Category: Ice Hockey

Despite some truly impressive performances from newcomer Dan Vladar, the Philadelphia Flyers find themselves in a situation similar to what transpired in the previous two seasons.

Sam Ersson, who has clearly lost a greater share of the crease to Vladar, has again been plagued by injury, and has again not performed all that well in respect to raw statistics or relative expectations.

Ersson, 26, was beaten thrice on just 14 shots on goal in Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators, conceding two goals on six shots in the first period alone.

Some magic from Matvei Michkov and a goal from Jamie Drysdale helped earn the Flyers a point in the loss, as Ersson was tested only seven more times across the second and third periods.

So, while he did ultimately settle in, fans are quickly growing tired of the Swede and his continued injury struggles and average performances.

For the year, Ersson is 2-1-2 but owns a porous 3.03 GAA and .866 save percentage, with the latter ranking 66th in the NHL amongst 73 total goalies.

Porter Martone Doing Everything Flyers Needed to See in NCAAThe Philadelphia Flyers have to be thrilled with how Porter Martone has been developing on the ice and in the gym.

And, among the goalies who can be considered true NHL regulars, only Joel Hofer, Jordan Binnington, Sam Montembeault, and Calvin Pickard have been worse.

The problem, at least for the Flyers, is that goalie prospect Aleksei Kolosov has played well enough to say that he's legitimately earned the chance to have a real look at the NHL level.

The Belarusian appeared in two games with Ersson on the shelf, going 0-1-0 and posting a 1.61 GAA and .929 save percentage.

In fairness, 26 saves on 28 shots across two games isn't the greatest sample size, but Ersson is 103 for 119 on the season.

To match that, Kolosov would have to go 77 for his next 91, which equates to a .846 save percentage. The 23-year-old wasn't even that bad last season, and he looks better and worlds more comfortable this year.

Piggybacking on the last point, Kolosov is playing in the AHL this year, as many thought he wouldn't, and he's excelling.

In six games, Kolosov is 4-2-0 with a 2.50 GAA, a .918 save percentage, and his first shutout on North American ice.

Kolosov's .918 save percentage ranks 10th amongst AHL goalies with at least five games played this season, below prospects like Sergei Murashov and Drew Commesso and above the likes of Erik Portillo, Jacob Fowler, and Devon Levi. In other words: exactly where he should be considering his relative lack of experience playing on this side of the world.

NHL Trade Rumors: Flyers Forward Not Out of the Woods Yet?The Philadelphia Flyers are reportedly not thrilled with another season of inconsistent scoring contributions from Owen Tippett.

Both Ersson and Kolosov are in contract years and will be restricted free agents at the end of the season, end if the Flyers decide that Ersson isn't the future or that they can only keep one player, we can expect Kolosov to get another long look, especially now that he appears to have improved significantly.

Kolosov is also the younger option, and his absence from the AHL ranks won't be too considerable. Fellow prospect Carson Bjarnason, 20, is holding up just fine with his 3-1-2 record, 2.52 GAA, and .918 save percentage.

The longer this current trend continues at the NHL level, though, the more likely these changes become reality.

After an 8-2-2 start to the season during the month of October, all seemed to be going well and right for the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

They were mostly healthy. Their goaltending and their shooters were putting up very high - even if unsustainable - numbers. They were holding onto leads - especially in the third period of play - and no lead ever really felt unsafe.

They seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. Then, November and a few other things happened.

Contrary to their hot October start, the Penguins are now 1-3-1 in the month of November so far. Their latest loss came in the form of a 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, and it was their third blown lead in the past four games. They are now 9-5-3 on the season. 

No matter how things are sliced, it is still very early. The Penguins have played plenty of legitimately good hockey in the first month and a half of the 2025-26, and it stands to reason that they will go through some highs and lows throughout the course of 82 games - just as every team does. 

