Category: Sports News

The Florida Panthers kicked off a four-game western swing on Tuesday night in Anaheim.

Much like their previous road trip, this one did not start well for Florida, as they fell behind early and ended up losing big, 7-3 to the Ducks.

It was the Ducks who got on the board first, and it was a rare breakaway against Florida that got the job done.

Leo Carlsson fed a streaking Cutter Gauthier who came in all alone on Sergei Bobrovsky and beat him with a quick wrist shot to give Anaheim a 1-0 lead just 3:09 into the game.

Florida tied things up midway through the period thanks to their veteran superstar Brad Marchand.

After serving a penalty for playing the puck with a broken stick, Marchand popped out of the box and almost immediately was found by Jeff Petry for his own breakaway opportunity.

Marchand corralled the puck, skated into the Ducks’ zone and fired the puck over the glove of Lukas Dostal to even the score midway through the period.

Gauthier scored again late in the frame, this time with Anaheim on the power play, to send the home team into the intermission with the lead.

Another breakaway goal, this time off the stick of Evan Rodrigues, knotted the game at two 5:21 into the second period.

Rodrigues went bar-down over Dostal’s glove after taking a great pass from Mackie Samoskevich to go in alone on the Ducks’ tendy.

The Cats took their first lead of the game about five minutes later, with Florida on the power play after Brad Marchand drew a holding penalty on Alex Killorn.

After Sam Bennett wrapped the puck around the boards behind the Ducks’ net, Rodrigues carried the puck out of the corner and toward the slot, threading a needle with a great feed to Eetu Luostarinen who beat a down and out Dostal to give Florida a 3-2 lead.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, it was a lead that was short lived.

With Anton Lundell in the penalty box for a retaliatory slash after taking an Olen Zellweger elbow to the face, Gauthier one-timed his way to his first career hat trick.

The Ducks scored again less than two minutes later when Nikita Nesterenko popped home a rebound off a Ryan Poehling shot that came off a rebound of a Killorn shot, sending Florida into the third period trailing 4-3.

Rodrigues left the game for a stretch after taking a Leo Carlsson shoulder to the head that resulted in a five-minute major and game misconduct, but Florida was unable to capitalize on the ensuing power play.

Instead, it was Jacob Trouba slamming home a Gauthier rebound to give Anaheim a 5-3 lead with 8:17 to go and then Chris Kreider deflecting a Nesterenko shot to make it 6-3 less than two minutes later that acted as the final nails in the coffin, though a seventh goal less than 90 seconds after that off the stick of Jensen Harkins certainly didn’t help improve the vibes.

On to Los Angeles.

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Photo caption: Oct 28, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett (9) and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Olen Zellweger (51) battle for position in front of goaltender Lukas Dostal (1) during overtime at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

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Scoring goals hasn't been an issue for the Detroit Red Wings for the most part this season, but they came up short when they needed to on Tuesday evening in Las Vegas.

They suffered their first shutout loss of the season, a 1-0 final score against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. 

Back on home ice Friday night. pic.twitter.com/dIxmcldDZw

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 5, 2025

With the setback, the Red Wings concluded their five-game road trip with a 3-2 record and are now 9-5 through the first 14 games of the centennial campaign. 

The second period goal from Golden Knights forward Ivan Barbashev was the only puck that found the back of the net for the entire game, while goaltender Akira Schmid picked up just the second shutout of his career by denying all 24 shots the Red Wings fired his way. 

Goaltender John Gibson did all that he could for the Red Wings, stopping all but one of the 33 shots he faced. 

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The Red Wings killed off the only penalty they took, but were unsuccessful on both of their own power-play opportunities, including a key chance inside of ten minutes remaining in the game's final frame. 

The Red Wings also had an opportunity to knot the score late in regulation after a would-be second goal by the Golden Knights was called back because the intial play was ruled to be offsides. 

