also a depleted team. Brad Marchand is out for six weeks. Aleksander Barkov is out for a couple of months. Jacob Markstrom and Radko Gudas are both out day-to-day, with their statuses for Thursday uncertain. 

I'm not quite as high on this Florida team as some others, but it will be a real test for the Penguins to see if they can put together a full 60-minute effort back in front of their home fans. Their last showing at home was a clinical 2-1 winning effort that ended in a shootout win against one of the league's best two-way teams in the Dallas Stars.

It's early. But they need to right the ship soon. They took some encouraging steps against Utah, but Thursday, in some respects, feels as near to a must-win as a game in October possibly can. 

Several Penguins' Prospects Lighting Up AHL Scoreboard In EarlygoingThe Pittsburgh Penguins have a few players off to hot starts in the AHL so far this season.

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

Going into the 2026-27 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins began with the most players on injured reserve and/or designated non-roster with 10. 

They've slowly been crawling back to full health. But they may have been dealt another blow Monday, and it involves one of those players who were injured to start the season. 

Forward Bryan Rust, who began 2026-27 on IR with an upper-body injury and missed the opening three games of the season, left the second period of Monday's game against the Utah Mammoth with a lower-body injury and did not return. 

Rust, 34, has three goals in six games on the season. 

The Penguins have dealt with several injuries to their forward unit so far this season, as Rust, Justin Brazeau, Ben Kindel, Egor Chinakhov have all missed games. In addition to the NHL squad, forwards Tristan Broz, Oliver Okuliar, and Melvin Fernstrom were also on IR to begin the season, although all have since returned. 

On the blue line, Sam Girard was injured during Saturday's 6-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, and Trevor van Riemsdyk is still on IR with a lower-body injury and rehabbing in Pittsburgh.

The Penguins next play Thursday at home, when they host the Florida Panthers. No further update on Rust has been provided.

Report: Penguins Are Willing To Deal Veterans. What Does That Mean?According to a new report Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins and GM Kyle Dubas are ready to open the doors for a youth movement.

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

The Colorado Avalanche and New Jersey Devils matchup will make a hockey fan from a certain generation nostalgic. For Devils fans, it’s a bit of bitterness from the 2001 Final, where they had a 3-2 series lead and couldn’t seal the deal in the dynasty run. For Avalanche fans and hockey fans at large, it provided one of the most iconic hockey moments of the 2000s, with Ray Bourque hoisting the Cup to put a bow on a Hall of Fame career. 

Memories: Bourque wins the Stanley Cup after 22 yearsOn June 9, 2001, Ray Bourque finally lifts the Stanley Cup after 22 years in the League, as the Avalanche beat the Devils in Game 7 of the SCF

Fast forward 25 years, and the Avalanche and Devils play both of their season series matchups in October. On Tuesday night, both teams are looking for a bounce-back, with the Avalanche eager to rebound from a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Devils hoping to shrug off the 4-2 defeat to the Washington Capitals. 

The Devils don’t have the star power to go up against the Avalanche. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier are great players, but they aren’t the game-changers that Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are. MacKinnon and Makar have combined for a Hart Trophy, two Norris Trophies, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Stanley Cup titles while establishing themselves as two of the top five players in the NHL. That said, the Devils have the depth to beat elite teams like the Avalanche, or at least they should have enough. 

The Devils Revamped Their Depth This Summer 

All the moves that general manager Sunny Mehta made this offseason give the Devils a complete roster. Specifically, the forward unit has improved, with multiple new faces making an impact, whether it’s Luke Evangelista, Anthony Mantha, or Evan Rodrigues. 

Through eight games, it’s clear that the Devils have the depth to go up against the best teams in the league. Sure, the loss to the Capitals showed the gap between a good and great team, but the 7-1 win over the New York Rangers put their ability to come at teams in waves on full display. 

This Is The Best Time For The Devils To Have A “West Coast Swing”The Devils' next eight opponents are out of the conference. With the team still searching for an identity, this is a good time to face opponents they won’t see often.

Even the defense and goaltending have new faces. Declan Chisholm is the extra piece for the defense, while Rémi Poirier was claimed off waivers to help the goaltending. While they haven’t made much of an impact so far, especially Poirier, who has yet to play for the Devils, both should be valued reinforcements at some point. 

Avalanche Are Powered By Stars But Added Depth Of Their Own

The Mikko Rantanen trade halfway through the 2024-25 season was a sliding-doors moment, a defining moment for the Avalanche and how they’d build their roster moving forward. It showed a shift in their team-building process. Yes, they traded away a star, but they focused on depth and now have plenty of it. 

The Avalanche also added depth players over the years. Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri were acquired at the 2025 and 2026 trade deadlines, giving the forward unit two centers who can move up in the lineup. Brent Burns was signed in the 2025 offseason to help the defense.  

Devils Notebook: Average Start, Who Is Heating Up, Interesting Data & MoreEvery Sunday of the NHL season, Mike Fink empties out the notebook with some thoughts, quick hits, and anything in between on the New Jersey Devils.