But there are some concerning trends. On Nov. 3 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins dominated the first 40 minutes and carried a 3-0 lead into the third period, then they squandered it in the first seven minutes of the final frame. In their next game against the Washington Capitals, the Penguins went up by the same score of 3-0 early in the second period and were tied with the Caps by the end of the period. They eventually did win that one despite the blown lead. 

Takeaways: Penguins Fall To Kings, 3-2, For Third Loss In Four GamesAfter earning just one of four points on a back-to-back weekend set against the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils/">New Jersey Devils</a> and <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings">Los Angeles Kings</a>, the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> may just welcome the brief Swedish vacation they’ll embark on starting Monday.

Then, in the L.A. game, the Penguins took a 2-1 lead into the third and allowed two unanswered goals en route to the loss. 

But, in this case, it's not just about the blown leads. It's about how they are happening. 

Despite winning only one of their last five games, the Penguins have been the better team on the ice for a large fraction of that time. They will dominate large stretches of games only to end up on the wrong side of the scoresheet. And the reason they're losing these leads is because they have loosened up in their own zone.

Let's be clear: This string of games is not because of a lack of effort. It seems like the Penguins just ran out of gas during the third period against the Kings, and - for most games - they're largely controlling play. But defensive lapses here and there - as has been the case dating back a few years for the Penguins - are costing them dearly. 

In the game against the Maple Leafs, the winning goal came as a result of blown coverage by young defensemen Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke in the defensive zone. During the Washington game, the Capitals kept pushing, and the Penguins' net-front play kept failing them. Against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, the lone regulation goal by the Devils came as a result of an egregious defensive zone turnover by Kris Letang that directly resulted in a goal. 

New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) on XGrits blew the roof off this place.

And it didn't stop there. On the Kings' second goal Sunday, Letang engaged in an ill-advised pinch, forward Anthony Mantha didn't cover, and Ryan Shea was left hanging out to dry. And, on the game-winning goal by Kevin Fiala, Erik Karlsson simply got walked near the net front. 

Prior to these last several games, the Penguins were generally limiting these Grade-A looks, even when momentum started swinging the other way. And they were scoring with more frequency, too, which isn't surprising given some of the names they're missing from the lineup right now. 

All that said, there's not reason to panic quite yet. Again, the Penguins are largely controlling play, they've been getting contributions from up and down their lineup, and the general process is much better. There is buy-in from both the team and the coaching staff, and that has shown itself on the ice. 

These next two games in Stockholm, Sweden are big ones for the Penguins, and they represent an opportunity to get back on track and get closer to full health. As long as they simplify and hone the defensive details of their game, they should still be in pretty good shape moving forward. 

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.

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The Florida Panthers wrapped up their latest road trip on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Fortunately for the Panthers, they played a third straight solid game, taking down the host Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 at T-Mobile Arena.

An evenly matched first period finally saw someone break through, and it was Florida that got the job done.

Moments after Mackie Samoskevich set up Jeff Petry with a grade-A chance coming down from the point, the puck found its way around to Donovan Sebrango.

The young blueliner quickly fed Jesper Boqvist in the high slot, and his one-timer went off the past Carl Lindbom and into the net, giving the Cats a 1-0 lead with 5:13 left in the opening period.

Boqvist made sure that the puck was picked up for Sebrango, as his primary assist was his first NHL point.

Florida’s penalty kill came up big midway through the game after the Panthers were forced to kill 1:10 of 5-on-3 time after back-to-back penalties by defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Niko Mikkola.

A few minutes later, and moments after Sergei Bobrovsky robbed Ivan Barbashev at the side of the net with a great sliding save, Brad Marchand flew down the left wing, cut to the middle of the ice and backhanded a shot over Lindbom’s glove to double Florida’s lead.

Once the third period began, it took the Golden Knights only 85 seconds to get on the board as Tomas Hertl beat Sergei Bobrovsky from the bottom of the left circle to end Bob’s big at consecutive shutouts against Vegas.

