The Detroit Red Wings have seen it all through 100 years of history in the National Hockey League, and have delivered multiple cherished memories for their legions of fans across the world.
Unfortunately, their Home Opener on Thursday evening was not a moment that they'll want to remember.
The Montreal Canadiens took the life out of the sold-out Little Caesars Arena by scoring five unanswered goals as part of a 5-1 victory, dropping the Red Wings to an 0-1 record in the first of 82 games.
After team captain Dylan Larkin buried an early power-play goal, the Canadiens took advantage of multiple defensive miscues by the Red Wings, scoring three goals in the first period, including a back-breaker with just six seconds left in the opening frame to extend their lead to 3-1.
Another quick two goals in the second period spelled the end of the night for goaltender John Gibson, who was pulled in his Red Wings debut after allowing five goals on 13 shots against. For the second consecutive Home Opener, Cam Talbot was forced into action from the bench.
Gibson made a pair of spectacular saves in the first period during a Canadiens power-play chance, but was largely left unsupported by his teammates, particularly on Montreal's first and second goals, both of which were the result of broken defensive coverage.
It was also a particularly forgettable Red Wings debut for defenseman Travis Hamonic, who finished with a team-worst -3 rating.
He was eventually moved from his initial pairing with Albert Johansson and paired with Ben Chiarot, while Johansson was moved to playing alongside Moritz Seider.
"Super Honored": Emmitt Finnie Grateful For Opportunity With Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are set to begin their centennial campaign with a matchup on Thursday evening against the historic Original Six rival Montreal Canadiens, and while this campaign will be all about the franchise celebrating a full century in Motor City, there are several youngsters being introduced into the institution that is Red Wings hockey.
The Red Wings are now 0-1 in divisional play, and will be particularly frustrated at how quickly things unraveled against a team that they're expected to battle with for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Next up are the Toronto Maple Leafs, who began their own schedule with a 5-2 victory over the Canadiens on Wednesday.
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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Justin Brazeau beat Ilya Sorokin on a breakaway with 5:39 left to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins past the New York Islanders 4-3 on Thursday night.
Brazeau collected a lead pass from Evgeni Malkin, then deked his way by a sprawled Sorokin as the Penguins won for the second time in as many games under first-year coach Dan Muse.
Malkin finished with a goal and two assists, while Sidney Crosby added a goal and an assist.
Crosby’s second-period tally from one knee at the top of the crease gave him 626 goals in his career, broke a tie with Hall of Famers Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic, and moved Crosby into 16th-place by himself on the NHL’s career list.
Pittsburgh rookie Harrison Brunicke became the first South African to score in the NHL when he beat Sorokin between the legs in the second period. Tristan Jarry finished with 34 saves, including a couple of key stops in the frantic final seconds.
Jonathan Drouin, Kyle Palmieri, and rookie Max Shabanov scored for the Islanders. Sorokin stopped 24 shots.
Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, the top overall pick in this year’s draft, picked up the first point of his career when the 18-year-old set up a knuckler from the slot by Drouin just past the midway point of the opening period.
Schaefer, who had around 30 friends and family in the stands, played 17:15 while becoming the second youngest defenseman to make his NHL debut in the last 70 years. Schaefer hardly looked out of place and showcased his dazzling speed on a handful of occasions while racing through the neutral zone to jump into the play.
Up next
Islanders: Host Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in their home opener on Saturday.
Penguins: Welcome former coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers on Saturday.
Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby continues to surpass NHL all-time greats and chase records by the day.
And he tied yet another all-time great on yet another all-time list on Thursday.
With his assist on Evgeni Malkin's first-period power play goal against the New York Islanders, Crosby tied Detroit Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman for ninth on the NHL's all-time assists list with 1,063. Next up for Crosby would be Adam Oates at 1,079.
Crosby, 38, is also approaching another big record this season, as he is just 34 points shy of tying franchise legend Mario Lemieux for the Penguins' all-time lead in points at 1,723.