Red Wings' Todd McLellan Delivers Key Update on Patrick Kane’s Potential Return TimelineDetroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane has been unavailable since Oct. 17 when he was injured against the Tampa Bay Lightning, having now missed eight straight games.

It was also their ninth straight game without forward Patrick Kane, who hasn't played since Oct. 17 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. 

Detroit will return home for a Friday night tilt against the New York Rangers at Little Caesars Arena. 

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Well, it appears that word travels fast across hockey circles, and the rest of hockey is quickly learning that Pittsburgh Penguins' rookie center Ben Kindel is the real deal. 

His five goals in 12 games are tied for the most by a rookie in the NHL this season, which is impressive enough on its own. His hockey IQ and NHL-readiness is on full display, and it doesn't look like he's missed a beat at the highest level of hockey so far.

But there are some other numbers that are, perhaps, even more impressive than the raw stats. And they are surfacing in the analytics.

Kindel, 18, has been centering the Penguins' third line between Tommy Novak and Ville Koivunen. And they are putting up some very impressive numbers.

In Monday's heartbreaking 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Penguins utterly dominated the first 40 minutes of play - and Kindel's line was a huge part of that. In fact, they were a gargantuan part of that. 

According to Moneypuck, Kindel's line controlled 95.5 percent of the expected goals share. This followed a performance against the Minnesota Wild Thursday in which they controlled 91 percent of the expected goals share. 

I beg your finest freaking pardon...?? pic.twitter.com/NaQbxhWshh

— Kelsey Surmacz (@kelsey_surmacz4) November 4, 2025

Simply put, Kindel and his line are controlling large portions of play five-on-five. And this is happening with an 18-year-old rookie center who is playing well above his age. 

It will be interesting to see how this line continues to fare during the upcoming schedule. But, for now, the Penguins would be wise not to mess with a single thing they're doing. 

Penguins Call Up 3 Players & Announce Several Roster MovesThe Pittsburgh Penguins have made a series of roster moves.

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Monday night, the Nashville Predators lost in the final second of overtime to the Vancouver Canucks.

Just 24 hours later, they found a bit of late-game magic of their own in regulation against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino arena in St. Paul.

Steven Stamkos, who hadn't scored a point in 10 games, came up with his biggest point of the season thus far to send the game into overtime. It looked as if Lady Luck was about to smile on the Preds for a change.

Alas, overtime dealt another frustrating blow to the Predators. Marcus Johansson was credited with a goal at 3:38 of bonus time, even though the puck never actually went in the net.

Preds goalie Justus Annunen knocked the net off its moorings, and the officials determined that it was intentional, therefore awarding the goal to Johansson in a 3-2 victory for the Wild.

Preds head coach Andrew Brunette was unhappy at the ruling.

"The explanation was, in (the referee's opinion), it was a goal," Brunette told reporters. "I disagree with his opinion, but that's the way it is."

Kirill Kaprizov notched a power play goal to get the Wild on the scoreboard first at 10:44 of the opening period. Matthew Wood tied things up at 5:16 of the second period with his third goal in four games.

Zeev Buium put the Wild back ahead 2-1 at 16:01 of the middle frame on another power-play tally, after a feed from Brock Faber. Then came Stamkos's missile just as the clock ran out in regulation.

BUZZER BEATER STEVEN STAMKOS pic.twitter.com/XQ7giwhAEu

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) November 5, 2025

The Predators have yet to win a game in the overtime period. They've gotten two points in two nights, but it's tough to count the small victories when the bigger ones are just out of reach.

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

The Preds Set The Pace

Maybe it was the home gold sweaters the Preds wore to St. Paul. Maybe it was the frustration of letting Monday's game slip out of their grasp.

Whatever the reason, the Preds brought a lot of energy despite having played less than 24 hours earlier, then hopping a plane to St. Paul.

Three different Preds hit or grazed the post in the first period with nothing to show for it. Ozzy Wiesblatt just missed getting his first career NHL goal in his 17th game when he clanged one on a penalty kill. Steven Stamkos and Fedor Svechkov, still looking for his first goal of the season, also had shots ring off the post.