Less than four minutes later, Florida cashed in with a power play goal to restore their two-goal advantage.

Sam Reinhart scored his eighth of the season, deflecting a Seth Jones shot along the ice past Lindbom’s right pad to give the Panthers a 3-1 lead at the 4:54 mark.

Almost exactly five minutes after that, Barbashev’s shot deflected off Reinahrt’s stick as he tried blocking the puck, and it went just under the crossbar to bring the home team back within one.

That’s as close as they would get, thanks to some strong Panthers defending and a few high end saves by Bobrovsky.

Florida’s next game is at home, on Thursday against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

On to the Caps.

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Photo caption: Nov 10, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Florida Panthers center Jesper Boqvist (70) celebrates with defenseman Jeff Petry (2) and defenseman Donovan Sebrango (6) after scoring a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

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

On Monday, the Pittsburgh Penguins' AHL affiliate inked goaltender Jaxon Castor to a paid tryout (PTO) contract.

Castor, 28, has spent parts of the last three seasons in the Penguins' organization. He started with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL in 2023-24, when he appeared in 16 games and went 10-4-1 with a 2.71 goals-against average and an .899 save percentage. He returned to Wheeling in 14 appearances last season and struggled a bit, putting up a 3.65 goals-against average and an .872 save percentage.

He appeared in just one game for WBS last season and is back in Wheeling this season, where he's played two games and has a 2.38 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.

A product of the USHL program, Castor spent four seasons with St. Cloud State from 2019-23 before ending the 2022-23 season with the Florida Everblades.

Castor's PTO could be an indication that the Pittsburgh Penguins took one of Filip Larsson, Taylor Gauthier, or Maxim Pavlenko with them to Stockholm, Sweden for the NHL's Global Series, which will come in the form of Friday and Sunday matchups against the Nashville Predators at Avicii Arena in Stockholm.

Pittsburgh and Nashville can carry three goaltenders on the trip, so it's likely that the Penguins took one of the other three goaltenders with them. No official announcement has yet been made by the team. 

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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Nov 10, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Nashville Predators right wing Matthew Wood (71) celebrates his goal against the New York Rangers with center Jonathan Marchessault (81) and defenseman Brady Skjei (76) and center Steven Stamkos (91) and left wing Michael Bunting (58) during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Nashville Predators were hoping the long flight to Sweden following Monday's game in New York against the Rangers would be a victorious one.

The Rangers' offense, which had struggled most of the season, found new life against the Preds, who dropped their fifth straight in a 6-3 defeat at Madison Square Garden.

“It’s a little disappointing,” Preds head coach Andrew Brunette told reporters. “I thought the start of the second period kind of dictated the rest of the game. I thought we had a pretty good first…a couple little mistakes on the second goal. I liked the start of that first shift, and then [we] did a strange thing that we shouldn't be doing, and then took a penalty, and then started chasing the game a little bit."

Mika Zibanejad, Vladislav Gavrikov, Alex Lafreniere, Artemi Panarin (2) and Will Cuylle had goals for the Rangers.

Matthew Wood provided the only offense for Nashville, getting his first career hat trick. He also leads the team with four power-play points after his first goal of the night came on the man advantage.

Juuse Saros stopped seven of 12 shots before giving way to Justus Annunen to start the third period. Annunen saved five of the six shots he faced. Igor Shesterkin stopped 26 of 29 shots in net for the Rangers.

After Wood's first goal tied the game 1-1 at 16:16 of the opening period, the Rangers scored four unanswered goals before Wood lit the lamp a second time. Panarin's second goal of the night pushed the lead to 6-2 before Wood's hat trick finished off the night with a 6-3 final.

Here are three takeaways from the game.

Juuse Saros can’t do it alone

There’s little debate that Juuse Saros is an above-average goaltender. He is tied for the second-most starts (13) in the NHL this season and has faced the second-most shots against (386). He’s also tied for the most saves in the NHL this season (348).