The longtime Penguins' captain already tied Yzerman for another NHL record this season, as Crosby became the longest-tenured captain in NHL history at 19 years.
Dodgers players celebrate with Andy Pages, center, after his bases-loaded dribbler to the mound resulted in a throwing error that allowed the Dodgers to complete a 2-1 walk-off win over the Philadelphia Phillies in 11 innings in Game 4 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Orion Kerkering fielded it — then threw away the Philadelphia Phillies’ season.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, that’s how the Dodgers secured a 2-1 walk-off win. On a throwing error from Kerkering. On a ball that went sailing to the backstop to allow Hyeseong Kim to score. On a brutal, confounding decision from the Phillies reliever, that unleashed pandemonium inside Dodger Stadium.
The Dodgers won the series 3-1.
And Thursday’s finale became an instant classic.
In what started as a pitchers’ duel between two dominant starters, then morphed into a battle of the bullpens, the Dodgers prevailed with a rally in the 11th. They loaded the bases on singles from Tommy Edman and Max Muncy, then a two-out walk from Kiké Hernández.
Pages came to the plate next, and swung through a first-pitch sinker.
Then, however, came the shocking end.
Pages hit another sinker that dribbled in front of the mound. Kerkerking fielded it and — instead of getting what would have been an almost certain inning-ending out at first — inexplicably turned and threw to home instead.
The ball sailed on him. Catcher J.T. Realmuto couldn’t keep it from going to the backstop. Kim crossed the plate, then went back and stomped on it just to be certain.
Kerkerking bent over in immediate regret, as the Dodgers came pouring out of the dugout to mob Pages near first base.
Alex Call, front, celebrates with his Dodgers teammates after a 2-1 walk-off win over the Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS at Dodger Stadium on Thursday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“I thought he was gonna throw to first,” Pages said through an interpreter in an on-field interview. “But when I saw him throw home, I knew the game was over.”
All afternoon, the tension had been building at Chavez Ravine.
Through six innings, both Tyler Glasnow and Cristopher Sánchez had kept the opposing lineup off the board. In the seventh, both teams broke through with a run after getting relievers onto the mound. And from there, the drama only continued to build, as the clubs went back to trading zeros to force the game into extras.
Long before the end, there were star-worthy moments. Mookie Betts drew a bases-loaded walk off Phillies closer Jhoan Durán to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh. Roki Sasaki entered in the eighth for what became three perfect innings of relief, retiring all nine batters he faced.
By the end, it was almost easy to forget about the starting pitching performances that shaped such a quintessential, low-scoring, nerve-wracking October dog fight.
In his first start of the postseason, Glasnow pitched six scoreless in which he struck out eight batters, leaned heavily on a fastball that had extra life, and stranded all six runners who reached base against him.
Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow delivers against the Phillies in the fourth inning Thursday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
On the other side, Sánchez matched him step-for-step, flummoxing the Dodgers for the second time this series with six scoreless frames of his own to start the day.
Finally, in the seventh, both lineups found something.
The top half of the inning began with a major decision from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who elected to pull Glasnow after 83 pitches (for context, he had thrown 70 total pitches the previous 18 days) and with the bottom half of the Phillies order due up.
Emmet Sheehan took over, but immediately faced danger. J.T. Realmuto poked a leadoff single to center with a good piece of hitting on a two-strike slider. Then, Sheehan appeared to have gotten a double-play grounder from Max Kepler — only to miss Mookie Betts’ throw while covering first. The ball bounced into the camera well. Kepler advanced to second. The error would prove to be costly. Nick Castellanos roped a line drive just inside the third-base line in the next at-bat, doubling home Kepler to open the scoring.
Sheehan, however, settled down, limiting the damage there with an inning-ending strikeout of Trea Turner.
Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki celebrates after a strikeout in the ninth inning against the Phillies in Game 4 of the NLDS. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
And even in the face of their first deficit of the day, the Dodgers responded, knocking Sánchez out of the game with one out in the bottom of the seventh after an Alex Call walk and Hernández single.