Plus, the handful of players the Avalanche have developed in the American Hockey League with the Colorado Eagles have rounded out the roster. TJ Hughes was a pleasant surprise in training camp and is suddenly a bottom-six forward who adds a scoring touch. By all means, this is a different Avalanche team, not the top-heavy group fans got used to over the years. 

Some Keys To Watch In Tuesday’s Game 

After missing three games, Evangelista was back at practice and is expected to return for Tuesday’s game. The question is how he’ll look after missing a week of action. Ideally, he’s the difference-maker on the wing that he was in the first five games of the season. 

The Devils have also battled a handful of injuries to start the season. Johnathan Kovacevic returned to the defense last week, and it forced Sheldon Keefe to leave Brenden Dillon out of the lineup. With the way Chisholm progresses, Dillon has become the seventh defenseman or the odd one out. 

Devils Defensive Woes Are Becoming A Red Flag: Should Mehta Address It?The 4-2 loss on Saturday afternoon was another display of the shortcomings on the defensive end. The Devils must find fixes. The question is whether the fix comes from within or if a change is needed.

The Avalanche are playing the second of a back-to-back, driving up the New Jersey Turnpike after a 3-2 loss to the Flyers. It helps the Devils, who have three days off and will face a tired Avalanche team. It doesn’t help that they face a team eager to return to the win column. 

Speaking of the back-to-back, the Avalanche started MacKenzie Blackwood against the Flyers. So Scott Wedgewood is the expected starter against the Devils. He played three seasons with the Devils, and his .908 save percentage and 2.77 goals-against average were underwhelming, but in hindsight, something this team would love to have. Wedgewood has been a much-improved goaltender since joining the Avalanche, with a .920 SV% and a 2.03 GAA in his three seasons with the team. Sometimes, a great defense in front helps. 

All Times EDT

Tuesday, Oct. 20

NBA

Boston at Detroit, 3 p.m.

Philadelphia at New York, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma City at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m.

NHL

Anaheim at N.Y. Islanders, 7 p.m.

Colorado at New Jersey, 7 p.m.

Los Angeles at Washington, 7 p.m.

San Jose at Montreal, 7 p.m.

Toronto at Columbus, 7 p.m.

Boston at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Winnipeg at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Minnesota at Edmonton, 9 p.m.

Detroit at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.

Carolina at Vancouver, 10 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Vegas, 10:30 p.m.

_____

For, really, the first time since his rookie season, Matvei Michkov mania is back, and the Russian wunderkind helped guide the Philadelphia Flyers to their second straight win, a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, as they begin to reverse the narrative on a dreadful start to their season.

The 21-year-old Michkov was near-dominant against a juggernaut Avalanche team from start to finish, scoring yet another power play goal from his favored spot on the right side of the offensive formation on a rebound, then flicking a shot through heavy traffic after a superb solo effort to give the Flyers one- and two-goal leads, respectively.

Michkov now has goals in each of his last three games, while recording multiple points in the Flyers' wins against Ottawa and Colorado.

With his two-goal effort, Michkov is already up to six goals on the season, with seven total points in 11 games thus far.

"I think now power play a little bit better, but I think we need more goals in power play. This is better for team," Michkov said after the game.

Michkov nearly had his first NHL hat trick late in the third period, but fired wide from his own zone with the Avalanche pulling Mackenzie Blackwood for an extra attacker trailing 3-2.

It's not the first time that's happened to the young Flyers star.

"I don't know. Open net don't like me," Michkov joked in the locker room postgame. "You remember moment, was first season in Montreal, same moment. I don't know. Maybe soon."

On Michkov's second goal, a long-range shot through a sea of bodies in front of the net, center Noah Cates was helping screen Blackwood, but didn't record a touch to get himself a goal.

If Michkov had it his way, it'd be Cates's goal, but he's still happy Cates, with an assist in the buildup, recorded his first point of the season.

“I think this is goal Catesy. Catesy right now have zero goals, and I’m so happy. He told me, ‘No Michy, it’s your goal. I know that.’ I said, ‘Ok.’ But he have assist, but I’m happy for him," Michkov said.

Trevor Zegras drives the bus

While Michkov did the bulk of the work by actually scoring two of the Flyers' three goals, Trevor Zegras was the one who drove the bus, orchestrating all three tallies.

On the power play, Zegras's slap pass was deflected by Denver Barkey in the bumper, and Michkov was on hand to slam home the rebound.

On the second goal, Zegras stayed on the ice for an extended shift with the Flyers establishing offensive zone possession, then dished to Michkov, who did the rest.

Then, on Noel Acciari's goal, the game-winner and dagger, Zegras hounded Gabriel Landeskog all the way back into his own end on the forecheck, which allowed Christian Dvorak to force a turnover along the wall on the other side.

After receiving the puck, Zegras teed up an Oliver Bonk slapshot that was deflected by Acciari past Blackwood, ultimately putting the Avalanche to bed for good.

"I think he's played better the last three, four games. Taking a little pressure off him, putting him on the wing has helped a little bit, and he's got some legs," Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet said of Zegras after the win.

