The 2025-26 NHL Global Series is finally here, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators are gearing up for their two-game set at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

Pittsburgh's last trip to Stockholm in 2008 ended up turning out pretty well for them, as they later went on to beat the Detroit Red Wings in the 2009 Stanley Cup Final for the franchise's third championship. And - according to NHL.com writer Amalie Benjamin - that's something that isn't unique to the Penguins. 

In fact, starting with the Penguins' trip to Stockholm in 2008, there have been 10 NHL trips outside of North America. Six teams participating in those contests went on to win the Stanley Cup in the same respective year as their trip.

In other words, these trips actually tend to mean a lot in the grand scheme of things, whether that's due to the team bonding experiences or a break from the normalcy of the NHL schedule. And there are added stakes since these games will count toward the regular season.

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Here is what you need to know about this year's Global Series between the Pens and Preds:

- Including this season, the NHL debuted the Global Series in 2017 when the Ottawa Senators and Colorado Avalanche squared off, and it had been six years since the league played an international regular season game overseas - as the NHL Premiere series ended in 2011. This is the seventh season the NHL has done the Global Series, as there was a recess in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Penguins Five-Day Break Before Sweden Games Comes At Perfect TimeThe Pittsburgh Penguins have five days off before their next game, and it couldn't come at a better time.

- Both games will take place at Avicii Arena in Stockholm, and it will be an international home-and-home series. The two-game set begins Friday at 2:00 p.m. EDT, and it concludes on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

- The games can be viewed on Sportsnet and Sportsnet Pittsburgh for regional coverage and on NHL Network for national/international coverage. 

- The Penguins enter the Global Series third in the Metropolitan Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference standings with 21 points and a record of 9-5-3. They have lost four out of their last five games and have blown leads in three of them. 

Forsberg And Wilsby Hope Global Series Will Breathe New Life Into PredatorsFilip Forsberg and Adam Wilsby have an opportunity to play two NHL games in their home country of Sweden. But this trip could also provide a fresh start for the Nashville Predators.

- The Predators enter the Global Series at 5-9-4 with 14 points, which is second from the bottom of the league standings. The Calgary Flames are the only team with a lower points percentage (.278) than the Preds (.389). They are on a three-game losing streak. 

- The Penguins are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games against Nashville.

- The Penguins' active roster features two Swedes in defenseman Erik Karlsson and goaltender Filip Larsson - who was named the team's third-string goaltender for the trip. They also have two inactive Swedish players on their roster in forwards Rickard Rakell and Filip Hallander, who are both on injured reserve. Rakell made the trip, while Hallander did not. The Predators feature forward Filip Forsberg and defenseman Adam Wilsby.

Penguins Take Swedish Goaltending Prospect To Stockholm As Third GoalieThe trip overseas to Stockholm, Sweden for the NHL Global Series presented the opportunity for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> to bring a third-string goaltender with them.

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The St. Louis Blues beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 in what came to be a rare thriller situation for the Flames in the Gateway to the West.

Here are the takeaways:

Needed A Good Start

Until the two Calgary goals that were scored in a span of 25 seconds by the 14:29 mark of the second period, the Blues outshot the Flames 22-20, out-chanced them 21-16 in scoring chances and 12-4 in high-danger scoring chances.

After that, it seemed to light a fire in Calgary as until the end of the game, the Flames outshot St. Louis 21-9, out-chanced them 7-6 in scoring chances and 3-2 in high-danger scoring chances.

But Jordan Binnington proved to be too good.

A good start is always necessary.

In the bigger picture, the Flames outshot the Blues 40-31, but St. Louis doubled them in high-danger scoring chances 14-7. Quality counts...

Penalty Costing Dearly

In a one-goal game, a single goal given up on the power play will always be scrutinized. Deservedly so.

But that's not the only reason why the penalty was costly.

Out of the 18 games Calgary has played so far, the time on the penalty-kill in this game (3:46) ranks the seventh-lowest but the shots on goal given up on it (7) were the seventh-highest and the eventual goal was the nail in the coffin.

Dustin Wolf

Even though it was a losing effort and his small size was taken advantage of, Wolf did face the seventh-most shots on goal in a Flames game this season. He came out with a save percentage of 0.903 which is still a consolation prize in this loss.

Bottom Line

This game showed something new in the Flames. That they had spunk and fire (pardon the pun).

For the first time since the season opener, you saw passion on both sides of the ice.

Let's see if this carries on.

On Tuesday evening, the Los Angeles Kings travelled to Montreal for a clash with the Canadiens in a rematch of the 1993 Stanley Cup Final.  A very interesting matchup considering the play style of both teams. 

The Kings may have just given the rest of the National Hockey League the blueprint for beating the high flying Canadiens. For 60 minutes, the Kings stayed structured and composed, not allowing Montreal to get any type of offense going. They were stronger on the puck and used their bodies, something Montreal is not a fan of. Los Angeles improves to 7-1-2 on the road in 2025-26.