In an aggressive move from a manager fighting to keep his team’s season alive, Phillies skipper Rob Thomson summoned the flame-throwing Durán for an eight-out save. But he would only get one before blowing the lead, walking Mookie Betts with the bases loaded later in the inning (following an Andy Pages grounder that moved the runners, and an intentional walk to Shohei Ohtani).
From there, the game lay in the hands of both teams’ bullpens.
Sasaki retired all nine batters he faced from the eighth to the 10th. The Phillies also posted three-straight zeros, thanks to some help from what was their projected Game 5 starter, Jesús Luzardo. Alex Vesia stranded a Phillies runner at second in the 11th by striking out Harrison Bader in a 10-pitch at-bat.
Finally, the Dodgers built a rally in the bottom of the 11th.
Edman hit a one-out single off Luzardo, and was replaced by Kim as a pinch-runner. Muncy also singled two batters later, allowing Kim to speed all the way to third. With Hernández up, the Phillies summoned Kerkering for a right-on-right matchup. But after walking Hernández to load the bases, it all came down to Pages.
And, it turned out, a decision from Kerkering that ended the Phillies’ season, and it moved the Dodgers another step closer to a World Series title defense.
The Ottawa Senators opened the 2025–26 season on Thursday night with an impressive 5-4 comeback victory on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Senators rallied from deficits of 2-0 and 3-1, with Shane Pinto leading the charge. Pinto scored the equalizer in the second, the go-ahead goal in the third, and then his hard work along the boards set up a Claude Giroux empty-netter, which turned out to be the game-winner.
It was a fiery start to the season, as the teams combined for 36 penalty minutes and two fights in a chippy first period. Just over two minutes into the game, the heavyweights got involved in an old-school, staged fight. The teams’ new enforcers, Kurtis MacDermid and the towering 6-foot-9 Curtis Douglas. That scrap set the tone for what turned into a heated first period.
After a holding call on Dylan Cozens, Tampa Bay opened the scoring at the 5:35 mark with a power-play goal from Oliver Bjorkstrand. 85 seconds later, Brayden Point used Nikolas Matinpalo as a screen and snapped one past Linus Ullmark to make it 2–0.
Midway through the second, Ottawa got a power play of their own and capitalized. Cozens redeemed himself with a one-timer from the top of the circle that beat Andrei Vasilevskiy to cut the lead to 2–1.
However, another costly holding penalty—this time to David Perron—put the Senators back on the kill. Nikita Kucherov made them pay, dancing into the high slot and ripping a wrist shot past Ullmark to restore Tampa’s two-goal lead.
Early in the second, Artem Zub cut the lead again with a soft wrist shot from the blue line that fooled Vasilevskiy, going off the post, then off the back of the goalie and in. Fabian Zetterlund didn’t get a point on the play but provided a perfect screen in front.
Zub continued to show some offensive mojo with several more shots in the second period. He also set up Ottawa’s third goal with a long stretch pass to Shane Pinto, who broke in and beat Vasilevskiy five-hole to tie the game at 3.
The third was more of a chess match as the teams, at times, almost seemed content to ride the game in overtime. But Jake Sanderson had other ideas. He sprinted up the left wing, then cut hard and aggressively to the net. The rebound spilled out to Pinto who smacked in the rebound with 1:47 to go.
After Giroux's empty netter, the Lighting drew to within one on Kucherov's second goal with 14 seconds to play but Ottawa hung on to close it out for their first victory of the new season.
Pinto, Zub, and Brady Tkachuk each enjoyed three point nights. Sanderson had two assists and led all Senators in ice time (23:10) and a team-best plus 3. For those pining for more 5-on-5 goals, the Sens accommodated with 4. The Sens outshot the Lightning 34-25.
"Yeah, really great road game," Green told the media. "You know, the last two periods we checked well, created a lot of chances. Great way to start the year.
The Senators' next game is on Saturday night when they visit the Florida Panthers, the two-time Stanley Cup champions.
