The Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman William Trudeau to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Brett Berard this off-season. However, Trudeau is now with the Nashville Predators, as they claimed him off waivers from New York before the start of the season.
Trudeau never played a game for Montreal, as he spent his entire time with the organization with the AHL's Laval Rocket. However, he played his first game against Montreal on Thursday night for the Predators.
Unfortunately, Trudeau's first game in his hometown came to an early end.
Trudeau only played the first period of the Predators' matchup against the Canadiens before being ruled out for the contest with an upper-body injury. This was certainly not how Trudeau wanted his return to Montreal to go.
With Trudeau looking to prove that he is ready to be a full-time NHL defenseman, he will be hoping that this injury does not force him to miss much time. The former Canadiens prospect has been getting his first chance at the NHL level this year for the Predators, so the timing of this injury is unfortunate.
In three games this season for Nashville, Trudeau has zero points, three hits, and an even plus/minus rating. This is after he posted eight goals, 20 points, 54 penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating in 62 games for Laval during this past season.
The Detroit Red Wings return to action Friday evening against the Seattle Kraken, giving forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård another chance to score his first NHL goal.
Brandsegg-Nygård led Detroit with six shots on goal in the Red Wings' 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets earlier this week. He's still searching for that elusive first goal, but according to head coach Todd McLellan, it certainly isn't for a lack of trying.
In fact, according to McLellan, the idea is to take the pressure off the young forward rather than build it up.
"We enforce the things he's doing well, but we don't want to convolute him with, 'Hey, if you do this, you're gonna score'. He's getting his chances, he's got a good shot, and it'll go in eventually," McLellan said following the club's skate on Friday morning. "He'll get rewarded. But we're not going to - we'd prefer to take the pressure off him rather than put it on him.
He's still a young fella, and he's been real effective up to this point. I have no complaints about his game; it'll go in for him."
Brandsegg-Nygård, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 2024 NHL Draft, was one of the best players for the American Hockey League affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins during the Calder Cup Playoffs in the spring.
For the second straight year, he made the most of his opportunity in Red Wings Training Camp and the preseason, earning a roster spot.
With the loss of veterans like Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk, along with current injuries to players like J.T. Compher, Mason Appleton, and Marco Kasper, Brandsegg-Nygård will be looked upon to play a bigger role in the forward units.
But that doesn't mean he'll be pressured to do so. The reason he's on the roster is because the team sees his talent, and believes he can help them.
Brandsegg-Nygård and the Red Wings will drop the puck against the Kraken at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Colorado Avalanche are off to a historic start to the 2026-27 season.
Through their first four games, the Avalanche have scored an astonishing 23 goals while posting a 3-1 record. That puts them in rare company, as no team had scored that many goals through four games to open a season since the 1993-94 Los Angeles Kings, who were led by Wayne Gretzky and head coach Barry Melrose.
Wayne Gretzky broke Gordie Howe’s all-time NHL goals record during the 1993-94 season, a mark later surpassed by Alex Ovechkin. Credit: Robert Hanashiro - USA Today
Despite Gretzky putting together a league-leading 130-point campaign that season, the Kings struggled to find consistent success, finishing with a 27-45-12 record. Colorado will be hoping its own offensive explosion leads to a much different outcome.
Cale Makar following Colorado's 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues
With another Stanley Cup firmly in their sights, the Avalanche have championship aspirations that go well beyond a hot start. Their early production is an encouraging sign, and forward T.J. Hughes believes the talent throughout the locker room is a major reason for the team's success.
"Just the talent, the IQ in this room, and then guys just bearing down (and) scoring," Hughes said. "I know it's early. So got to keep that up and try to get the scoring touch with everyone, but I would just say the talent overall in the group, everyone's just so good."
Hughes is also beginning to make his own mark at the NHL level. At 6:34 of the third period against Calgary, with Colorado already holding a commanding 6-1 lead, he recorded the first point of his NHL career. After receiving a pass from Brett Kulak, Hughes quickly found Jaden Schwartz in the slot, where Schwartz buried the chance to extend the Avalanche's advantage.
"It felt great," Hughes said. "Great pass to me and then I saw (Schwartz) in the slot there and great shot by him."
The young forward also credited communication for the success of his line, which has found its rhythm despite having limited time to build chemistry together.
"I think just talking on the bench, a lot of communication," he explained. "I've never played with these two guys. Great players, but, like, takes time to get the chemistry. So yeah, a lot of communication, they're just reading off each other. So it's been working so far and it's gotta keep it up."
Hughes appears to be adjusting to the speed of the NHL with each passing game. While he looked a step behind at times in Colorado's season opener, he seems to be playing with more confidence and reacting more instinctively as he gains experience against top-level competition.
Avalanche Getting Contributions From Across the Lineup
Much of Colorado's early offensive production has come from its biggest names. Nathan MacKinnon leads the team with eight points, while Jaden Schwartz and Cale Makar have six apiece. Makar and Devon Toews both scored twice against Calgary, helping power Colorado to a convincing 7-3 victory.