LA Kings (@LAKings) on XKINGS HOCKEY BABY! #GoKingsGo

First Period: Not A Lot of 5-on-5 Time

The opening frame of the game was headlined by a plethora of penalties. The Kings received the first two penalties which ultimately gave the Canadiens a long 5-on-3 opportunity.

Just over seven minutes into the period, Brandt Clarke was called for hooking. It was one of those penalties that you are okay with a player taking as it likely saved a goal. Clarke hooked Montreal's sniper Cole Caufield who was in a prime scoring position as the puck came his way. Shortly after, Cody Ceci was called for hooking as well, which gave the Habs a two man advantage for over a minute.

Darcy Kuemper and the Kings penalty kill stood tall as Montreal was able to generate a number of solid scoring chances but were ultimately unable to capitalize due to the play of Kuemper and positioning of the LA defenders, as well as some fortunate bounces. 

After the Ceci penalty expired, the Kings were given a power play of their own as Kirby Dach was called for tripping. LA failed to take advantage, but they were give another chance thanks to Dach who took a high-sticking penalty right after he finished serving his initial penalty. Once again. the Kings were unable to score on the power play and the game remained 0-0 until very late in the period.

Josh Anderson gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead with just over 40 seconds remaining in the first. Anderson rifled a shot past the far right side of Kuemper who likely didn't see the shot due to the power behind it. The Habs entered the intermission with a one goal lead.

It's also worth noting that Kings forward Joel Armia received a touching tribute as he returned to the Bell Centre for the first time after playing seven seasons in the Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge. 

Second Period: The Floodgates Were Opened

Although the Kings outshot the Canadiens 12-9 after 20 minutes of play, they found themselves trailing by a goal. The entered the middle frame desperately needing to get one by Sam Montembeault. They didn't get one by the Montreal goaltender, they got three, and they happened quick. 

Just over one minute into the second period Joel Edmundson scored his first goal of the season. Edmundson blasted a one-timer past Montembeault off a feed from Brandt Clarke who took possession after a clean face-off win by Anze Kopitar in the offensive zone. The former Montreal Canadien evened the game at 1-1, but it wouldn't stay tied for very long.

Exactly three minutes later, Quinton Byfield found himself in the right place at the right time as he buried his third goal of the season. Byfield found the puck on his stick after an Adrian Kempe shot from the point deflected off of Edmundson's skate in front of the net. All Byfield had to do was put the puck into the open cage as Montembault was not set after the deflection. The scoring didn't stop there either.

Kevin Fiala doubled the Kings lead just over a minute after Byfield made it 2-1. Fiala scored his eighth goal of the season from virtually the same spot as 'Q' did just a minute prior. Byfield and Alex Laferriere pick up the assists on the goal.

The Kings were given their third power play of the game after Alex Newhook was called for tripping. Yet again, the power play did not look pretty as they failed to get any traction and didn't show much urgency. The penalty kill however remained perfect as they killed off a too many men on the ice penalty and brought a 3-1 lead with them to the final frame.

LA Kings (@LAKings) on XQ MADE IT ✌️

Third Period: Shutdown Effort Leads to Some Insurance

Los Angeles entered the third period needing a strong 20 minute effort to hold their lead and leave Quebec with a victory and they did just that.

The Kings stayed out of the box in the final frame which allowed them to have a consistent style of play with no interruptions. Due to the Kings structure and positioning, the Canadiens were unable to get anything going. Montreal was struggling to make passes and enter LA's zone. 

After shutting down the Habs for the first half of the period, the Kings decided to add some insurance. Joel Armia scored his third of the season after he stripped the puck form Lane Hutson before beating Montembeault to grow the LA lead to 4-1. A very cool moment for the former Canadien.

Warren Foegele later put the final nail in the coffin making it 5-1 as he buried his second of the year on the empty Montreal net. The Kings fifth goal is now their highest goal total in a victory this season and ties the most they've scored in a game this year. They last scored five goal in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knight on October 8th.

A complete 60 effort and strong style of play improves the Kinsg record to 8-5-4 and gives them back-to-back victories for the third time this season. They look to make it three in a row as they continue their road trip in Canada with a date with the Toronto Maple Leafs (8-8-1) on Thursday, November 13th at 4:00PM PT/7:00 PM ET.

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The trip overseas to Stockholm, Sweden for the NHL Global Series presented the opportunity for the Pittsburgh Penguins to bring a third-string goaltender with them.

And they happened to choose a Swede who travelled right to his backyard.

Penguins' goaltending prospect Filip Larsson, 27, is currently the starting goaltender for Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins. Larsson signed a two-year deal with the Penguins ahead of the 2024-25 season and owns a 3-0-1 record with a 2.92 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage in five appearances this season.

Larsson grew up in Stockholm, and - as he told Sportsnet Pittsburgh's Hailey Hunter on Tuesday - he has - quite literally - returned home to a very familiar place at Avicii Arena.