"There's gonna be some point I'd like to try him back [at center]. I don't know when, but right now, I mean, he's playing good hockey. He's producing, so I'm not gonna do it right now."

With the Flyers beginning to come back to earth, Zegras has two goals, three assists, and five points in his last four games, with the Flyers going 2-1-1 in those four games.

Michkov and Zegras have caught fire, and Joseph Woll and Dan Vladar continue to supply excellent goaltending. If they can continue this run, there's no telling what might happen next.

The city of brotherly love was the setting, but the Avalanche didn’t really harness Rocky Balboa’s energy, and we didn’t get a hard-work montage leading to ultimate victory.

Instead, the Flyers played stingily behind a strong netminding performance, and a disjointed Avalanche club dropped a game that looked like a scheduled win. The Flyers had just one win before tonight.

First Period

Unfortunately, the Avalanche are turning slow starts into a bad habit; for the second game in a row, the opposition seemed to bring more effort and focus. Just like their last time out against Pittsburgh, the Avalanche conceded the first goal of the evening to Matvei Michkov off a Trevor Zegras attempt at 07:41.

It just felt like the Avalanche hadn’t woken up, and things would only get worse in the middle frame.

Second Period

Michkov scored again to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead and put himself on the cusp of a hat trick. At 12:21, Matvei took a drop pass from Zegras, held the puck, and rounded the net. As he finally made a full circle back to the point, he fired a shot that was going wide but glanced in behind Blackwood.

Martin Necas got back at Philly with a seeing-eye wrist shot just after a Colorado Avalanche power play expired. Necas’ 5th of the season came on a helper from Artturi Lehkonen, who pushed his point streak to four games at 17:52.

Third Period

The Avalanche had one more twenty-minute frame to clean up their bad start, but instead let Noel Acciari give the Flyers a 3-1 lead at 06:34 in the final frame.

Rookie forward T.J. Hughes got a few looks throughout the night and on the power play, but his net-crashing ability ultimately earned him his second NHL goal. Hughes has two goals in his last two games and logged top-six minutes (16:54 TOI) this evening.

The Flyers won 3-2, with Colorado holding Philly in their own end but unable to cash in with the net empty and an extra attacker as time expired.

Takeaways

This game was a serious dud for the Colorado Avalanche, who should have dominated given the talent imbalance. It’s the NHL, and every team can be competitive on any given night, but from my vantage, this was more about Colorado’s problems than the Flyers putting on a show. Jared Bednar felt the same way, calling it “sluggish and sloppy,” according to Corey Masisak of the Denver Post.

You can’t expect to win many games with 16 giveaways on the stat sheet.

Netminder Mackenzie Blackwood was the best Avalanche player this evening. Without a few right-pad and blocker saves, this could have been even uglier. In my opinion, Blackwood provided in the “needed save” department.

I’m not sure what to make of the line combinations and usage in a game like this, but it felt like either Nathan MacKinnon was being punished or T.J. Hughes and Jaden Schwartz were being rewarded. The three players spent time on the same line in a look I hadn’t seen coming into the evening. I’m not saying Hughes and Schwartz aren’t useful linemates, but MacKinnon looked off his game.

Up Next

Colorado’s road trip continues as they head to New Jersey to take on the Devils tomorrow night. Yeah, that’s right, another back-to-back.

Let us know what you thought of tonight’s game in the comments!

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean Durzi scored 78 seconds in, Dylan Garand made 29 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the travel-weary Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Monday night to improve to 6-0-0 at home this fall.

The Rangers did not pick up their sixth victory at Madison Square Garden last season until Jan. 26, their 23rd game there. They lost 27 of 41 at home on the way to missing the playoffs and finishing last in the Eastern Conference.

There is hope of a turnaround given this start, even missing franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin for the rest of the season. Garand was making a fifth consecutive start since Shesterkin went down, and he has allowed two or fewer goals in nine of 10 NHL appearances dating to his debut last spring.

He got support early and often, with Durzi’s goal making it three home games in a row where the Rangers have a goal in the first two minutes. That has only happened once before for New York, in March 1989.

Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice, captain J.T. Miller and Gabe Perreault each had a goal and Alexis Lafrenière recorded two assists. Pavel Dorofeyev, the team’s most notable trade acquisition over the summer, came close on several occasions but remained stuck on two goals for the season.

FLYERS 3, AVALANCHE 2

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matvei Michkov scored two goals and Philadelphia beat Colorado for its second straight victory after opening the season with nine consecutive losses.

Michkov leads the Flyers with six goals this season. Noel Acciari also scored for Philadelphia, which lost six games in regulation and three in overtime or shootouts before breaking through on Saturday with a victory over Ottawa.

Joseph Woll made 24 saves for his first victory with the Flyers. He spent the previous five seasons with Toronto.

Martin Necas and rookie T.J. Hughes scored for the Avalanche (5-3-1), last season’s Presidents’ Trophy winners. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 21 shots.