He’s not perfect, by any means. Lafreniere’s power-play goal that made it 3-1 went just under Saros’s pad. He got over a little late on Panarin’s goal that increased the lead to 4-1, but he also had too much traffic in front of the net and was tied up with Vincent Trochek and Nick Blankenburg on the play.

The Preds’ defense giving up breakaways like the one that allowed Zibanejad to score the Blueshirts’ first goal and a mental lapse by Adam Wilsby making a line change at the wrong time on another once again plagued the Predators.

Saros was pulled in favor of Annunen at the start of the third period, after the Rangers scored three goals for a 5-1 lead after 40 minutes. With little support from both his defense and offense, it was probably the best thing for him.

Matthew Wood tried to light a fire.

Nashville's offense looks lost.

Correction: Nashville's offense looks lost, except for Matthew Wood.

The 20-year-old rookie continues to do his best to carry the team on his back. His hat trick was the lone bright spot and were the only three goals the Preds could manage.

“I think [I’m just trying] to build confidence and go out there and give my best effort every night and try to have fun,” Wood said. “It's the NHL, so this is every kid's dream. Just try to not take any day for granted."

FIRST CAREER HATTY FOR MATTHEW WOOD! 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/VShUQRVxZR

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) November 11, 2025

Slow starts by the Preds are nothing new; they came into Monday 0-3-1 when trailing after the first period. They've had uninspiring games in stretches, but haven't had a real blowout. Monday definitely felt like one.

Matthew Wood was the exception. Like Saros, however, he can't be the only one counted on to win games.

The second period was particularly ugly; there were only eight shots taken between the two teams in the frame, with four apiece.

Wood's last name is often referred to when starting a fire; if only he could do that to an anemic Preds offense.

The Preds couldn’t take advantage of a struggling opponent.

The Rangers have stumbled out of the gate under new head coach Mike Sullivan. While they boast the best road record in the NHL (7-1-1), they came into Monday without a win at home (0-6-1). They’ve also been shut out five times at Madison Square Garden, including a 5-0 loss to their biggest rival, the New York Islanders.

The Rangers’ offense was 31st in the NHL prior to the game, just behind the Preds, who were 30th. They were averaging 2.19 goals for compared to Nashville’s 2.53.

Not exactly juggernaut numbers by either team. Somebody was due, and the Rangers were the ones who took advantage of the Preds' struggles.

A victory against the Rangers wouldn't have guaranteed a sudden turnaround, but it could have been a spark.

“It was frustrating, for sure,” Preds defenseman Brady Skjei said. “I think we just didn't come out right away and get to our game. We got there, but it was too late."

Now, the Preds are off to Stockholm, Sweden, for the 2025 NHL Global Series against the Pittsburgh Penguins for two games Friday and Sunday. The Penguins have dropped three of their last four games. It'll be a long flight, and a long weekend if the Preds can't come away with at least a split.

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NEWARK, NJ -- After blowing a 2-1 lead with just 4.7 seconds left in the third period, the New York Islanders came away victorious in overtime for the 3-2 win. 

Mathew Barzal scored the game-winning goal at 1:17 of overtime, after a goegous give-and-go with Jonathan Drouin before he beat Devils' netminder Jacob Markstrom glove side:

Barzal. 180 feet of two-way overtime hockey. 🚨🚨🚨 #Isles

Holy smokes was that fast. 🚀 pic.twitter.com/NFRAXX07Br

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) November 11, 2025

Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 of 35 for a win and has been electric over his last two starts. He stopped all 33 shots he faced in the Islanders' 5-0 win against the New York Rangers on Saturday. 

Here's how the game unfolded: 

It was a rocky start for the Islanders at The Rock, as just 38 seconds into the game, they found themselves on the penalty kill for having too many men on the ice. 