"The arena we practiced at today is where I played for three years," Larsson said. "So, yeah, it's nice to be back, and it's a lot of fun to step out on the ice."

WBS Penguins Sign Goaltender To PTOThe Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins have made a small move to shore up their depth.

From 2014-17, Larsson suited up for Djurgardens Jr. of the Swedish Junior Hockey League, which led to him getting drafted in the sixth round (167th overall) by the Detroit Red Wings in 2016.

"It was nice. It was one of the best junior teams in Sweden, maybe the best, probably," Larsson said. "Great program. Went to school, like, five, 10 minutes away from here and played here. So, yeah, it's great."

Larsson joins Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov as the available Penguins' netminders for the two-game swing against the Nashville Predators. The Pens and Preds face off Friday at 2:00 p.m. EDT and Sunday at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

The Penguins May Now Have Three Pieces Of Their Future Core - And That's A Big DealObviously, there is such a thing as getting too far ahead of the curve in sports.

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Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot suffered an upper-body injury Tuesday night in the club’s game against the Dallas Stars at Canadian Tire Centre. Chabot was injured near the end of the first period on a hard hit against the boards by Stars forward Colin Blackwell.

The bodycheck occurred at the Stars' bench, where there's no glass, and it looked like Chabot's lower back or left rib area took the brunt of the hit, colliding with the hard edge at the top of the boards.

Chabot came out for the second-period warm-up but, after a quick skate around, he headed down the tunnel and was shut down for the night.

There’s no word yet on the severity of the injury, but the left side of Ottawa’s blue line is probably the part of the lineup least prepared to absorb a loss. The next man up to start the season was Donovan Sebrango, but he was claimed on waivers by the Florida Panthers when the Senators tried to send him down to the minors last month. Sebrango has played the last five games for the Cup champs and had two assists on Monday night in their win in Vegas.

Related: Sebrango Registers First NHL Point: 'That Was For (My Mom) Tonight'

Former Ottawa Senator Registers First NHL Point: 'That Was For (My Mom) Tonight'Sebrango earns his first NHL points with the Panthers and dedicates the achievement to his mom.

The left-shot defensive options in Belleville that are under contract include Jorian Donovan, Tomas Hamara, and Matthew Andonovski — a group that's completely void of NHL experience.

Former Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington is also with Belleville on an AHL contract and represents the only option on the left side with NHL experience. Harrington has played 255 NHL games, mostly with Columbus, but hasn’t appeared since the 2022–23 season, when he split 45 games between the San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks.

It’s probably more likely that Nikolas Matinpalo will draw back into the lineup while someone like Jordan Spence will be asked to move over to the left side. It's also possible GM Steve Staios may need to step up the urgency in the trade market.

As for Chabot, who has 10 points in 16 games this season, his status will likely be clarified sometime tomorrow, although head coach Travis Green may have more to share after the game. Stranger things have happened.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa

Read more at The Hockey News Ottawa:

Staios On Linus Ullmark: ‘I Believe In Linus, The Team Believes In Linus.’
Four Takeaways From Senators 4-2 Victory Over Utah Sunday Night
Former Ottawa Senator GM Passes Away At Age 70
Ullmark: "There Are So Many Things I'd Like To Say To All The Doubters"
More Details On Scamming Accusations From Arthur Kaliyev's Ex-Girlfriend

Tuesday night will feature a special milestone as Conor Garland skates in his 500th career NHL game. When the 29-year-old hits the ice at Rogers Arena, he will become the 28th player from the 2015 draft class to hit the half-century mark. From QMJHL star to a key member of the Vancouver Canucks, Garland has had an impressive career so far. 

Before being drafted into the NHL, Garland spent four seasons lighting up the QMJHL. In 206 games, he recorded 328 points and is still the all-time points leader for the Moncton Wildcats. In 2015, not only was Garland drafted 123rd overall by the Arizona Coyotes, but he took home the Michel Brière Trophy, which is given to the QMJHL's Most Valuable Player. 

Once his QMJHL career came to a close, Garland made the jump to the AHL, joining the Tucson Roadrunners. Over his time in the AHL, he would record 66 points in 131 games while being invited to the All-Star Game during the 2018-19 season. Garland would make his NHL debut on December 8, 2018, while his first goal came on December 22, 2018, against the Colorado Avalanche. 

After splitting the 2018-19 season between the NHL and AHL, Garland made the jump full-time to the Coyotes in 2019-20. In his first full campaign, he recorded 39 points in 68 games, while recording 39 points in 49 games the season after. In 2021, Garland also received his first opportunity to play for Team USA, winning a Bronze Medal at the World Championship. 

The 2021 off-season was a massive one for Garland, as not only did he pick up a Bronze Medal, but he was traded to Vancouver on July 23, 2021. The trade was Garland, along with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, to the Canucks for a first-round pick in 2021, a second-round draft pick in 2022, a seventh-round draft pick in 2023, Jay Beagle, Loui Eriksson, and Antoine Roussel. Even at the time, this trade was polarizing in the market and remains a topic of debate to this day. 