Even when Kaprizov put the Wild ahead 1-0, the Preds kept up the high energy into the middle frame. At one point, they held possession for over two minutes, firing shot after shot against Minnesota goalie Filip Gustavsson. Then, Wood worked his magic to tie things up 1-1.

WOOODYYYY pic.twitter.com/hYxSn0KCvY

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) November 5, 2025

As the Preds know all too painfully well, it only takes one shot to score a goal. Buium's tally put Minnesota ahead 2-1. It looked as if the Preds would see another regulation loss despite outplaying their opponent until Stamkos broke his dry spell and caused a temporary celebration for the Preds.

Annunen, who stopped 22 of 24 shots, had knocked the net off earlier in the game. In overtime, it cost him and the Preds a win.

Matthew Wood Is Finding His Groove

If there was one player one might have guessed would inject some life into the Predators once he returned to the lineup, it would be Matthew Wood.

The 20-year-old winger found the net again Tuesday, his third goal in four games. He also had a couple other chances in the game.

It had to feel good for Wood to score in the state where he played his collegiate hockey. The Preds’ first-round draft choice in 2023 played his final college season at the University of Minnesota, totaling career highs in goals (17) and points (39) in 39 games for the Golden Gophers.

Wood looks confident in his own skin, buzzing around the puck and being aggressive. On Tuesday, he took four shots on goal in 12:07 of ice time with a +1 rating.

How long he can keep this pace up is anybody’s guess. The NHL is full of ebbs and flows, and he will have down periods. Right now, though, he’s feeling it. He needs to bottle up some of that net magic and pass it around to some of his teammates.

The Penalty Kill Has Come Back To Earth

As important as offense and defense are in any game, it's often the third phase that makes the difference.

Special teams played a crucial part in Tuesday's Preds loss, particularly the penalty kill, which had been humming along nicely all season.

Coming into the Minnesota game, the Predators’ penalty kill ranked sixth in the NHL at 84.8 percent and had killed off 29 of the past 35 power plays they have faced.

It was bound to come back down to earth at some point. Over the last two games, the PK has given up multiple goals in each.

Kaprizov scored the Wild’s first goal on a power play after Annunen was screened on the play. Buim’s goal also was on a Wild power play at 16:01 of the second.

For the night, the PK went 1-for-3. To be fair, the Wild power play was no slouch. It ranked fifth in the NHL at 29.4% (15-for-51).

The Preds’ power play, which had two goals for the first time all season Monday, had several great looks against the Wild, but could not convert on its two opportunities.

The penalty kill has been the most consistent phase of the Preds’ game all season. It’s unrealistic to think it will be perfect every night, but it needs to stay hot for the team to have a chance over the course of the season, especially in close games.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins made a flurry of moves Tuesday, sending young blueliner Owen Pickering back to the AHL, placing three others on injured reserve, and recalling two veterans and top goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov from the AHL.

But that's not the only roster decision they will have to make in the coming days. 

Defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke played in his ninth NHL game Monday in a gut-wrenching 4-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and that means he has reached the first benchmark as far as his contract status.

Should Brunicke play in another NHL game this season, his three-year entry-level contract would kick in this season - as is the case with 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel, who already reached that point and played in his 12th NHL game Monday. The Penguins also have the option to re-assign him to his junior team, the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL.

Last week, we did detail a third option, which would involve the Penguins taking advantage of a loophole by sending the 19-year-old Brunicke to the AHL for a five-game- or 14-day-maximum conditioning stint after being scratched for five consecutive NHL games. While this is certainly still an option, with Brunicke reaching his ninth game, it's probably not as likely at this point.

So, that brings us to the million-dollar question: What should the Penguins do with Brunicke?

In all honesty, this is a really tough call for the Penguins. 