Cole Knuble made his NHL debut for the Flyers, the team he grew up rooting for. His father, Mike, played for Philadelphia from 2005-09 and in 2013. The 22-year-old right wing had 13 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time.

Mitchkov scored on a power play at 7:41 of the first period and made it 2-0 at 12:23 of the second when he skated around the net and fired a long-range wrist shot past several players that beat Blackwood on the glove side.

MAPLE LEAFS 3, SHARKS 1

TORONTO (AP) — Gavin McKenna scored the go-ahead goal on a third-period power play and Toronto snapped a three-game slide with a victory over San Jose.

Auston Matthews added a goal and two assists for Toronto. Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves to pick up his first home win for the Maple Leafs. Nick Paul added an empty-netter.

Mason Marchment scored for San Jose, which got 28 stops from Yaroslav Askarov.

The game featured the first meeting between the No. 1 and 2 picks of the 2026 NHL draft — McKenna and Sharks winger Ivar Stenberg.

Marchment opened the scoring at 13:54 of the first when he was left alone in front of Bobrovsky after Matthews turned the puck over in the defensive zone.

Matthews made up for that mistake and got his team even with 12 seconds left in the second on a power play. Toronto’s captain took a pass from Kirill Marchenko and ripped a shot upstairs on Askarov before McKenna pushed the Leafs in front in the third.

The Rangers were business as usual Monday night back at Madison Square Garden. 

On the heels of two frustrating road losses, the Blueshirts handily beat the Ducks 5-2 to remain undefeated on home ice and match the second-longest season-opening home win streak in franchise history at six games. 

At the very least, in a moderately challenging schedule to start the season, the Rangers are taking care of the teams they’re supposed to. 

Against the clubs projected to finish near the bottom of the standings — such as the Red Wings, Canucks and Ducks — the Rangers have won by a combined margin of 13-4. 

Injuries have forced the Rangers to make recalls and dress a lineup noticeably different from opening night in Boston, but this hasn’t slightly influenced how the team is playing on home ice. 

“It’s our fans. It’s an exciting time,” Sean Durzi said. “We heard what was going on tomorrow night [at the Knicks championship banner raising ceremony], so it’s nice to give back-to-back good nights at MSG. They’ve been great.” 

The team game that was missing in New Jersey and Columbus returned as soon as the Rangers stepped onto the ice in Manhattan. 

Rookie goalie Dylan Garand played his role to the fullest, stopping 29 of the 31 shots he faced. 

Scoring within the first two minutes after puck drop for the third time this season, the Rangers controlled the pace of play frequently. 

Durzi’s shot through traffic from the top of the zone gave the home team a 1-0 lead just 1:18 into the first period, marking the second time in franchise history the Rangers have scored in the opening two minutes in three consecutive home games. 

The Rangers could’ve easily had a multigoal lead by the first intermission had Pavel Dorofeyev put away either one of his two grade A opportunities in the opening 20 minutes. Dorofeyev continues to find scoring opportunities, but the finish hasn’t quite been there thus far. 

Not only did he hit the post on a wide-open net during a 5-on-3 power play, but the 25-year-old Russian also missed entirely when on the doorstep later in the first period. 

With one goal through his first 11 games as a Ranger, Dorofeyev is still looking to find his stride with his new team. The reason he was briefly taken off the top power-play unit, however, had more to do with discipline. 

“I’ve been asking the power-play [unit] for a number of games now that the first unit — they have to change smarter,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “And when the puck gets dumped down two or three times, and they’ve got to go 200 feet to get it and then work back into the offensive zone, they should change — and Pav didn’t. At some point, there needs to be some accountability around it.” 

From the start of the second period, the Rangers absolutely dominated play. 

The top power-play unit converted less than five minutes into the middle frame, after captain J.T. Miller redirected an Adam Fox shot from the top of the zone for his second goal of the season. 

Jump-started by Alexis Lafrenière’s cross-ice backhand feed, a Rangers tic-tac-toe passing sequence ended with Gabe Perreault tapping the puck in at the side of the net. The game seemed to get out of hand from there, with the Ducks struggling to maintain possession. 

Oliver Bjorkstrand then capped the second period with his third goal of the season before scoring his fourth early in the third. 

“I thought we just took what the game gave us,” Sullivan said. “I thought we played well and that we created a fair amount of offense just off our own defense.” 

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matvei Michkov scored two goals and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on Monday night for their second straight victory after opening the season with nine consecutive losses.

Michkov leads the Flyers with six goals this season. Noel Acciari also scored for Philadelphia, which lost six games in regulation and three in overtime or shootouts before breaking through on Saturday with a victory over Ottawa.

Joseph Woll made 24 saves for his first victory with the Flyers. He spent the previous five seasons with Toronto.

Martin Necas and rookie T.J. Hughes scored for the Avalanche (5-3-1), last season's Presidents' Trophy winners. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 21 shots.

Cole Knuble made his NHL debut for the Flyers, the team he grew up rooting for. His father, Mike, played for Philadelphia from 2005-09 and in 2013. The 22-year-old right wing had 13 minutes, 44 seconds of ice time.