A few days after the trade, Garland signed a five-year extension with Vancouver. The contract, which carries an AAV of $4.95 million, has aged gracefully as Garland has put up 207 points in 335 games with the Canucks. During his time in Vancouver, Garland has emerged as a leader on the ice and has already signed an extension that will keep him with the Canucks until 2032. 

"Well, he's resilient," said Head Coach Adam Foote when asked about Garland's 500th career game. "He's there because of his resiliency. How's he's raised. I think he was raised the right way. He grinds. He competes. He doesn't quit on pucks. I think the rest of the group loves that about him, and I think he leads by example. He's fun to be around. He holds guys accountable in his way. He's coming into a nice leadership role, and it's nice to see him have success."  

Garland's journey is impressive for numerous reasons. He is the 68th player drafted in the fifth round to play 500 games and is one of 41 players from Massachusetts to achieve the feat. Based on Garland's never-ending motor, he should be able to continue to produce plenty of must-watch moments at Rogers Arena over the next few years. 

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

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Macklin Celebrini joins legendary NHL company as Sharks win fourth straight game  originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The ice is cold but the Sharks skating on it are scorching hot.

San Jose extended its win streak to four games with a thrilling 2-1 overtime win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night at Grand Casino Arena. It’s the first time in over four years the Sharks have won four consecutive games.

Macklin Celebrini continued his rapid rise to superstardom, assisting both Sharks goals while joining a pair of NHL legends in elite historical company.

The 19-year-old’s 26 points this season are tied with Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby’s 2006-07 campaign for the second-most ever by a teenager through their team’s first 17 games, trailing only Wayne Gretzky’s 27 in 1980-81. (h/t The Associated Press’ Josh Dubow)

Both Crosby and Gretzky took home the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player for those campaigns, a conversation Celebrini currently finds himself squarely entrenched in during his sophomore season.

Celebrini’s first apple of the night tied things at 1-1 at 11:57 in the third period, with a perfectly placed pass across the face of the net to fellow young phenom Will Smith.

WILL SMITH TIES IT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/o7eStY00YV

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) November 12, 2025

Two weeks ago, Celebrini delivered the overtime winner with a spectacular goal to secure victory over the Wild in Minnesota. On Tuesday, he set up teammate Collin Graf with the honor, dishing a pass between the legs of Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin.

Graf gives us a wild ending 👊 pic.twitter.com/BqLMgFWRTV

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) November 12, 2025

“Just came out there and the puck sort of got to Mack, Just skated at the net with my stick on the ice and I knew he’d be able to find me,” Graf told reporters after Tuesday’s win. “Once I got it, I just tried making a quick play and was fortunate enough to get one.”

The Sharks have won six of their last seven games, with San Jose’s only loss coming in a 3-2 shootout defeat to the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 2. They are outscoring opponents by a whopping 24-10 margin over that span.

While the Sharks’ recent offensive output has been nothing short of outstanding, the team’s contributions in the defensive zone can’t be ignored. San Jose has only allowed one goal in each of its last four games, a far cry from the beginning of the season when the Sharks conceded multiple scores in each of their first 13 contests.

Goaltender Yaroslav Askarov continued his incredible November with another heroic effort in net, stopping 28 of the Wild’s 29 shots after getting slotted in as a last-minute replacement for scheduled starter Alex Nedeljkovic, who is tending to a personal matter, according to coach Ryan Warsofsky.

“It’s going to happen sometimes, you have to be ready,” Askarov told reporters after the victory.

Askarov is a perfect 4-0-0 this month with a .963 save percentage in four starts, displaying the immense potential that made him the NHL’s No. 1 goalie prospect.

The Sharks certainly appear to be firing on all cylinders at the moment, but coach Ryan Warsofsky isn’t going to get complacent amid San Jose’s win streak.

“We want to keep it going, that’s the biggest thing,” Warsofsky told reporters after Tuesday’s win. “We’re playing some pretty good hockey, even when we don’t have our best we’re finding ways to win, our goaltending has been great. We still got ways to get better, we still got to get better individually and collectively and that will be the message.

“But we got good confidence and we know we can win in different ways and I think that’s important in this league.”

Three weeks ago, the Sharks were winless through their first six games after a deflating 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders. After Tuesday, they own an NHL playoff spot after going 8-4-2 over their last 11 games. Yes, you read that right. A playoff spot.

We get it, it’s November. Pump the brakes on the postseason talk. But a stretch of play like this can’t be overlooked, particularly for a fanbase that spent the last five years stuck in the cellar patiently awaiting this franchise’s return to NHL glory.

The Sharks weren’t supposed to arrive this early. This always was going to be a long, arduous rebuild that left San Jose and its fans hungrily chasing the light at the end of the tunnel year after year. There were walls that would need to be climbed before anyone would take these Sharks seriously, and who knows how long that inevitably would take.

It looks like this team said the hell with climbing over those walls, and instead decided to plow right through them.