MacKinnon's production isn't surprising, but the contributions from players like Parker Kelly and Toews show just how much offensive depth Colorado has. Kelly has recorded five points through four games, while Toews has already scored twice after waiting until Colorado's 25th game last season to find the back of the net for the first time.
Toews opened the scoring against Calgary at 15:54 of the first period, redirecting a pass from Makar past Flames goaltender Devin Cooley. After Calgary briefly tied the game, Toews struck again in the second period to restore Colorado's lead.
His second goal came on a wrist shot from the point that traveled through traffic and beat Cooley, giving the Avalanche a 2-1 advantage. Makar then added a goal of his own before MacKinnon extended the lead to 4-1. Makar scored again early in the third, and Schwartz's goal off Hughes' setup made it 6-1.
For Toews, the offensive outburst comes down to finding ways to help the team win and making the most of opportunities created by his teammates.
"Winning's fun. It's what you're trying to do," Toews said. "So anytime we help our team win is what we're going out there to do."
Toews also credited Makar for delivering the puck exactly where it needed to be, explaining that his job was to provide an option in front of the net and let his teammate make the decision.
"I'm trying to give him an option and allow him to pick and choose what he wants to do," Toews said. "So, yeah, really nice play by him."
Calgary managed to score twice in the third period to cut into Colorado's lead, but the Avalanche had already inflicted enough damage to secure the win and improve to 3-1 through four games.
Four games are a small sample, and maintaining this scoring pace over an entire season is a tall order. Still, Colorado has shown that its offensive firepower extends beyond its biggest stars. With MacKinnon and Makar leading the way, Toews producing from the blue line, and emerging contributors like Kelly and Hughes finding their footing, the Avalanche are getting results from throughout the lineup.
Their historic start has already caught attention. Now, the challenge is turning that early momentum into another deep Stanley Cup run.
(Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We are still in the early stages of the 2026-27 NHL season, but there are some trends emerging that are worth paying attention to when it comes to the larger narrative of the season. Whether it’s gambles that paid off in free agency, prospects emerging, or teams languishing in the pain of the season already — there’s plenty to keep an eye on moving forward.
The New York Rangers have been an early surprise to kick off the year. Currently in 1st place in the Metropolitan Division, this team has some important wins already by beating the Utah Mammoth, a playoff-caliber team in the West — and, more surprisingly, a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, believed by many to have Stanley Cup potential out of the East.
The Rangers have been fantastic defensively, only allowing eight goals so far — good for 3rd in the NHL. It certainly helps when you have Igor Shesterkin in goal, but beyond that the defensive unit is just playing really solid hockey. The team has grown offensively through trading away Artemi Panarin, playing a more holistic game which includes more skaters. Alexis Lafrenière is beginning to show glimpses of the potential that made him a No. 1 overall pick, Mika Zibanejad is solid as ever, but the emergence of Gabriel Perreault is something to really focus on. Perreault has been fantastic to start the season, and if the Rangers have found themselves an elite top-line wing then this team has the potential to be a major surprise throughout the season.
Beyond the Rangers there are a handful of other developments to keep an eye on.
The Dallas Stars are WEIRD
This team made the bold choice of keeping the band together in the offseason by re-signing Jason Robertson to a one-year deal in an attempt to make a run, sacrificing their already waning depth in the process. So far it’s impossible to know what this team really is. They had convincing wins over the Sabres and Sharks, two solid teams who should be in the mix — but also dropped to the Predators and Blues, teams they should easily beat.
The key to the season is going to be whether or not those first two losses were rink rust, or if they’re indicative of the same inconsistency which has marred the Stars the last couple of seasons.
The East is going through a shakeup
It’s astonishing that already in this season we’re seeing the Canadiens and Flyers down at the bottom of the table. The Canadiens’ defense is atrocious, giving up 19 goals in four games — putting the team in positions where they just can’t win, even with prolific scoring nights.
Things for the Flyers are even worse, because they just can’t score a dang thing. Boasting only six goals in five games, the Flyers are the worst-scoring team in the league — slipping lower than last season, where they already struggled. There hasn’t been the offensive leap forward for Trevor Zegras or Matvei Mitchkov many hoped for, and now the defense is porous as well. It’s going to be a long season for the Flyers if this continues.
On the other side of the ledger, we have the aforementioned Rangers who are surging, but also the Senators, Capitals, and Islanders — all of whom have taken a step forward. It’s going to be fascinating to see whether or not these teams can keep pace.
Carolina’s goaltending problems continue
It’s early, but the defending champs have major goaltending issues oncemore. After famously making the switch to Brandon Bussi during the Stanley Cup finals, hopes were high that the Canes had finally found someone in the net who could make things happen.