What Will The Penguins Do With Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke?On Thursday, it was confirmed by <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' head coach Dan Muse that 18-year-old center <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/penguins-top-prospect-ben-kindel-to-remain-in-pittsburgh">Ben Kindel will remain in the NHL through his 10th game</a>, meaning the first year of his three-year entry-level contract will kick in.&nbsp;

On one hand, the young rookie blueliner - just like most teenage defensemen at the NHL level - has seen his fair share of struggles in his first nine NHL games. After a pretty strong start to the season, Brunicke's play has faded in recent games, even if those games have been sparse because he was scratched in four out of five contests prior playing against the Winnipeg Jets Saturday and Leafs Monday. 

He looks like he's simply trying to stay afloat in his own zone at times, and he has made some pretty consequential mistakes that have led to goals against. This happened twice in the St. Louis Blues game on Oct. 27, once in the Winnipeg game, and - sorta - once in the Leafs' game, even if the blame wasn't much on him for the last one. 

But, on the other hand, the flashes of potential have also been evident. His first NHL goal against the New York Islanders in the Penguins' second game of the season was a thing of beauty - and was the exact kind of play that fans should get accustomed to seeing from him, as he used his skating ability to join the rush and his strong offensive instincts to use the defenseman as a screen on his shot. 

GRAB THAT PUCK 🗣️

Harrison Brunicke has his first NHL goal! #NHLFaceOffpic.twitter.com/7WA4Nt57Ic

— NHL (@NHL) October 10, 2025

We've also seen Brunicke make some strong stick plays defensively, which is one of his strong suits. We've seen his ability to backcheck with his skating. We've seen him willing to stand up for his teammates and willing to both play a physical game and take contact to make plays.

And, honestly, Brunicke played quite well in his ninth game until the Leafs' fourth goal, and it hardly seems fair to single him out on that play when the entire team collapsed in the third period. 

Yes, his play has been uneven. Yes, the Penguins are winning hockey games, and they can't really afford to let him make too many mistakes at the expense of the team's success right now. Yes, he might not quite be ready for the NHL level on a regular basis right now.

That said, the best thing for Brunicke is to remain in Pittsburgh - at least, for now. 

'I'm Finding That Happy Medium': Rookie Defenseman Continues To Improve DefensivelyAnyone who has watched Pittsburgh Penguins' rookie defenseman Harrison Brunicke knows how gifted the 19-year-old is offensively.

For one, it's worth considering that the two biggest areas of growth that need to happen in Brunicke's game involve his reads in the defensive zone and his tendency to try to do too much. While there's no denying those things, there's also no denying his talent. Part of the issue with Brunicke is that he's been required to do too much at the junior level for so long because he's so much better than the vast majority of the competition down there - and that has probably lent to him developing that "junior habit" of doing it all himself.

He has already identified that as something he's actively working on. Even Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) head coach Kirk MacDonald said during prospect development camp in July that Brunicke was guilty of that in the first part of his 12-game AHL stint at the end of last season - but that, once he simplified his game, the growth was quick and exponential. 

As far as the defensive reads... how are those supposed to get better if he's playing against largely inferior competition on a nightly basis? Unfortunately, for most young defensemen - especially blueliners as young as Brunicke - they kind of need to be thrown to the wolves a bit in order to adjust to NHL speed. That adjustment is not something that's going to happen at the junior level.

It's been well-documented by the Penguins' staff that Brunicke is very coachable. And, not only that, he learns quickly and steeply. MacDonald said as much. So did Penguins' director of player development Tom Kostopoulos.

What Is The Best Developmental Path For Top Prospect Harrison Brunicke In 2025-26?For 19-year-old <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke, it is only a matter of time.&nbsp;

Brunicke is a cerebral player, and he has a track record of being able to apply his "learning moments" in a relatively expeditious fashion. Perhaps that hasn't quite happened yet to the extent that many want to see, but it will happen. 

Of course, if he does stay, there has to be a balance struck between that in-game learning curve and managing his appearances in the lineup. Brunicke has never played a full season of hockey at the junior level, and he should not play in every game remaining this season for the Penguins.