The Sharks are here, the Sharks are now. The future might be teal, but you better believe the present is too.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

The Kings are in Montreal tonight as they face off against the Canadiens. 

The Kings are looking to build off the comeback win over the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight as they face one of the best teams in the NHL. The Montreal Canadiens are coming off a 6-2 win over the Utah Mammoth, and they are looking to also build off of that win. 

Projected Kings Lines

Here are the projected lines for the Kings:

Joel Armia - Anze Kopitar - Adrian Kempe

Kevin Fiala - Quinton Byfield - Alex Laferriere

Andrei Kuzmenko - Phillip Danault - Trevor Moore

Warren Foegele - Alex Turcotte - Corey Perry

Mikey Anderson - Drew Doughty

Joel Edmundson - Brandt Clarke

Brian Dumoulin - Cody Ceci

Darcy Kuemper

Anton Forsberg

Projected Canadiens Lines

Here are the projected lines for the Canadiens: 

Cole Caufield - Nick Suzuki - Juraj Slafkovsky

Alex Newhook - Oliver Kapanen - Ivan Demidov

Zach Bolduc - Kirby Dach - Brendan Gallagher

Josh Anderson - Jake Evans - Joe Veleno

Mike Matheson - Noah Dobson

Jayden Struble - Lane Hutson

Arber Xhekaj - Alexandre Carrier

Sam Montembeault

Jakub Dobes

Injuries 

The Kings are coming into this game fully healthy, as Warren Foegele, who was injured, returned in the game against the Penguins. The Canadiens will be without Kaiden Guhle (lower body) and Patrik Laine (lower body). 

Key Factors

The Kings are facing a young, fast, and skilled team tonight in one of the NHL's loudest arenas. The Kings are coming into this game ranked 21st on the power-play and 23rd on the penalty kill. The Canadiens are coming into this game ranked 5th on the power-play and 17th on the penalty kill.

The Kings have been able to find consistent scoring recently, as forward Corey Perry has 7 goals in 10 games, but the Canadiens have had some consistent scorers as well, with Cole Caufield tied for 2nd in the NHL in goals. The Kings will have to build momentum from defensive stops to create counterattacks against the Canadiens in order to dictate the game. 

Darcy Kuemper is 6-3-1 in his career against the Canadiens, and in those games, he averaged a .897 save percentage and a 2.68 goals against average. Whereas Sam Montembeault is 1-2 against the Kings, he averaged a .899 save percentage and a 3.58 goals-against average. This season alone, Kuemper has been the better goaltender between the two, and the Kings will need him to be sharp tonight.

If the Kings can be smart defensively and build momentum off counterattacks and their transition game, the Kings can walk out of the Bell Centre with a win. My prediction for this game is 3-1 for the Kings. 

The Florida Panthers picked up a much-needed win against a strong Vegas Golden Knights team last night, concluding their road trip with a 2-2-0 record. They'll now return home for a five-game homestand. 

Last night's win witnessed another strong performance from 23-year-old defenseman Donovan Sebrango. He finished the game with two assists, his first two points of his NHL career, while blocking a shot, throwing two hits and recording a fight in 12:18 of ice time. 

His emergence comes as a surprise, but it's most definitely a pleasant one. But the real question is, should it be considered a surprise? Recent evidence of the Panthers under GM Bill Zito shows that he is a wizard at both pulling off blockbuster moves and finding unearthed talent on the waiver wire.

He hit big-time with Gustav Forsling, and while it's still very early into both his Panthers and NHL career, Sebrango appears to be another possible home run. His minutes have been fairly sheltered, but as time goes on, it wouldn't be shocking to see coach Paul Maurice continue to use Sebrango in more high-leverage situations.

Standing 6-foot-2, 223 pounds, Sebrango is a big body who is slowly becoming more comfortable using. Prior to his inclusion in the lineup, the third pairing of Jeff Petry and Uvis Balinskis was struggling. They were hemmed in their own zone far too often, and the Panthers were losing their minutes badly.

HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) on XNHL GameScore Impact Card for Florida Panthers on 2025-11-10:

Maurice made the simple swap of Balinskis for Sebrango, and it's changed the Panthers. According to Natural Stat Trick, at 5-on-5, the Panthers are outscoring their opponents 6-1, hold the high-danger chances advantage 17-9 and own 52.92 percent of the expected goals with Sebrango on the ice. Sebrango has skated in almost half the ice time as Balinskis has, but each statistic is in favor of Sebrango. 

The 2020 third-round pick (63rd overall) of the Detroit Red Wings hasn't featured too prominently on the penalty kill just yet, but he is an option Maurice can turn to if needed. 

Recent reports suggested the Panthers could be looking at the trade market for a depth defenseman to replace Dmitry Kulikov while he is on the shelf with a long-term injury, but if Sebrango continues to play at this level, Zito will likely stay off the phones. 

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.