Instead, it’s been an exceptionally ugly start to the year. Despite having a defense that has only allowed 105 shots in five games, Bussi’s save percentage is .851 with a 3.24 GAA. Backup Pyotr Kotchekov isn’t faring much better, also having a sub-.900 save percentage. This team has been able to overcome goaltending issues for the last several years, but it’s clear they need a major shakeup to hope to compete this season — because their hot goal scoring won’t last forever.
The Flames might be the worst team … ever
Nobody expected Calgary to be good this year, but the Flames are a disaster to start the season. Not only are they 0-4, but have a staggering -17 goal differential to kick off the year. Nothing is going right, as the Flames can’t score, can’t defend, can’t stop shots — can’t do anything really.
If this lingers into November it’s going to be time to start the “worst of all time” watch. That is held by the 1974-75 Washington Capitals, who went 8-67-5 with a -265 differential. The Flames are on pace for a -349.
The Maple Leafs have taken a tentative step forward
Plenty of time for them to screw this up, but right now things are looking pretty good for the Leafs *knock on wood*. They might only be 2-2-1, but they’re playing teams close and look more cohesive on both ends of the ice.
Jim Hiller was a questionable hire, but so far the former LA Kings coach has Toronto playing more organized hockey. Gavin McKenna is also well ahead of schedule with three points in five games, and playing with more confidence every time he hits the ice.
Realistically we may still be a couple of years from this team competing, but they look pretty good.
Harold Griffin, guitarist and songwriter for Long Island-based punk band Koyo, helps us kick off Season 6 of Weird Islanders by talking about distinguished defenseman Dennis Seidenberg’s odd path to the team.
Seidenberg was both unlikely and perfect for the Islanders at the same time. A Stanley Cup champion in Boston and as solid and respected a player on the ice as you’ll find anywhere, he suddenly found himself bought out of his contract at 34-years old. After a great showing for Team Europe at the World Cup of Hockey, GM Garth Snow signed Seidenberg to a one-year contract just before training camp, one of the most Islanders-esque moves we’ve ever seen. It turns out the big German still had a lot in the tank and provided the young team with the same steady play he was already known for. Although injuries derailed his second season with the club, he found a new and very important role in a longstanding Islanders lineage: as landlord to one of the team’s up-and-coming stars.
Harold talks to us about how Long Island, the Islanders and sports have shaped him and his band, Koyo. We reminisce about Seidenberg’s short Islanders tenure, his surprisingly sick stat line of that first season, the Isles’ connections to the Bruins and the “New York Saints” spring of a few seasons later, and how Seidenberg has become one of the most Long Island-Weird Islanders ever. We also sneak a surprise extra Weird Islander in there, who even more surprisingly comes up again in our next episode!
Thanks again to Harold for coming on. We also have a Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode where he tells us about getting harassed by Canadians for wearing Islanders gear on stage and other observations from rock n’ roll touring. Check out Koyo on YouTube, Spotify, Bandcamp or wherever you get your music and see them on tour starting this December at Warsaw in Brooklyn.
WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL
Seidenberg’s first NHL goal came in his first NHL season for the Flyers against the team they would eventually trade him to, the Coyotes.
After stops in Carolina and Florida, he landed in Boston and had some great moments for the Bruins including this loooooong distance goal against Ottawa. One might say he specialized in goals from embarrassingly far away.
He didn’t score often for the Isles but it was possible. This was a nice one in a heartbreaker against the Habs at Barclays Center.
But the injuries became too much and a comeback for the 2018-19 season had to be shut down. He officially retired in October of 2019 (this article ignores his seasons spent on Long Island, naturally).
Seidenberg’s greatest contribution to the Islanders will always be acting as Mat Barzal’s landlord, a team tradition that continues to this day.
What makes a “Weird Islander?”
We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:
Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.
Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.
Visit our friends!
Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys featuring hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as Islanders Anxiety merch, and our Al Arbour and The Island shirts. Our portion of the sales benefit the Center for Dementia Research. Use the code ANXIETY20 to save 20% off an order of two items.
The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir that was named a 2024 Top 100 Best Buy by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. All are under $15 a bottle and are available at local wine shops and at UBS Arena.
Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).
Theme song: “Knuckles” by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.
Please subscribe, download, rate, review or spread the word about Islanders Anxiety, Weird Islanders: The Podcast! and all of our podcasts any way you can. All of it helps to raise the show’s profile and maybe could get us another fancy sponsor to sell out to in the near future. Leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
More reports surfaced Thursday on the Detroit Red Wings and the offers they have received for restricted free agent defenseman Simon Edvinsson.
According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, as many as ten teams have contacted Detroit about the 23-year-old Swedish blueliner, who was the sixth overall pick in 2021. The Boston Bruins are among the clubs that have reached out.
LeBrun noted, as most reports have so far, that Detroit's preference is to re-sign Edvinsson. He added that the Red Wings have become flexible on term and are willing to offer whatever length Edvinsson prefers. The main obstacle is the annual cap hit, with LeBrun saying there is still "a sizeable gap" between the two sides.