The penalty kill was going pretty well before Timo Meier rifled one low glove side, as he was left unguarded from the slot at 2:12 of the first:

Reeled one in early. #NJDevils | @Mikes_Amazingpic.twitter.com/IJdTCM47Fm

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 11, 2025

But, have no fear Islanders fans as Horvat is here -- seemingly every game. 

No. 14 continued his hot streak, beating Markstrom high blocker side at 6:55 of the second to tie the game at 1-1. 

Horvat heater continues 🔥🔥🔥

Team 🇨🇦??? pic.twitter.com/jt64EmkjjZ

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) November 11, 2025

Not only did that goal extend his point streak to six games (six goals, two assists), but that gave Horvat 12 goals over his last 13 games, an unprecedented heater for one of the best two-way forwards in the league. 

Kyle Palmieri scored on the power play with 2:53 to go in the third, with Horvat notching career assist No. 300 on the play. Mathew Schaefer, who recorded the primary assist, now has 12 points in 16 games to begin his NHL career:

FOR THE LEAD!#LGI | @fordpic.twitter.com/OEEL1o4p7a

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 11, 2025

But, as mentioned, the Islanders couldn't hold on. With the net empty, Simon Nemec's point shot went through three Islanders' bodies, glancing off Jean-Gabriel Pageau and past Sorokin to tie the game at 3-3 with 4.7 seconds to play in regulation:

4.7 SECONDS LEFT! pic.twitter.com/LPCmpDj5r6

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) November 11, 2025

The Islanders will now battle the Vegas Golden Knights and the Utah Mammoth on Thursday and Friday respectively, as they continue on with their seven-game road trip. 

NEW YORK (AP) — Mika Zibanejad scored to end a lengthy goal drought on home ice, Gabriel Perreault picked up his first NHL point and the New York Rangers used an offensive outburst to defeat the Nashville Predators 6-3 on Monday night for their first victory at Madison Square Garden this season.

Perreault assisted on Alexis Lafrenière’s goal a little over 24 hours after getting called up from Hartford of the American Hockey League. Artemi Panarin had two goals and Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Cuylle also scored, while Lafrenière had three points.

The Rangers matched their entire goal production from their first seven home games, when they were 0-6-1 and got outscored 23-6 before facing struggling Nashville. Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves, including a blocker stop when he didn’t have a stick early in the third period.

Juuse Saros got pulled at the second intermission after allowing five goals on just 12 shots, with backup Justus Annunen finishing it out in net. Despite Matthew Wood’s first career hat trick, which doubled his goal total in the league, the Predators lost a fifth consecutive game and for the eighth time in their past nine.

Zibanejad’s goal on a semi-breakaway off a perfect pass from defenseman Adam Fox midway through the first was New York’s first at MSG in 141:27, dating to Oct. 23 against San Jose, two home shutout losses ago.

Gavrikov scored his second with his new team with 1:53 left in the first to restore the lead after Wood tied it on the power play minutes earlier. Playing for the first time since Oct. 9 after missing the past month with an undisclosed upper-body injury, center Vincent Trocheck had the primary assist.

Up next

Predators: Travel to Sweden to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm on Friday and Sunday in the NHL’s Global Series event of the season.

Rangers: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night, looking to improve on their league-best 7-1-1 road start.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mathew Barzal scored in overtime, Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced and the New York Islanders bounced back from allowing the tying goal to Simon Nemec with 4.7 seconds left in regulation to beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Monday night.

Barzal scored 1:17 into 3-on-3 OT to get the win, not long after Nemec’s shot at 6 on 5 with Jacob Markstrom pulled for an extra attacker beat Sorokin to extend the game. Nemec’s goal was ruled good after officials spent a few minutes reviewing it.

Kyle Palmieri had put the Islanders ahead on the power play with just under three minutes left in the third period. Palmieri scored it off a rebound of a shot by No. 1 pick Matthew Schaefer who has become the favorite to win the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year.