Three takeaways: Panthers end road trip looking more like themselves, power play snaps cold spellPanthers shake off slow start, reclaim their identity on the road. Their potent offense and disciplined play deliver crucial wins and a snapped power play drought.

The Florida Panthers have to be feeling good after wrapping up their four-game western road trip on Monday night.

Despite starting the trip with an ugly loss, Florida bounced back and played three consecutive solid games, capped off by Monday’s 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights.

Now they will head back to Sunrise for an extended period of games on home ice, where they can hopefully build off the positive momentum that was found during their visit to the west coast.

In a tightly packed Eastern Conference, it won’t take more than a solid week for the Cats to get right back in a prominent position in the Atlantic Division.

Here are Monday’s takeaways:

VINTAGE BENCH

Over the past several seasons, we’ve often heard Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice talk about how the team will often manage itself during games.

When he’s standing behind Florida’s bench, and the team is humming along like a well-oiled machine, as he’s said more than once, “there’s not a lot of coaching going on there.”

The players manage themselves. They hold each other accountable and are all pulling on the rope equally.

On Monday, the team was giving their coach those kind of vibes again.

“I liked the bench,” Maurice said after the win. “There was lots of juice and enthusiasm for that game. The 5-on-3 (penalty) kill, I liked the energy on the bench. The end of a road trip, (playing a) really good team looking to get back on track, so they were going to push real hard…yeah, I liked the energy on the bench.

THREE STRAIGHT TO BE PROUD OF

Florida held their only practice of the road trip the day after losing to Anaheim.

They arrived in the Los Angeles area (the Kings’ practice facility is in El Segundo) and held a back-to-basics kind of skate, something Maurice and his staff have been able to put together in previous instances where the Cats have seemingly fallen out of their grove when it comes to playing their physical, fast five-man defensive systems.

Since then, the Panthers have more resembled the team they want to be than any other stretch on the road this season.

If not for an outstanding effort by San Jose Sharks’ goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, Florida would likely be flying home on the heels of three straight wins.

Truly, there is a lot for the Panthers to feel good about as they make the trip back east.

“I think we've been good in our last three, really good,” Maurice said. “Even if you've won some games in the past, you have to fight for your confidence. So now, style of game and energy level, you can bring that back home and feel really good about your last three.”

IMPORTANT POWER PLAY GOAL

While the win is always the ultimate goal, Florida also getting to ride home with a fresh power play goal on the scoresheet is a nice cherry on top.

After picking up a PPG during their loss in Anaheim, Florida went 12 straight man advantages without scoring a goal.

Those missed opportunities stretched from the Anaheim game all the way through to Vegas.

But it was the last power play of the trip that Florida cashed in on, and boy was it a biggie.

“Maybe the most important piece, because again, we talk about confidence,” Maurice said. “We've got a little cold here for the last four or five games, and to have it be the game winner (was great). I thought they moved (the puck) really well. We had a great chance back door that didn't go, and now you're starting to feel snake bit, because we've had a few of those, so it's good that it's a game winner, and off a shot tip.”

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Photo caption: Nov 10, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates with team mates after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the third period at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

Welcome to a new episode of The Wraparound, featuring rapid-fire NHL and hockey topics.

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello, and Stephen Kerr discussed in this episode:

0:00: Can the Anaheim Ducks capture the Pacific Division title this season?

5:15: With Pierre-Luc Dubois out, could the Washington Capitals be on the hunt for a new center?

8:25: Will the Toronto Maple Leafs regret trading Fraser Minten?

12:15: Breaking down Sean Couturier’s comments on Matvei Michkov

16:10: Could Matthew Wood play a big role for the Nashville Predators this season?

21:50: What direction will Doug Armstrong take the St. Louis Blues in his last season as GM?

26:55: Looking ahead to the top candidates for the 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame class

31:02: Are the Buffalo Sabres in danger of being out of the playoff mix before American Thanksgiving?

Do The Washington Capitals Need Another Center? by The Wraparound

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

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DENVER —  It’s not the Stanley Cup Final, but it might as well be. The two best teams in the NHL collide tonight at Ball Arena, where the surging Anaheim Ducks—led by veteran head coach Joel Quenneville—arrive in Denver to test the red-hot Colorado Avalanche.

While it’s a tough test on paper, the Avalanche enter this matchup riding some impressive accomplishments this season. Colorado has earned a reputation as “The Streak Killers,” halting the New Jersey Devils’ five-game winning streak with an 8-4 victory last month and following it up last week with a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning to end their five-game surge. But this isn't just any game for the Ducks.

Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) on XThe sky is the limit for Gavin Brindley!

For much of the past decade, the Ducks have struggled to find their identity. In fact, you might as well have called them the Anaheim Dodos—they’ve been, quite frankly, all but extinct. They’ve missed the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons. But Coach Quenneville, unlike Yoda, has emerged from exile to guide a new generation of Ducks. So far, the results have been promising—but tonight will be by far their toughest test.