David Pagnotta reported that several other teams have also inquired in the Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, St. Louis Blues, Seattle Kraken and Nashville Predators.
It remains to be seen whether a deal can get done, but the longer Detroit waits, the more costly it could become to bring Edvinsson back. If a worthwhile offer lands on general manager Shawn Horcoff's desk, it could also push Detroit to move the defenseman.
Edvinsson is coming off a disappointing second season in which he recorded 25 points in 72 games, down from 31 points as a rookie, when he was expected to take a step forward.
The market may be anchored by Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium, who signed an eight-year deal carrying an annual cap hit of $9.38 million. That contract should be viewed as the baseline for Edvinsson's next deal, though the Red Wings may be trying to push back against it.
Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
LAS VEGAS — Sergei Bobrovsky did the job a team asks of its starting goalie on a night the scoreboard got away. He stopped 40 of 43 shots, held a three-goal lead that had already evaporated, and got the Toronto Maple Leafs to overtime and a shootout. Trevor Connelly finished it anyway. The rookie beat Bobrovsky with a backhand in the fifth round, and the Vegas Golden Knights completed a comeback from 3-0 for a 4-3 shootout win Thursday at T-Mobile Arena.
Toronto leaves with a point and a 2-2-1 record. Vegas is 4-1-0. The Leafs were outshot 43-24, including 21-8 in the second period, and at five-on-five controlled only 42.7 percent of the shot attempts and 29.8 percent of the expected goals, 1.33 to 3.14, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. High-danger chances were 12-5 Vegas.
"It turned on Stone's goal late in the first," the Leafs head coach said. "We're in an offensive-zone faceoff. We're up 3-0. It's a tight game, playing pretty well to that point. And then we make a couple mistakes, and they score. And then we take a penalty, and all of a sudden the momentum shifts a little bit."
The lead had come in a rush. Jack Roslovic opened the scoring 34 seconds in, on his 600th career game and for his 300th career point, beating Adin Hill from the goal line with Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko assisting. Easton Cowan made it 2-0 at 3:20 on a breakaway set up by Chris Tanev. Nick Paul scored at 8:37, from Darren Raddysh and Gavin McKenna, and Toronto had three before the period was half over. Hill faced nine shots in the first and stopped six.
Mark Stone's slap shot at 17:36, from Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, started the climb back. Brett Howden cut it to 3-2 at 1:12 of the second, deflecting a Mitch Marner pass. Eichel tied it at 3:58 on a penalty shot after Morgan Rielly was called for tripping on a breakaway. Vegas did not score again until the shootout. It spent most of the middle 20 minutes looking as if it would.
"We just stopped playing direct, turned some pucks over coming out of our end in the neutral and sort of fed their transition game," Tanev said. "They're in Game 7 of the Cup Final last year for a reason. They're very well structured. It's amazing how players' cycles can take over a game, and he had the puck a lot, especially in the second period. Great start. Third was better for us. But sort of the last five, seven minutes of the first and the second period, we need to be better and help out Bob."
The penalty count made the territorial problem worse. Toronto took four minors, Gavin McKenna for hooking late in the first, Oliver Ekman-Larsson twice in the second, Bo Groulx for holding in the third, plus Rielly's penalty shot. Vegas had one, Mark Stone for slashing McKenna late in the second. The Leafs killed all four power plays. They did not look comfortable doing it.
"They have a good power play. We had a tough time," Hiller said. "We were desperate. We did a good job with it, but a tough time clearing it down the ice and getting fresh guys out there. So that was a tough second period, no matter how you slice it. But I give the guys credit. After two, in fact, we survived, in large part due to Bob. I thought we came back out in the third and actually played pretty well."
Tanev saw the same sequence from the kill.
"Good for the most part. We had that one really long shift. Bob made an amazing save and bailed us out," he said. "For the most part good. We still have some areas where we want to work on, but against a really good power play, so we'll take that."
He also tied the special-teams load to the momentum Stone's goal had already started.
Vegas goal!
Scored by Mark Stone with 02:24 left in the 1st. Assisted by Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev.
"When we take five penalties and they maybe have one, their skilled guys start to feel the puck. They get energized and sort of get them into the game as well."
The third period was quieter. Toronto was outshot 11-4, then 4-3 in overtime, and neither team scored. Faceoffs were a rare edge all night, 37-for-62, with Matthews at 71.4 percent. Hits went 27-13 to Vegas. Hill finished with 21 saves. Bobrovsky's .930 was the reason 3-3 still existed at the end of 65 minutes.
"He got us a point, for the most part. He gave us a chance to win, and ultimately, in the end, he probably got us a point, right? That's what great goalies do," Hiller said. "The nights when you're off a little bit, like we were in the second particularly, he was able to hold it for us. You need those saves, and you don't get them. They could have got three or four, and the game's over."
Cowan, who was on the ice for long stretches against Eichel's line, landed in the same place. "He kept us in the game for sure, especially that second period. So he was great all night." Tanev wanted the win that those saves had made available. "Huge saves, and he gave us a chance to win in overtime and the shootout. Obviously, we want to get a win for him badly."