Mitchkov scored on a power play at 7:41 of the first period and made it 2-0 at 12:23 of the second when he skated around the net and fired a long-range wrist shot past several players that beat Blackwood on the glove side.

Necas got the Avalanche on the board with 2:08 left in the second. Acciari restored Philadelphia's two-goal lead at 6:34 of the third, the veteran center's first goal as a Flyer.

Hughes scored at 14:40 of the third, his second straight game with a goal after he found the net for the first time in Friday's win over Pittsburgh.

Up next

Avalanche: At New Jersey on Tuesday.

Flyers: At Buffalo on Wednesday.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Coming off a convincing 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Colorado Avalanche had an opportunity to build momentum against a Philadelphia Flyers team that entered the night with just one win through its first nine games.

Instead, the Avalanche stumbled into a frustrating 3-2 loss at Xfinity Mobile Arena, undone by defensive breakdowns, costly turnovers, and an inability to consistently protect Mackenzie Blackwood. Matvei Michkov struck twice for Philadelphia, while Noel Acciari added the eventual game-winner.

Martin Necas and T.J. Hughes found the back of the net for Colorado, but their efforts weren't enough to overcome a Flyers team that made the most of its opportunities. The Avalanche finished with 16 turnovers compared to Philadelphia's six, a disparity that underscored just how uncharacteristically careless Colorado was with the puck.

First Period

The Avalanche endured a frustrating opening 20 minutes , finding themselves trailing the Flyers 1-0 after a period in which defensive breakdowns, missed opportunities, and a string of unfortunate bounces defined the frame.

Blackwood was the primary reason the deficit remained at one, turning aside several dangerous Philadelphia chances to keep Colorado within striking distance. Meanwhile, the Avalanche struggled to generate sustained offensive pressure and even Necas take a shot to the mouth from a deflected puck off the crossbar. Despite the difficult start, Colorado closed the period with five consecutive shots on goal, offering a small glimmer of momentum heading into the second.

Colorado was tested early when Devon Toews turned the puck over, leading to a scoring opportunity for Philadelphia, but Blackwood came up with the save.

The Avalanche were subsequently penalized for too many men on the ice, and the Flyers capitalized on the power play to take a 1-0 lead. Michkov buried the rebound off Trevor Zegras' initial shot to open the scoring. Colorado challenged the goal for goaltender interference, but the challenge was unsuccessful, as officials ruled that Josh Manson had pushed Parker Martone into Blackwood, allowing the goal to stand.

Gavin Brindley was left with an unenviable task in the opening period, serving the bench minor for too many men on the ice before also serving the delay-of-game penalty resulting from Colorado's unsuccessful challenge.

Philadelphia, which entered the game with just one win in its first nine contests, continued to apply pressure early on. Zegras nearly doubled the Flyers' lead on a 2-on-1 rush, but Blackwood made an acrobatic save to deny him at the backdoor.

The Avalanche continued to struggle defensively with around eight minutes remaining in the period, as Flyers forward Sean Couturier was left all alone in the low slot. After receiving a pass from behind the net, Couturier quickly fired a shot on Blackwood, who came up with yet another outstanding save to keep the deficit at 1-0.

Things went from bad to worse for Colorado when Nathan MacKinnon set up Artturi Lehkonen for a backdoor opportunity. However, Lehkonen's shot struck the crossbar before ricocheting directly into Necas' mouth. Necas immediately went down before leaving the ice to receive medical attention.

You could have aptly titled the opening period "Friendly Fire," as Brett Kulak ripped a wrist shot that caught Brock Nelson in the leg, adding to an already frustrating first frame for the Avalanche.

Despite being outshot 13-8 through the first 20 minutes, Colorado closed the period with five consecutive shots on goal, showing signs of life after spending much of the frame under pressure. The Avalanche headed into the first intermission trailing 1-0, with Blackwood's strong performance keeping them within striking distance.

Second Period

Michkov nearly doubled Philadelphia's lead midway through the period after collecting a loose puck and attempting a flashy between-the-legs shot on Blackwood, but he couldn't quite pull off the highlight-reel finish.

The 21-year-old would make no mistake on his next opportunity at 12:22. After carrying the puck into Colorado's defensive zone, Michkov circled behind the net before working his way back toward the point and unleashing a wrist shot through traffic that beat a screened Blackwood to give the Flyers a 2-0 lead.

At the other end, Brock Nelson looked to spark a Colorado response with a slick toe-drag move on Flyers goaltender Joseph Woll, but Woll stayed with him to shut down the attempt and preserve Philadelphia's two-goal advantage.

Colorado earned its first power play of the game with 4:11 remaining in the period after Travis Sanheim took exception to a hit Cale Makar delivered on Noel Acciari. Sanheim retaliated by checking Makar from behind, drawing a roughing penalty and giving the Avalanche an opportunity to cut into the deficit with the man advantage.