Palmieri also assisted on Bo Horvat’s tying goal 6:55 into the second. The Devils had taken an early lead on Timo Meier’s power-play goal 2:12 in, and the Islanders did not have their first shot on net until past the nine-minute mark.

Sorokin could not be blamed on Meier’s goal after some tic-tac-toe passing, and he was screened on Nemec’s first of the season. He continued his stretch of strong play since getting some practice tips recently from coach Patrick Roy, himself a Hall of Fame goaltender.

Markstrom made 22 saves for New Jersey.

Up next

Islanders: Visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night to open a three-game Western Conference road trip.

Devils: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night to begin a stretch of five consecutive games away from home.

The Colorado Avalanche have started the season on a tear, breaking franchise records seemingly every game. That’s the result of an offense as explosive as Colorado’s—relentless, fast, and skillful. At the heart of it all is Nathan MacKinnon, setting the pace and leading the charge, steadily etching his name deeper into Avalanche history. 

On Sunday, MacKinnon notched a five-point night, including two goals, and in the process surpassed Peter Šťastný for third place on the Avalanche’s all-time goals list with his 381st career goal. 

Maritime Hockey (@HockeyMaritime) on XWhat a performance from Nathan MacKinnon as he had two goals and five points in the Colorado Avalanche's 5-4 OT win against the Vancouver Canucks. The 2013 first overall pick currently leads the league in both goals (14) and points (29). #GoAvsGo

There is no shortage of superlatives to describe Nathan MacKinnon, yet even we’re beginning to exhaust the vocabulary. Entering the weekend, MacKinnon sat just behind young sensations Macklin Celebrini, 19, and Connor Bedard, 20, in the NHL scoring race. The 30-year-old’s response? A figurative “Watch this.” 

Nate Dogg Is Hungry 

Across back-to-back games against the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks, MacKinnon delivered a masterclass, piling up four goals and five assists for nine points. Colorado dismantled Edmonton in a 9–1 rout, then outlasted Vancouver 5–4 in an overtime thriller—each night punctuated by MacKinnon’s unmistakable imprint on the ice. 

Just when you thought the kids were pulling away, MacKinnon—carrying a noticeable chip—took a very on-brand chip out of Celebrini and Bedard’s early scoring cushion. If the NHL adopted a tradition from Major League Baseball, MacKinnon is in contention for the hockey Triple Crown. He leads in goals (14) and points (29). However, his 15 assists are technically tied for sixth best in the NHL, as Evgeni Malkin leads the way with 18 assists, Connor McDavid is in 2nd with 17, while three players, including Cale Makar are tied with 16 assists before we find MacKinnon with 15. 

When you add it all up, MacKinnon is on track for a career-best season—an impressive feat considering he tallied 140 points in 2023–24, with 51 goals and 89 assists while playing all 82 games for the fourth time in his career. Though the season is still young, he’s pacing for 72 goals and 77 assists, totaling a staggering 149 points. For comparison, last year’s Art Ross and Ted Lindsay winner, Nikita Kucherov of Tampa Bay, finished with 121 points, but MacKinnon is showing early that he could go even further. Could we be looking at a sweep of the Art Ross, Ted Lindsay, and Hart Memorial trophies? The ceiling is sky-high for Nathan MacKinnon, but it’s just as high for the rest of his teammates. 

The Avs Are a Scary Bunch 

What makes the Avalanche even more intimidating, however, is their depth. It’s one thing to marvel at the offensive exploits of the Oilers, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl typically posting astronomical numbers as a duo, but Edmonton is top-heavy. They can deliver some big bombs, sure, but they also leave plenty of openings for opponents to exploit—evidenced by their eight-goal loss on home ice just a few nights ago to this team, and back-to-back defeats in the Stanley Cup Finals the last two seasons. 