The top six never settled into that kind of stability. The groups drawn up before the game were Marchenko with Matthews and Roslovic, and Cowan with John Tavares and William Nylander. Shift data told a different story. McKenna, Paul and Colton Sissons were the only forward trio used as a unit for a long stretch, about 8:12. Matthews spent 7:43 with Nylander and Roslovic and 6:42 with Marchenko and Roslovic. Cowan split time between Marchenko and Tavares (4:25) and Nylander and Tavares (3:50). The Matthews-Nylander-Roslovic look was out-attempted 13-7. The original first line was even at 7-7 and produced Roslovic's goal.
Hiller did not pretend the shuffling was a finished plan, as he’s still trying to find out what his top-six should look like.
"I would say, yeah, consistency across three players," he said, asked what he is still looking for in the top six. "Some players have been pretty consistent night after night, but as three at the same time, we're still looking for that."
Moving Nylander up was a spark attempt, that wasn’t exclusive to this game, but it clearly didn’t work.
"Just wasn't going very well at that point. So just something different. Try to change the vibe a little bit at different times,” Hiller said.
"I felt okay. First, not that good, and second, obviously there's a lot of penalties and stuff, so hard to get into it. That's how you get it. Sometimes you've got to learn to adjust and play. I thought the third was a bit better, but I would like to capitalize on some chances."
McKenna's night was the assist, a hooking minor, and a shootout miss on Toronto’s fourth attempt. Hiller said the attempt had been scheduled, not a low-pressure afterthought.
"He's good at shootouts, so didn't get it tonight, but he'll score plenty in his career."
McKenna has yet to be called on for 3-on-3 duty in Toronto’s two overtime games this season, but Hiller said it’s coming.
"He was up a couple different times, and situations kind of change themselves. He'll get out there sooner or later. If you ask him, I've probably called him three different times. But for whatever reasons, he hasn't been able to get out there."
Oliver Ekman-Larsson did not finish the night after a hit from Vegas’ Jeremy Lauzon, late in the third period.
"I think he's okay. I don't have an update on him. I've just heard a little bit, so I can't give you much on that."
He was clearer on the hit that took the defenceman out.
"I think there could have been a call." No explanation followed on the ice.
The Maple Leafs picked up a point in the standings but Bobrovsky is still searching for his first win for Toronto.
See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
The Columbus Blue Jackets are back at home tonight after a 5-day break to play the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena.
Pittsburgh Penguins - 2-2-0 - 4 Points - Lost 2 - 4th in the Metro
Columbus Blue Jackets - 1-1-0 - 2 Points - Lost 1 - 5th in the Metro
Team Notes Per CBJ PR
The Blue Jackets have played a league-low 2 games so far this season, and haven't played since October 3rd.
This is the first of two back-to-backs this month as they travel to St. Louis on Saturday.
Player Notes Per CBJ PR
Charlie Coyle has tallied 7-15-22 with four multi-point efforts in 38 career GP against Pittsburgh and has points in seven of his last nine games (3-5-8).
Conor Garland has picked up 3-4-7 in 13 career matchups vs. Pittsburgh with points in three of his past four matchups (1-2-3).
Sean Monahan has collected 6-9-15 in 27 career games against the Penguins, with points in four of his last five games (1-4-5) and 3-6-9 in his last 11 overall.
Dmitri Voronkov has tallied 6-1-7 in 11 career contests against Pittsburgh, with all points in his last seven games.
Zach Werenski has earned 6-12-18 in 25 career games vs. Pittsburgh, including points in three consecutive contests (2-3-5), as well as having 4-6-10 in his last eight matchups against the Penguins.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 40.0 - 2nd in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 66.7% - 26th in the NHL
Goals For - 7 - 10th in the NHL
Goals Against - 7 - 5th in the NHL
Penguins Stats
Power Play - 30.8% - 10th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 90.0% - 6th in the NHL
Goals For - 18 - 3rd in the NHL
Goals Against - 13 - 25th in the NHL
Series History vs. ThePenguins
The Blue Jackets are 13-11-6 at home against Pittsburgh, and 20-30-11 all-time.
Columbus went 2-0-2 in 2025-26.
Columbus has earned points in four consecutive games against Pittsburgh (2-0-2), tying for the longest run of that kind in franchise history (2nd instance, other: 2/17/01 - 12/31/03, 2-0-2).
The Jackets have earned points in seven of the past eight games (5-1-2) and have earned points in nine of the last 13 contests in the overall series (6-4-3).
15 of the last 17 games in the overall series have seen the winning team score 4-plus goals (including SO goals).
Who To Watch For ThePenguins
Tommy Novak leads the team with 5 points.
Sidney Crosby has 0 goals and 2 assists.
Erik Karlsson leads the Pens with 4 assists.
Artūrs Šilovs is 2-1 with an .859 SV%.