Just as the power play expired, Necas brought Colorado back within one. Finding space in the offensive zone, Necas picked his spot and fired a wrist shot through traffic, beating Woll on the blocker side to make it a 2-1 game and give the Avalanche some much-needed momentum.

Colorado headed into the second intermission trailing by just one, but the Avalanche still had plenty of work to do. Their defensive lapses continued to leave Blackwood exposed, while the offense needed to find a way to turn late-period momentum into a sustained push over the final 20 minutes.

Third Period

The Avalanche caught a break in the opening minute of the third period, though it came at a cost to Makar, who was struck in the face by Couturier's high stick behind the net. Colorado generated some early pressure on the ensuing power play, but Woll came up with a crucial save, robbing Jaden Schwartz on a beautiful backdoor opportunity.

Philadelphia soon extended its lead to 3-1 when Noel Acciari redirected Oliver Bonk's slap shot past Blackwood. The goal came as a result of yet another defensive breakdown by Colorado, as the Avalanche lost track of their assignments and allowed Acciari to establish position in front of the net with little resistance. Toews and MacKinnon were caught occupying similar positions without effectively covering an opposing player, leaving Acciari free to screen Blackwood and get a stick on Bonk's shot.

With Colorado once again facing a two-goal deficit, Hughes gave the Avalanche a lifeline. The rookie continued his hot streak, scoring his second goal in as many games after netting his first career goal in Friday's 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Ball Arena.

Hughes pounced on a rebound in the low slot and fired toward the net, beating Woll, who got a piece of the shot with his glove but couldn't keep it out. The goal cut Philadelphia's lead to 3-2 late in the game, setting up a tense finish as Colorado searched for the equalizer.

The Avalanche pulled Blackwood in the closing minutes in an attempt to salvage a point, but Philadelphia held firm to secure the 3-2 victory.

Takeaways

The loss was a disappointing setback for Colorado, particularly against a Flyers team that entered the matchup with just one win in its first nine games. While Necas and Hughes provided the offense to keep the Avalanche in contention, Colorado's defensive shortcomings proved too costly to overcome.

The turnover battle told a significant part of the story. Colorado committed 16 giveaways compared to Philadelphia's six, repeatedly surrendering possession and giving the Flyers opportunities to attack before the Avalanche could get organized defensively. Those mistakes, combined with poor coverage around the net, left Blackwood with little margin for error.

Philadelphia, meanwhile, capitalized on its opportunities. Michkov scored twice, Acciari added the decisive goal, and Woll turned aside 24 shots to help the Flyers hold on for the win.

The defeat dropped Colorado to 5-3-1 on the season, while Philadelphia improved to 2-6-3. For the Avalanche, the result serves as a reminder that offensive firepower alone won't be enough if defensive details and puck management continue to fall short. They'll need a much sharper effort in those areas moving forward.

On Monday, the Winnipeg Jets announced that forward Walker Duehr is fully healthy and has been placed on waivers for the purpose of joining the Manitoba Moose in the AHL.

Duehr is not expected to be claimed as he spent the majority of last season with the Moose, apart from three games with the Jets. With Manitoba last season, the 27-year-old posted an identical 17 goals and 17 assists for 34 points in 62 games.

He has spent most of his career at the AHL level, though he has shown himself to be a fringe NHL player. He has 21 points in 95 career NHL games with the Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets. In the AHL, Duehr has 112 points in 205 career games, and last season was his first with the Moose.

WALKER DUEHR GOES BANG BANG pic.twitter.com/tb9a4l21os

— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) December 4, 2025

His assignment comes as Manitoba has gotten off to a 3-1-0 start, and Duehr's return should give the team added forward depth. He had been sidelined with an injury at the start of the season, and his recovery clears him to rejoin the lineup.

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

The New York Rangers have signed veteran forward Luke Glendening to a Professional Tryout agreement. 

Glendening reported to his first Rangers practice on Monday, but isn't allowed to play in any games until the 10 days of his PTO are up.

The Rangers will be without Joe Veleno for at least three months as he recovers from a lower-body injury and have been searching for a fourth-line center in the wake of his absence.

Glendening could be a possible replacement to fill Veleno’s position until he returns. 

“Luke obviously has a significant body of work in the league,” Sullivan said. “The type of player that he is, he’s been a real reliable, conscientious player. Kills penalties. Really good in the face-off circle. He built a career on that element of his game and prides himself on that. 

“Obviously, we've got a little bit of challenge with respect to depth at the center position, and I think Chris (Drury) and his guys thought that we'd bring him in and see if potentially he could help us.”

The 38-year-old forward has played for the Detroit Red Wings, Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers throughout his 13-season NHL career, recording 85 goals, 90 assists, and 175 points.

After a weekend off, the Colorado Avalanche embark on another back-to-back trip to begin the week.

Their first stop takes them to Philadelphia to meet a Flyers team that’s having some early season struggles.

Colorado Avalanche

The Avs head into today’s game fresh off clearing one of their biggest hurdles of the young season. They earned three of a possible four points in a split of a home and home set against Dallas, and put together an unanswered five-goal rally to defeat the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday. Mackenzie Blackwood earned wins in Dallas and at home against Pittsburgh, while Scott Wedgewood couldn’t prevail in the shootout versus Dallas in Denver.