Beyond just the workload portion of it, the organization will also need to weigh his confidence and be able to draw a line between letting him play out his mistakes and him losing his confidence because of those mistakes. I think we've already seen Brunicke unsure of himself at times over these last several appearances, and it's important to manage expectations in that sense. 

And that's something that is definitely within their power - and their ability - to accomplish with Brunicke still on the NHL roster. More important than anything, perhaps, too, is that sticking around this season will afford him the opportunity to learn from two likely future Hall-of-Fame defensemen on the right side in Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang, and he will also have more time to work with a coaching staff that specializes in development.

Brunicke has potential to be a future top-pairing defenseman for the Penguins, and he is their best prospect at the position. They can't afford to get it wrong with his development, and - in a perfect world - he would be able to spend the entire 2025-26 season developing at the AHL level. 

However, this isn't a perfect world. And Brunicke is far from a perfect defenseman at this point. But if the Penguins are truly committed to development and doing what is best for their very best young talent, they should take the opportunity to continue working with Brunicke for as long as they possibly can this season. 

Lend him to Team Canada for World Juniors in December. Send him back to the WHL by the 40-game mark if there appears to be no growth or improvement in his game. But, for now, the best thing is for him to remain in Pittsburgh and learn from the very best.

Penguins Call Up 3 Players & Announce Several Roster MovesThe Pittsburgh Penguins have made a series of roster moves.

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Nikita Grebenkin didn't get the revenge game he might have wanted when the Philadelphia Flyers lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs this weekend, but opportunity knocked twice when the Flyers played the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

Grebenkin, 22, made the play the Flyers absolutely needed from him, and did so as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

The affable Russian forward prospect helped the Flyers survive the Canadiens on Tuesday night after blowing a 3-0 lead, getting the Flyers back even at 4-4 midway through the third period.

After Jamie Drysdale retrieved a puck in the neutral zone and evaded pressure with an outlet pass to Travis Konecny, Grebenkin picked up a short-distance pass, cut across the faces of multiple Canadiens defenders, and lasered a shot past goalie Sam Montembeault, who found himself sliding in the complete opposite direction.

Grebenkin finished the game with just 9:41 of ice time, but for the second time in three games, he's made a key impact.

NIKITA GREBENKIN!!! FIRST NHL GOAL.#LetsGoFlyerspic.twitter.com/mwn5QqpVVs

— Flyers Clips (@Flyers_Clips) November 5, 2025

On Saturday against his old Maple Leafs, Grebenkin directly set up the Flyers' only even-strength goal of the contest with his crafty pass to Christian Dvorak.

The Flyers blew a 1-0 lead then, too, and lost that one, but they can thank Grebenkin and the Maple Leafs for Tuesday night's eventual 5-4 shootout win over the Canadiens.

Grebenkin was on the case and stepped up as a young player when his team needed him the most, and that should only further endear him to head coach Rick Tocchet as he begins to adapt more and more to the NHL game.

With his first NHL goal, Grebenkin is now up to a solid goal, two assists, and three points in nine games with the Flyers this season.

The former fifth-round pick hadn't even been a lineup staple to this point, but Flyers fans love the kid and want to see him play. Now, he's starting to back it up.

Flyers Trade Acquisition Already Feasting in New EnvironmentThe Philadelphia Flyers may have found themselves yet another steal with new defenseman Christian Kyrou.

As for the rest of the game, Bobby Brink scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season to give the Flyers 1-0 and 3-0 leads, respectively, with his two tallies abbreviated by Cam York's first tuck of the season.

Budding superstar Trevor Zegras aided Brink's power play goal and York's goal, then sealed the deal with his shootout winner to secure the comeback 5-4 win.

Zegras, 24, is now up to four goals, 11 assists, and 15 points in 13 games this season, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to imagine where the Flyers would be without him.

Fortunately, with his (and Grebenkin's) contributions, the Flyers are now 7-5-1 and occupy the last wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference behind, ironically, the Maple Leafs.