Injured Reserve & Other Injuries
Dante Fabbro - Broken Hand - IR - 2 Games Missed
Isac Lundestrom - Achilles Surgery - LTIR - 2 Games Missed
Ivan Provorov - Lower Body - IR - 2 Games Missed
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 10
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be simulcast on The Blue Jackets Hockey Network and 97.1 The Fan, with Steve Mears behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
TV: CBJHN (Spectrum HD Ch. 320/1320; IP Ch. 349; Prime Video, Fubo)
Next Up For Columbus: The CBJ take on the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7 PM.
Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!
Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.
Let us know what you think below.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive, and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. Share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.
Although they played their best game of the season overall, the Philadelphia Flyers' best still wasn't good enough, losing 2-1 to the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday night and dropping their fifth straight game.
Now 0-3-2, the Flyers will face the Boston Bruins in Boston on Saturday afternoon, and if they can't win that one, they will return home Sunday still winless. And on Sunday, they host Carolina... again.
The schedule isn't getting any easier for the juiceless Flyers, who were shut out at 5-on-5 for the second time already this season. In five games, the Flyers have scored just four times at 5-on-5, and the five teams tied with them (Calgary, New Jersey, Los Angeles, Anaheim, and Columbus) have all played four games or fewer.
Nick Cousins got the Senators on the board following the expiry of an Ottawa power play, deflecting a Tyler Kleven shot past Joseph Woll after beating Cam York to the front of the net. Despite the fortunate bounce, the Flyers actually out-shot the Senators 11-8 in the opening frame.
The Flyers repeated the feat in the second period, out-shooting their opponents 11-9 with Matvei Michkov tucking in a loose Trevor Zegras rebound on the power play to tie the game at 1-1.
In the third period, the Senators punched back with a 9-7 shots advantage, which is generous to the Flyers, who generated the bulk of their offense trying to tie the game in the dying few minutes.
Carter Yakemchuk scored the game-winning goal for the Senators in a dark twist of irony, as Michael Bunting, the player signed to give the Flyers a spark, took the penalty that gave the Senators their fifth power play opportunity of the night, and one they didn't squander, in his first game action of the season.
So, while the Flyers finally didn't get crushed by their opponents in the run of play, it shouldn't be celebrated as progress or a building block. That's the expectation every night for all 84 games.
That's how the Flyers got in this mess, with conversations about "compete" and complacency a week into the 2026-27 campaign.
Stats dump and line changes
Matvei Michkov is the only Flyers player with multiple goals this season, and now he's playing center on the power play, too. (Photo: Eric Hartline, Imagn Images)
I was a bit surprised to see David Jiricek move up to the second pairing next to York after his high-profile backbreaker against Tampa Bay on Monday night, but he handled the added responsibility, including time on PP1, very well.
Jiricek recorded two shots on goal and played 18:25 (third to only Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale). According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers out-shot the Senators with Jiricek on the ice at 5-on-5 in terms of attempts, unblocked attempts, and shots on goal, though scoring chances were 6-5 in Ottawa's favor.
With York on the ice at 5-on-5, though, scoring chances were 10-3 in Ottawa's favor. The 25-year-old's uncharacteristically poor play at both ends of the ice has dragged down his defense partners early on this season.
Matvei Michkov took over as the de facto center on PP1, winning four of seven faceoffs (57.1%) in place of Trevor Zegras.
There was once a time in the not-so-distant past that the Flyers refused to have the two on the same power play, and now Michkov has wrested another job from Zegras just five games into the season.
Tyson Foerster has just two goals, his only two points, in his last 15 games, including the playoffs. He is a -8 in that span.
Porter Martone has been held off the scoresheet through his first five games this season, though it's worth noting he's averaging just 12:55 of ice time a game.
Comparatively, Martone averaged 17:02 in his nine regular season games with the Flyers at the end of last season, and 16:48 in the playoffs.
The Sharks improved to 3-1 to start the 2026 NHL season after a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. And for the third time this season, the win came in overtime. The Sharks have dominated in overtime in recent seasons. They have been so dominant that they now lead the entire NHL with 13 overtime wins dating back to the start of last season.
Kings of overtime 👑
With tonight's win, the San Jose Sharks have an NHL-leading 13 OT wins since the start of last season.
The Sharks got the season started off with a bang, beating the Florida Panthers 4-3 thanks to a game-winning goal from Luca Cagnoni. The next game, a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings, Igor Chernyshov found the net in overtime to help the Sharks improve to 2-0.
The Sharks lost their first game of the season to the Dallas Stars but bounced back in their most recent contest, getting the overtime win over the Blues thanks to a Darnell Nurse game-winning goal. Even without star Macklin Celebrini, who has missed the last two games with an unspecified lower-body injury, the Sharks have found ways to win.
San Jose faces a tough slate of games for the rest of the month, facing the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins at home before going on the road for six straight games from Oct. 15-Oct. 24. But for a Sharks team hungry to make the playoffs after coming up just short last season, these next few games are the perfect test to see what kind of team they are.