Friday’s game marked the debut of new Avalanche assistant head coach Brett McLean. McLean, who replaced David Hakstol, will face the challenge of revamping a power play that has been woefully anemic over the past couple of years. As McLean acclimates to his new role with his one-time former club, changes that go beyond simple personnel swaps like we’ve seen implemented over the past couple of games leading up to Hakstol’s departure (exchanging Nečas for Jaden Schwartz on the top unit, for example) should be on the horizon.

Gavin Brindley was called up from Loveland on Wednesday to take the place of the injured Zachary L’Heureux. Bednar stated that L’Heureux and Nicolas Roy were considered “week-to-week”, but indicated that both will not be on the road trip. Logan O’Connor also will remain in Denver, but he will be working through on-ice drills while the team is on the road.

Minnesota’s victory over Columbus on Sunday has them occupying first place in the Central Division, but a win in Philadelphia coupled with a Pittsburgh victory over Utah tonight could put the Avs in front of Minnesota.

MacKinnon still leads all skaters in points (16) and assists (10), and is tied with Lehkonen for the team lead in goals (6). Defenseman Noah Juulsen spent the 2025-2026 season with Philadelphia prior to signing a two-year contract with the Avs this off-season.

The Avs split the season series against Philadelphia last season, with both teams earning victories as the road team.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas
Gabe Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Nazem Kadri
Jaden Schwartz – Fedor Svechkov – T.J. Hughes
Parker Kelly – Gavin Brindley

Defense:
Devon Toews – Cale Makar
Brett Kulak – Sam Malinski
Josh Manson – Brent Burns
Noah Juulsen

Between the Pipes:
Mackenzie Blackwood
Scott Wedgewood

Philadelphia Flyers

Coming into this season, the Flyers had every reason to feel optimistic. They returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in five years this past spring and eliminated their archrival Pittsburgh in the first round. They fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes in a four game sweep in the second round.

Flyers general manager Daniel Brière spent his off-season revamping his goaltending platoon in the hopes of building on that playoff appearance. On June 16, he acquired goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae (later traded to Columbus for Kirill Marchenko), and Philadelphia’s 2026 third round pick.

At the start of free agency, he also signed goaltender Dan Vladar to a five-year, $27.5 million dollar contract. Brière also signed right wing Noel Acciari to a two-year, $5.6 million dollar contract the same day. Garrett Wilson and Michael Bunting were late additions to Brière’s roster: Wilson signed a one-year, $850,000 contract, on September 27, while Bunting signed his one-year, $1.2 million dollar contract, on October 06.

Brière also triggered what became an unprecedented spike in player salaries when he tendered a five-year, $90 million dollar offer sheet to restricted free agent center Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks on July 03. Although Anaheim matched the offer sheet, this move was a clear statement to the rest of the League: the Flyers were on the way up, and Brière was willing pay a significant price to build on what he believed was a franchise on the rise.

The assumed ascent for the Flyers became a calamitous crash right from the opening puck drop. Philadelphia lost their home opener in a rematch with Pittsburgh by a humiliating 7-0 outcome on September 30. They followed this performance up with eight consecutive losses—a new franchise record—before finally recording their first win of the season, a 3-1 decision against the visiting Ottawa Senators this past Saturday.

Matvei Michkov leads all Philadelphia skaters in points (5) and goals (4), while the injured Konecny and Couturier currently share the team lead in assists (3). Porter Martone leads all Philadelphia skaters in penalty minutes (14). Vladar and Woll have a combined nine (9) losses in goal, with Vladar holding the single win.

Although Philadelphia is last in the Metropolitan Division, they sit one point behind Columbus, who lost to Minnesota on Sunday night.

Philadelphia heads to Buffalo on Wednesday before beginning a two game home stand at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday against Anaheim.

Projected Lineup

Forwards:
Trevor Zegras – Christian Dvorak – Tyson Foerster
Porter Martone – Noah Cates – Matvei Michkov
Denver Barkey – Sean Couturier – Michael Bunting
Garrett Wilson – Jack Studnicka – Noel Acciari

Defense:
Travis Sanheim – Oliver Bonk
Nick Seeler – Jamie Drysdale
David Jiříček – Simon Benoit

Between the Pipes:
Joseph Woll
Dan Vladar

NOTE: Don’t forget to download the new SB Nation app for a more mobile-friendly way to follow tonight’s action and engage with Mile High Hockey’s match threads. Commenting and interacting with your communities is easier than ever before with the Game Chat feature. The app is currently available in the U.S. and Canada on iOS and Android devices.

Michkov scores two more goals as undermanned Flyers take down Avalanche originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Flyers pulled off a pretty big upset Monday night with a 3-2 win over the high-powered Avalanche at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Matvei Michkov scored two goals and Trevor Zegras collected three assists. Noel Acciari also found the back of the net.