The Florida Panthers continued their season-opening homestand on Thursday night when they welcomed the Philadelphia Flyers to Sunrise.
Similarly to Opening Night, this game was a tightly contested matchup featuring the defending champion Panthers and a young Flyers squad looking to get their season off on the right foot.
Philly put up a good fight, but ultimately it was the Panthers skating off with a 2-1 victory on home ice.
Things started out with the Cats and Flyers skating to a scoreless opening period.
Despite each team being called for a pair of minor penalties, goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky for the Panthers and Dan Vladar for the Flyers stood tall, combining to stop all 19 shots the two teams put up.
The first power play of the second period went to Florida, and they made the Flyers pay.
Evan Rodrigues spotted Anton Lundell streaking down the slot and found him with a perfect pass, and Lundell quickly deposited the puck behind Vladar’s blocker to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead at the 5:29 mark.
About midway through the period, Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov left the ice in pain after appearing to miss on a hit, going into the boards in the neutral zone awkwardly.
He appeared to be clutching his right arm or wrist as he skated off and did not return to the game after that.
Philadelphia tied the game late in the middle frame right off a faceoff in Florida’s end of the ice.
Noah Cates won the draw and went straight to the net, popping home the rebound off a Tyson Forester shot to send the game into the third period knotted at one.
It didn’t take long once the final frame began for the Panthers to re-take the lead.
Brad Marchand skated to a loose puck along the half boards in the Flyers zone and quickly sent a wrist shot past a screened Vladar and into the top corner of the net to restore Florida’s one-goal lead.
That’s all the help Bobrovsky would need, finishing with 19 saves while earning his second win in as many tries.
Photo caption: Oct 9, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) celebrates with center Evan Rodrigues (17) after scoring against the Philadelphia Flyers during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Connor Bedard created plenty of offensive chances during the Chicago Blackhawks' first game of the 2025-26 season against the Florida Panthers. However, the Blackhawks' young star was held off the scoresheet during Chicago's season opener against the reigning Stanley Cup champs.
Yet, Bedard changed things on that front during the Blackhawks' Oct. 9 contest against the Boston Bruins, as he scored his first goal of the season. It was a very nice one, too.
After receiving a great feed from Blackhawks forward Andre Burakovsky in front, Bedard one-timed it past Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo with a fantastic slap shot.
There is no question that Bedard has a nice shot, and he undoubtedly showed it off on this play. It was a great way for the 2023 first-overall pick to get his first of the campaign, and it will be interesting to see how he builds off it from here.
PITTSBURGH, PA -- During the New York Islanders’ season opener on Thursday, 2025 first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer scored his first NHL point, marking an early milestone for the young defenseman.
After going down 1-0 early in the first period against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Islanders got a much-needed boost from Schaefer.
After making an important zone entry, Schaefer dished the puck to winger and fellow new Islander Johnathan Drouin, who shot it past Tristan Jarry to tie the game at 1-1.
The Flyers’ season-opening magic came to an end Thursday night at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
Rick Tocchet’s club started the 2025-26 campaign with a 2-1 loss to the Panthers. It marked the Flyers’ first regulation defeat in a season opener since 2014-15. The team was 8-0-2 in its previous 10 season openers.
Tocchet, a Flyers Hall of Famer, was working his first game in his return to the organization as its head coach.
Noah Cates scored the club’s lone goal, which drew the Flyers even at 1-1 heading into second intermission.
When the Flyers went back down one in the third period, Travis Konecny had a golden opportunity to tie it with under eight and a half minutes left. But the Flyers’ top offensive threat misfired along the goal line.
Florida, the two-time defending champs, improved to 2-0-0 despite missing Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk. Barkov, a three-time Selke Trophy winner, is out long term with a knee injury, while Tkachuk, a two-time 40-or-more goal scorer, has a groin injury.
• Dan Vladar got the call between the pipes and converted 32 saves on 34 shots in his Flyers debut.
He had 24 saves on 25 shots by the end of the second period.