Colorado is utterly stacked from top to bottom. You have two players in MacKinnon and Makar who are the best in their position. Forget the term arguably. It’s not even close right now. These two are the very best in their position and Martin Nečas, fresh off that eight-year, $92 million contract extension, give him a few years and maybe he’ll be in the conversation as the best winger in the NHL, but time will tell. And then you have to account for the rest of the team. 

2022 Vibes? 

15 different Avalanche players have found the back of the net so far this season, combining for a total of 64 goals. For context, the next closest team, the Montreal Canadiens, also have 15 goal scorers, but they’ve managed only 57 goals—showing that Colorado is not just spreading the scoring around, but also getting more production out of each individual through 16 games. 

And of course, it certainly doesn’t hurt to have the Nate Dogg himself driving the puck up the ice like a man possessed and snapping goals and setting up plays from every angle imaginable. But when I look at this team, there’s a lot of similarities to the 2022 Cup team.  

d (@avsinseider) on Xno championship win will ever hit as hard as the 2022 colorado avalanche winning the stanley cup. just goosebumps every single time i think about it

There’s that chemistry, the deep camaraderie, the genuine respect for one another, and a shared goal of becoming champions again. For many on this team, it would be their first taste of a championship, and for Brent Burns, a chance to cap his career at the very pinnacle. 

MacKinnon Triple Crown Bound? 

For Nathan MacKinnon, what could be more emblematic of supremacy than claiming the NHL Triple Crown? Only five players in league history have accomplished this rare feat: Howie Lorenz, Gordie Howe, Phil Esposito, Wayne Gretzky—who astonishingly achieved it seven times—and Mario Lemieux, who managed it twice. Even more remarkable, however, is that Gretzky alone paired the Triple Crown with a Stanley Cup victory in the same season, doing so three times in 1984, 1985, and 1987. In 1988, while Gretzky captured his final Cup with the Oilers, Lemieux captured his first Triple Crown that season, though the Pittsburgh Penguins somehow failed to make the playoffs despite his historical individual campaign. 

But if MacKinnon can capture the Triple Crown, he’d be the first to do it in more than 33 years. And if the Avalanche capture the Cup this season, MacKinnon will enter hockey immortality. 

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The Carolina Hurricanes’ 6-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday was a special game for two rookies. 

Both Charles-Alexis Legault and Joel Nystrom picked up their first NHL points. 

Legault recorded one goal and one assist, while Nystrom had an assist on the night, marking a memorable night for the two young players.

“You dream of scoring one since you've been a kid, so being able to get one tonight is a great feeling,” Legault said.

“Today, I got my first point, and I'm real happy for that,” Nystrom said.

Former Chicago Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban is taking his talents overseas.

HC Dynamo of the Czech Extraliga has announced that they have signed Subban for the rest of the 2025-26 season. 

Subban spent all of this past season at the American Hockey League (AHL) level with the Belleville Senators. In 24 games with Belleville, the former Blackhawk posted an 11-6-4 record, a .883 save percentage, and a 3.13 goals-against average. Now, with this latest move, Subban is continuing his career with HC Dynamo.

Subban spent two seasons with the Blackhawks from 2019-20 to 2020-21. In 17 games as a member of the Blackhawks over that span, he posted a 6-8-1 record, a .900 save percentage, and a 3.20 goals-against average.

Subban's time with the Blackhawks ended in December 2021 when he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for future considerations. From there, he had stops with the Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets, with his most recent NHL appearance coming during the 2023-24 season. 

Former Buffalo Sabres goaltender Malcolm Subban is on the move, as he has signed a one-year contract with HC Dynamo of the Czech Extraliga. 

Subban was acquired by the Sabres during the 2021-22 season from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations. He played four games with the Sabres during that season, where he posted a 0-2-1 record, a .871 save percentage, and a 4.85 goals-against average. 

Subban also spent the 2022-23 season with the Sabres' American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In 39 games with Rochester that campaign, he recorded a 20-14-5 record, a .903 save percentage, a 2.94 goals-against average, and two shutouts. This would be Subban's final season with the Sabres organization.