“[They're a] dangerous offensive team,” head coach Jared Bednar said of their upcoming opponents “And even if it’s not in the number of chances they’re getting, they are finishing everything off. They get a chance. It’s in the back of the net.”

Led by forwards Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Troy Terry, the Ducks have been one of the season’s biggest surprises. It’s worth remembering, however, that Joel Quenneville—who resigned from the Florida Panthers four years ago amid a sexual assault investigation linked to his time with the Chicago Blackhawks—won three Stanley Cups as a head coach with his former team.

The Avalanche lead the league with 64 goals, with Anaheim close behind at 62. Colorado’s top trio—Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas—have combined for 70 points, while Carlsson, Gauthier, and Terry have amassed 64. This shapes up as a true 50-50 battle.

B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) on XNathan MacKinnon’s 82-game pace … ▫️72 goals ▫️76 assists ▫️148 points ▫️364 shots on goals EARLY SEASON DOGG MIXTAPE ➡️ https://t.co/Ll2tZL8oma

In goal, Scott Wedgewood, who tops the NHL with nine wins, will start for Colorado, while Lukas Dostal, just one win behind, will guard the net for the Ducks—underscoring just how evenly matched these teams are in terms of talent.

Let's Dance

The Avalanche (10-1-5) host the Ducks (11-3-1) at Ball Arena, with coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. local time on Altitude and TNT. Let's see who comes out on top. 

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.

While most people’s attention was focused on the players’ growth in the Montreal Canadiens’ rebuild, someone else was growing before our eyes: coach Martin St-Louis. Much was made of the fact that he had no professional experience when he was hired to take the helm of the most storied franchise in NHL history, but not enough has been written about how he has adapted since then.

Speaking to the media earlier this week, the bench boss confessed that giving everyone their fair share of ice time in the NHL was on him, and that some players’ reduced ice time was on him, too—they didn’t necessarily deserve so little time. It was a refreshing sight to see a coach do his mea culpa, but for St. Louis, that’s just normal. He explained that if he asks his players to be accountable and face their truth, it’s only logical that he does the same:

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Because I feel if I’m asking my players to self-assess with some truth, I’ve got to be able to do the same thing, So, I have to own it. If I expect my players to own it, I better own it myself.

- St-Louis on accountability

His players respect St-Louis not only because of his Hall of Fame career, but also because he holds himself to the same standards he holds them to. He’s not playing the games anymore; he can’t help them on the ice, but he’s the one who decides who’s on in which circumstances and for how long. After doing his mes culpa about ice time, the pilot started the next game with the Kirby Dach, Brendan Gallagher and Zachary Bolduc line alongside his third pairing formed by Arber Xhekaj and Alex Carrier. Sure, the players the Utah Mammoth chose to start allowed him to do that; they weren’t the ones he wanted his first-line to face, but he could have gone for the Jake Evans or Oliver Kapanen lines just as easily.

Going from bantam hockey to the NHL was quite the jump for the bench boss, and while he’s improved by leaps and bounds since then, he feels he still has a long way to go:

The first game was so fast on the ice … I couldn’t believe the speed of the game. But two, three games in, it slowed way down. At the youth level, it was easy; you just rolled the lines, and everybody played the power play. It was fun, it was easy. Let’s go. At the NHL level, you got to be a little more calculated. I feel I’ve come a long way, and I’ve got a ways to go.”

- St-Louis on coaching in the NHL

This is what makes St-Louis a great coach: he can be critical of his players when needed, but he can also be critical of himself. He knows his players are still growing, still learning, but so is he. While he had seen it all as a player throughout his 16-year career in the NHL, behind a bench, he’s still learning.

Last year, he was a Jack Adams Trophy finalist for guiding his young team to the playoffs; this year, he has them leading their division and showing no signs of slowing down. When St-Louis agreed to join the Canadiens, he knew he was joining a team with potential for greatness but that needed to be built up, much like his coaching career, and he’s doing a fine job of both.

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When Ottawa-born Donovan Sebrango joined the Senators, he was part of the Alex DeBrincat deal with the Detroit Red Wings. At the time, he was exiting Detroit, a team in the middle of the second-longest NHL playoff drought, to join Ottawa, a club in the middle of the third-longest NHL playoff drought.

You might assume that neither roster, in those circumstances, should have been carved in stone; that an opportunity might have been there for a useful player. 

But Sebrango never caught on as a full-time player in either market. As he left Detroit, he hadn't seen any NHL action in Motown after four years with the club. As for the Senators, they immediately put him in Belleville and he even spent some time in the ECHL.

They did bring him up to Ottawa twice last season and then twice last month due to the preseason injury to Tyler Kleven. When Kleven got healthy, the Sens tried to send Sebrango back down to Belleville, but he was claimed on waivers by the Florida Panthers.

At his press conference on Monday, when asked about the left side of his blue line, Staios admitted that losing Sebrango hurt the Sens' depth in that area.

Now, since the move to Sunrise, Sebrango has found more work with the defending two-time Stanley Cup champions than he did in Ottawa and Detroit combined.