The Sharks revamped their roster this offseason, acquiring players like Nurse via trade and signing free agents such as forward Mason Marchment and defenseman Jacob Trouba, and entered the season with high expectations.
The last time the team made the playoffs was in 2018-19, where they made it to the Western Conference Finals. Now, with a roster full of young stars, the team hopes that this season can be the start of perennial hockey success in San Jose.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 07: Alex Tuch #89 of the Washington Capitals scores a goal on goalie Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins a goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the second period at Capital One Arena on October 07, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…
After the Penguins traded forward Filip Hallander to the Edmonton Oilers for defenseman Spencer Stastney on Wednesday, assistant general manager Jason Spezza said Hallander was considered “expendable” based on past performance and future potential, while Stastney, 26, brings versatility and mobility to Pittsburgh’s defense corps. [PensBurgh]
The Penguins have several early-season concerns after four games, including a slow start from Sidney Crosby, inconsistent goaltending from Arturs Silovs and costly defensive mistakes. Is now the time to press the panic button? [PensBurgh]
Prospect Atley Calvert’s versatility and steady development with the team’s AHL affiliate, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, have earned him a two-year entry-level NHL contract. The 22-year-old undrafted forward recorded 38 points in 70 regular-season games last season and added six points in 15 playoff games, including filling in at center when needed. [Trib Live]
News and notes from around the NHL…
Three Canadian provinces — Alberta, Manitoba and British Columbia — are staying on daylight saving time year-round, creating unusual NHL game start times this season. The change means the Calgary Flames have eight games scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. local time and the Edmonton Oilers have seven, while the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks also face schedule adjustments that could affect players’ routines and fans’ watching habits. [Associated Press]
At least 10 teams have expressed interest in acquiring Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. [TSN]
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand is considered week-to-week with a leg injury, adding to Florida’s injury concerns after captain Aleksander Barkov was ruled out for six to eight weeks with a leg injury. [Associated Press via Sportsnet]
Nashville Predators (2-1-1, in the Central Division) vs. Ottawa Senators (3-1, in the Atlantic Division)
Ottawa, Ontario; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Nashville Predators visit the Ottawa Senators after Adam Edstrom scored two goals in the Predators' 5-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens.
Ottawa went 44-27-11 overall and 23-14-6 in home games last season. The Senators allowed 3.0 goals per game while scoring 3.4 last season.
Nashville had a 38-34-10 record overall and a 17-17-7 record on the road last season. The Predators committed 309 total penalties last season, averaging 3.8 per game and serving 8.8 penalty minutes per game.
INJURIES: Senators: Artem Zub: out (knee), Jake Sanderson: day to day (lower-body), William Eklund: day to day (lower body), Cameron Crotty: day to day (illness), Andre Burakovsky: out (upper-body), Kurtis MacDermid: out (undisclosed).
Predators: Justus Annunen: out (undisclosed).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Los Angeles Kings (0-2-1, in the Pacific Division) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (4-1, in the Pacific Division)
Paradise, Nevada; Saturday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Vegas Golden Knights host the Los Angeles Kings after the Golden Knights took down the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in a shootout.
Vegas had a 39-26-17 record overall while going 19-7-6 against opponents from the Pacific Division last season. The Golden Knights gave up 3.0 goals per game while scoring 3.2 last season.
Los Angeles has gone 0-2-1 overall with a 0-0-1 record in Pacific Division games. The Kings have given up 15 goals while scoring nine for a -6 scoring differential.
The teams meet Saturday for the first time this season.
INJURIES: Golden Knights: Raphael Lavoie: day to day (undisclosed), Ben Hemmerling: out (undisclosed), Lukas Cormier: out (undisclosed), Victor Olofsson: out (undisclosed), Kai Uchacz: out (undisclosed).
Kings: Jakub Dvorak: out (upper-body), Kevin Fiala: out (leg), Jan Jenik: out (undisclosed).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Carolina Hurricanes (3-1-1, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (1-4, in the Central Division)
Chicago; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Carolina Hurricanes aim to keep their three-game win streak alive when they visit the Chicago Blackhawks.
Chicago has a 1-4 record overall and a 1-0-0 record on its home ice. The Blackhawks are eighth in NHL play serving 11.0 penalty minutes per game.
Carolina is 3-1-1 overall and 2-0-0 on the road. The Hurricanes rank fifth in NHL play with 18 total goals (averaging 3.6 per game).
The matchup Saturday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
INJURIES: Blackhawks: Andrew Mangiapane: out (lower-body), Teuvo Teravainen: day to day (undisclosed), Ryan Ellis: out for season (back), Connor Bedard: out (shoulder).