Following his time with the Sabres, Subban made appearances with the Springfield Thunderbirds, Cleveland Monsters, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Belleville Senators. Now, he is set to play for his first international team by signing with HC Dynamo, where he should be a nice part of their roster. 

Former Buffalo Sabres forward Casey Mittelstadt is going to miss some time, as Boston Bruins head coach Marco Sturm shared that he is going to be out week-to-week due to a lower-body injury. 

With Mittelstadt being one of the Bruins' top forwards, they are undoubtedly going to miss him while he is sidelined. Based on Sturm's update, the former Sabre will be missing a decent amount of time, too, as he is considered week-to-week. 

Mittelstadt has recorded four goals, five assists, and nine points in 15 games this season with the Bruins. This was after he posted 15 goals, 25 assists, 40 points, and a minus-29 rating in 81 games split between the Colorado Avalanche and Bruins this past season.

Mittelstadt was selected by the Sabres with the eighth-overall pick of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. In 339 games over seven seasons with the Sabres from 2017-18 to 2023-24, he posted 62 goals, 124 assists, and 186 points. This included him scoring 15 goals and setting career highs with 44 assists and 59 points during the 2022-23 season with Buffalo.

Mittelstadt's time with the Sabres ended when he was traded to the Avalanche during the 2023-24 season in exchange for defenseman Bowen Byram. 

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It's been three games and three losses for the Detroit Red Wings, who disappointed on Sunday afternoon in front of a sold-out Little Caesars Arena crowd against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

Not only did the Red Wings once again not convert on multiple scoring opportunities, but they badly lost the special teams battle. The Blackhawks scored on all three power-play opportunities, while the Red Wings failed to do so on all five of their chances. 

Perhaps the biggest turning point of the afternoon was when the Red Wings barely generated any sustained offensive zone pressure during a four-minute power-play chance near the end of the game's middle frame. 

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Not only has Detroit's power-play slipped to the middle of the pack in the NHL, but their penalty killing, which had been vastly improved in the early goings of the campaign, has now also begun to sputter. 

"A game ago, we got scored on once and it was a back-check and a sort out," head coach Todd McLellan said about the goals Detroit surrendered while shorthandedl. "That can't happen.  The first goal, we had a clearing opportunity with a two-on-one, and we didn't get it out." 

"The third power-play goal, a walkout from below the goal line, we have the tools to take care of that and we just didn't get it done," he continued. "Much like our game right now where our power-play is scrambling, our penalty kill needs a polish up." 

The Red Wings have now scored just two goals in their last three combined games, which included a shutout loss against the powerful Vegas Golden Knights in Sin City.

They had no shortage of opportunities on Sunday with a total of 45 shots, but many of them were from distance and unscreened that goaltender Arvid Soderblom had no trouble with. 

Is putting an emphasis on scoring the greasy, garbage-style goals in close proximity to the net the cure for what ails Detroit right now? 

"You'd like to think so, but it has to happen first and then we'll see," McLellan said. "We’ve always been a pretty good entry team, make the plays and score off them. Those chances we can create. It’s the grind time, it’s the cycle time, it’s the grunt time, if you want to put it that way, where you really gotta dig in. We need to be better in those areas.”

One notable lineup switch that the Red Wings made before Sunday's game was the NHL debut of 2023 first-round draft pick Nate Danielson, who likely would have made the roster out of Training Camp had it not been for an injury. 

Lineup Shuffles Fail To Spark Red Wings, Offense Scores Just Six Goals in Last Five GamesLineup shuffles can't solve Red Wings' scoring drought. Injuries and slumps plague the offense, leaving fans searching for answers beyond Dylan Larkin.

Will there be additional changes prior to Thursday's contest? Don't be surprised, according to McLellan. 

“There will be a lot of discussions over the next few days of what we do with the units,” McLellan said.

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