Not only did Sebrango play in his fifth game in a row for the Panthers on Monday night, but he also registered two assists in the game, including his first NHL point as Florida won 3-2 in Las Vegas.

"Yeah, I mean, it's always fun to get points," Sebrango told the media after the game. "That's not why they brought me in, but it's always fun to get a couple of points, and your first ones you always remember."

Even in his short time in Ottawa, it was very clear that Sebrango is tight with his mom, Kim.

So after he got his first NHL point, it's not hard to guess who he texted first.

"She said she was so proud of me," Sebrango said. "And I want to make her proud. And that means the world to hear from her. But I mean, that was for her tonight."

But Sebrango has other admirers in Florida, where he seems to be fitting right in. He's played the last five games for the Panthers, averaging 14 minutes a night, and setting up shop alongside Jeff Petry, who's closing in on 1000 NHL games (997).

"I think (Sebrango) has played the same game (every night)," head coach Paul Maurice told the media. "And that's a really impressive thing because he doesn't have a lot of NHL experience. He's still a young man, but he has been very, very consistent in his style of game and what we expect from him. And that is highly unusual in a young player, especially on defense.

"We play a different game than he's been experiencing. So we're really impressed with his composure in the game, and we like his bite. You know, he didn't wait a long time for the first fight.

"We like that a lot."

This shouldn't be read as a Sens tale of the one that got away, which all too often haunts the fan base. For one, it's far too early for any such declaration. Secondly, even if Sebrango ends up as a full-timer in Florida or spends the next decade in the NHL, this is merely the kind of thing that can happen to good teams when they don't have enough room on the roster for everyone. He was never going to rank ahead of Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, or Tyler Kleven.

This is more a story of a young man who's worked hard and honestly for a long time, just waiting for an opportunity like this to finally come his way. Even if Florida doesn't bring Sebrango back next season, every game he plays now for the champions only serves to improve his resume.

And how do you not tip your cap to a story like that?

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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We are now a month into the 2025-26 NHL season, and there have certainly been some teams that have surprised so far.

However, three specific NHL clubs entered the season with low expectations and are proving their doubters wrong. Let's look at all three of them and discuss why they have been the league's biggest plesant surprises early on.

Anaheim Ducks (11-3-1, 23 Points)

The Anaheim Ducks have been incredible out of the gate. 

They're currently at the top of the Pacific Division standings and second in the NHL with 23 points, so there is no question that the Ducks have been a big surprise so far. 

The Ducks finished last season with a 35-37-10 record and missed the playoffs for the seventh straight year. Yet, with the way they are playing right now, they certainly have a great chance of breaking their playoff drought this year. BetMGM's odds of Anaheim making the playoffs are 1.40 (-250), compared to 3.00 (+200) odds of missing out.

Leo Carlsson (10 goals and 25 points in 15 games) and Cutter Gauthier (11 goals and 20 points in 15 games) are big reasons for the Ducks' hot start. Newcomer Chris Kreider has also played a role in Anaheim's great start, posting nine goals and 12 points in 11 games. 

Chicago Blackhawks (8-5-3, 19 Points) 

After a quiet off-season, many expected the Chicago Blackhawks to be among the NHL's bottom teams again in 2025-26. Yet, the rebuilding squad has instead started the season off strongly.

The Blackhawks currently have an 8-5-3 record and are third in the Central Division. They have also been getting better as the campaign rolls on, as they have won each of their last three games and six of their last 10. 

So, what are a few reasons for the Blackhawks' hot start?

Connor Bedard has been hitting a new level early on, as he has nine goals and 25 points in 16 games. Goaltender Spencer Knight has also been fantastic for Chicago, as he has a 6-3-2 record, .926 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average. Frank Nazar, Andre Burakovsky and Tyler Bertuzzi have been playing excellently as well. 

Overall, the Blackhawks have been a nice story early on this season, and it will be interesting to see how they build on it. They still have 7.50 (+600) odds of making the playoffs and 1.10 (-1000) odds of missing them, according to BetMGM.

Pittsburgh Penguins (9-5-3, 21 Points)

Many expected the Pittsburgh Penguins to be one of the worst teams in the NHL this season. However, they have responded by starting the season third in the Metropolitan Division after 17 games played. 

The Penguins have been cooling off slightly as the season progresses, having lost their last two games and going 4-3-3 in their last 10 contests. That said, they still have the fourth-most points in the Eastern Conference, which is undoubtedly a big surprise. 

Veteran stars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby starting the year on fire is a big reason for the Penguins' strong start to the 2025-26 season. Furthermore, free-agent signings Anthony Mantha and the currently injured Justin Brazeau have provided Pittsburgh's top six with a big boost.

The Penguins' goaltending has also improved as Arturs Silovs has a .916 save percentage in nine games, while Tristan Jarry has a .911 save percentage in seven appearances.

Pittsburgh's odds of making the playoffs are 3.40 (+240), while the odds of not making them are 1.33 (-303).

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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.