Rick Tocchet’s club was missing five key players (more on that below). As a result, the head coach’s lineup featured eight players with under 100 games of NHL experience.

“Next-man-up mentality,” Acciari said. “The season’s not going to wait for us to get healthy, so we’ve got to do it ourselves. I thought the guys that jumped in were great for us. It was a big win as a team.”

Colorado came in scoring 4.50 goals per game. So this was a highly commendable effort from the Flyers.

After finally snapping their season-opening nine-game losing streak two nights ago, the Flyers (2-6-3) now have consecutive victories.

“We knew we were in a hole, nobody was going to feel sorry for us,” Zegras said. “We had to dig our way out, I like what we’re doing so far. There’s a lot of hockey left and we know that. You’ve just got to keep building your game every day.”

The Flyers and Avalanche (5-3-1) meet again March 9 in Denver.

• Joseph Woll did his job yet again, denying 24 of 26 shots.

The 28-year-old has surrendered three or fewer goals in five of his six starts and entered the night with a .916 save percentage.

Martin Necas trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 2-1 with 2:08 minutes left in the second period. It was a shot through traffic and it came just three seconds after Colorado had a power play expire.

But Acciari responded in the third period with his first goal as a Flyer. He broke his stick on a deflection off a shot from Oliver Bonk.

T.J. Hughes cut the Flyers’ lead back to one with 5:20 minutes remaining in the game. The Flyers, though, found a way to nail things down after that.

Avalanche netminder Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 21 of the Flyers’ 24 shots.

• Michkov is on a three-game goal streak and has six markers through 11 games.

“The guy’s out of his mind,” Zegras said.

Last season, it took Michkov 22 games to record six goals.

His second goal extended the Flyers’ lead to 2-0 in the second period. The 21-year-old winger was buzzing around the offensive zone before firing a shot from distance.

The possession was all set up by excellent defensive work from Noah Cates. The Flyers’ center stripped superstar Nathan MacKinnon in the defensive zone to quell a Colorado threat.

Earlier in the second period, Michkov nearly brought the house down with a silky move at the doorstep. But he couldn’t quite finish on the backhand shot.

His game-opening goal came on the power play in the first period. Michkov buried a puck that was loose from a blocked shot.

Michkov’s strong offseason has paid off so far.

• Cole Knuble, the son of former Flyer Mike Knuble, made his NHL debut.

“I’ve been a fan of this team my whole life,” Knuble said Monday morning, “so I think it’s extra special.”

His father and mother Megan Knuble were in attendance. The 22-year-old forward skated on the fourth line with Denver Barkey and Alex Bump.

In the second period, Knuble set up a nice scoring chance for Bump. He had a shot in the third period and played some clutch minutes late.

The Flyers clearly went with a young fourth line for matchup purposes. They probably didn’t want too many of their youngsters going up against the Avalanche’s big boys.

• The Flyers were without Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, Tyson Foerster, Rasmus Ristolainen and Cam York.

Foerster missed his first game of the season. The 24-year-old winger took a shot to his right hand Saturday night. After missing practice Sunday, he tested things out at Monday’s morning skate. Foerster left at one point, but then returned for some more work. However, he didn’t look real comfortable.

Konecny, Tippett, Ristolainen and York are all on injured reserve.

Tippett missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. He wasn’t on the ice for Sunday’s practice or Monday’s morning skate.

Konecny has missed the last six games because of a lower-body injury. He hasn’t been seen on the ice with Ristolainen and York. The two defensemen have been rehab skating recently, including Sunday morning.

Ristolainen has missed the last eight games with an injury to his left hand. York has missed the last five with an upper-body injury.

• The Flyers are back in action Wednesday when they visit the Sabres (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT).

On Monday, the Winnipeg Jets recalled highly touted prospect Brayden Yager from the Manitoba Moose. The 21-year-old, drafted 14th overall in 2023, appears to be rounding out his game after recording five goals and four assists for nine points in six games with the Moose this season.

The strong start comes on the heels of a fairly disappointing first full pro season, in which the Saskatoon native posted 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 68 games. 

Yager appears to have used the offseason to work on adjusting to the pro style of play. After appearing in three games with the Jets at the end of last season, he is aiming for a longer run with the big club and hopes to build on his hot start and record his first NHL point.

BRAYDEN YAGER, OVERTIIIIIIIIME WINNER pic.twitter.com/0iPlPcdQHs

— Manitoba Moose (@ManitobaMoose) October 18, 2026

It is not yet clear where Yager will slot into the Jets lineup, but the team could use his offense. Winnipeg has scored 23 goals through its first eight games, an average of 2.88 per game that ranks in the bottom 12 of the NHL.

More details on his role will likely come when Yager joins the team at practice at some point this week as the Jets are currently on a brief two-game road trip against the St. Louis Blues before flying south to face the Dallas Stars.

New Reports Name Sabres, Rangers Among Frontrunners for Connor HellebuyckWith Winnipeg’s Friday deadline looming, a high-stakes suspension has ignited trade talks as Buffalo and New York weigh bold moves for the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.

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.