Hurricanes: Seth Jarvis: out (shoulder).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The last three games that the Vegas Golden Knights have met the Toronto Maple Leafs have been must-see television. A lot has been made of the fact that the announced attendance for Thursday’s Golden Knights home game was nearly 1,400 tickets short of a sellout. It’s a shame, really, because the people who might’ve sat in those 1,390 unsold seats missed one heck of a hockey game.
Tonight’s matchup had everything you could ask for. Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill had an in-game redemption arc, allowing three goals on the first seven he faced before stopping the next 18. Former Maple Leaf Mitch Marner made a great play that led to the Golden Knights’ second goal of the game. Jack Eichel even converted on the honest-to-god penalty shot that he was awarded.
But that’s not all. There was also a thrilling full five minutes of overtime. And in the ensuing shootout, a young Golden Knight got his first taste of how great it can feel to play hero in an NHL game.
Of course, none of this would be the case if not for the Golden Knights’ first successful multi-goal comeback of the season.
This team knows how to take a punch, and although falling behind 3-0 just 8:37 into the first period is one hell of an uppercut, the Golden Knights are nothing if not resilient. They simply tightened things up, put their heads down, and began to chip away at Toronto’s lead.
“Obviously not the start we wanted to have,” said Mitch Marner following the 4-3 shootout win. “But like last year, we’re a resilient team. We stay with it. We have a lot of confidence in our game throughout 60 minutes, and I thought we did a great job of that.”
“I like that we picked each other up,” agreed head coach Ryan Craig. “I like that we stayed with it, individually and as a team. I don’t like going down 3-0, but there’s something to be said for how we stuck together.”
1. An Up-Hill Climb
Things didn’t look great for Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill when Jack Roslovic scored on the Maple Leafs’ first shot of the game just 34 seconds into the first period. The outlook didn’t look any better when Easton Cowan doubled Toronto’s lead on their fifth shot, and it looked pretty bleak when Nick Paul made it 3-0 on the Maple Leafs’ seventh shot.
After that, Hill looked pretty exceptional. He didn’t allow another goal and went all-out to stop the next 18 shots he faced.
“I loved everybody’s response, including Adin Hill’s,” said head coach Ryan Craig following the 4-3 win. “I thought as our team got better, Hilly got better. He made some big saves in the second period there as we were pushing, and then allowed us to get it to overtime and then the shootout.”
Hill also stopped four of the five shots he faced in the shootout en route to his second win of the season.
“Hiller’s so calm and confident in himself, regardless of what happens before,” said Mitch Marner. “You saw that tonight; he just stayed with it. We have a lot of trust in either of our goalies, and when we needed him, he made some big saves.”
2. The Kids Are Alright
Despite having a roster chock-full of some of the league’s best offensive talent, Golden Knights head coach Ryan Craig sent 23-year-old Braeden Bowman over the boards first in his first NHL shootout. Three shooters later, Craig deployed 20-year-old Trevor Connelly.
They were the only two Golden Knights to convert, with Connelly’s goal standing as the game-winner.
“Oh, it’s awesome. It’s super cool for us. I think he kind of knows our ins and outs from Henderson, so I think it was super cool for him to put us both out there,” said Connelly of the opportunity following the win. “It just kind of shows the confidence that the group and the coaching staff has in us. This is such a tight group, and we all have each other’s backs, and all have trust in each other.”
“I’m comfortable enough [putting Bowman and Connelly out in the shootout] when we have NHL games on the line,” said head coach Ryan Craig following the 4-3 win. “There’s a lot of trust in all of our players… We saw Bowman do it in the preseason, and Trevor as well. I’ve seen them do that at the American Hockey League level. And at that point, it’s a one-on-one with the goalie. I thought those guys did a real good job… Nice for those guys to contribute.”
3. The Mitch is Back
Despite what the box score might suggest, the Golden Knights’ second line of William Karlsson, Mitch Marner, and Brett Howden has been pretty dangerous offensively. In 38 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time, Howden-Karlsson-Marner have generated 1.9 expected goals while allowing only 1.2 expected goals against.
Up until now, however, they’ve struggled to capitalize on those scoring chances.
“I’m sure everyone just looks at the score sheet and thinks that because we’re not scoring or doing anything,” said Marner following Thursday’s 4-3 shootout win. “But I think our line has done a lot of good things in these games. We haven’t been rewarded for it. We were tonight, which is great, and hopefully it gets things going for us a little more.”
The second line struggled at the start of tonight’s game, as did most of the team, and were on the ice for the first two Maple Leafs goals. After that, they were off to the races, holding a 17-12 edge in shots and scoring Vegas’ second goal of the night.
“They scored a real big goal for us tonight off a nice rush entry,” said head coach Ryan Craig. “They’ve done a lot of good things through the first five games… The message to them is to stay with it. Everything gets magnified at the start of the year. When you look at the stat sheet, and you’re four games in, that’s what happens at this time of year. If this is January, and they’re going through something like that, we’re probably not talking about it or looking at it in the same way.
“My message to those guys is, you’re helping us win hockey games,” Craig finished. “Stay with it. Your time will come.”