The Panthers’ game-winning goal came on a Brad Marchand shot from distance. Vladar looked like he never saw it as the puck whizzed by his shoulder.
Other than that, Vladar was real solid. The first goal he allowed was on Florida’s third of five power play opportunities. Anton Lundell scored on a quick shot from the circle in the middle stanza.
The Flyers’ decision to start Vladar in the opener may have been somewhat surprising, but Danny Briere did allude to an open competition after he signed the 28-year-old.
“He has a chance to become our No. 1, depending on how he plays, how our other guys play,” the Flyers’ general manager said in July. “And one thing at the end of the year, when I met with our group of goalies, I told them, ‘You have to be ready at training camp.’ I said, ‘This wasn’t good enough last season, we’re probably going to go out and bring in some reinforcements, and you’re going to be in a battle, all of you guys.'”
Vladar had a better goals-against average and save percentage in the preseason than Samuel Ersson, so the Flyers rewarded him.
Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 of the Flyers’ 20 shots.
• Offseason additions Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak combined for three penalties and one shot.
It’s not uncommon for coaches to lean toward a veteran lineup on opening night. Tocchet did that on the road against a physical team with championship pedigree.
But the Flyers don’t want to make a habit of sitting young players. And considering how much they struggled to find offense Thursday night, you’d think at least one of their kids will get a look in Game 2 of the season.
Grebenkin, a 22-year-old winger, could give them a lift. He gets after the puck and can complement talent.
• The Flyers are back in action Saturday when they visit the Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
LOS ANGELES — Reliever Tanner Scott has been removed from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ roster for the remainder of the NL Division Series after undergoing a surgical procedure.
Scott was replaced by fellow left-handed reliever Justin Wrobleski, who went 5-5 with a 4.32 ERA in 22 regular-season relief appearances and two starts while holding lefties to a .194 average.
Scott has not pitched in the playoffs and would be ineligible for the NL Championship Series if the Dodgers advance, but he could be restored for the World Series.
The team said before Game 4 on Thursday that Scott underwent surgical removal of an abscess from an infection on his lower body the previous night.
“I don’t know a whole lot about it, to be quite honest with you,” manager Dave Roberts said, “but I do know that he’s recovering well.”
Roberts said Scott’s health first came to light during Tuesday night’s workout at Dodger Stadium. However, the team didn’t know the extent of the situation, so he wasn’t removed from the roster at that time.
“To kind of make that preemptive decision, I think we were probably a little bit more in flux,” Roberts said.
If Scott had been available, presumably the Dodgers would have used him in the eighth inning of their 8-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 on Wednesday instead of bringing Clayton Kershaw back. Kershaw got through the seventh with one hit allowed, but then the Phillies tagged him for five runs and five hits in the eighth.
Scott has struggled in his first year with the Dodgers after signing a four-year, $72 million deal in January. He was 1-4 with a 4.74 ERA and 23 saves to go with a career-worst 10 blown saves during the regular season.
Dodgers fans have booed Scott and criticized him on social media. Last month, he gave up a game-winning home run to Baltimore rookie Samuel Basallo with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, resulting in a 2-1 loss.
“It feels terrible,” Scott said. “Baseball hates me right now.”
Roberts has shown patience with Scott, much to the consternation of fans.
“I still feel that the World Series, if we’re fortunate enough to get there, earn our way there, then he’ll be available,” Roberts said.
It didn't take long for the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft to make his mark on the Island.
Schaefer connected with veteran winger Jonathan Drouin midway through the first period of the Islanders' season opener Thursday night in Pittsburgh for the team's opening goal of the season.
The 18-year-old found a cutting Drouin in the slot, who fired it by Triston Jarry for the one-time goal.
He is now the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record a point in his league debut.
Schaefer impressed on both ends of the ice throughout training camp and preseason action, and now he's quickly carried over that success into the regular season.
The Navy All-American Bowl Road to the Dome tour will visit The Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, New Jersey, on October 11th to recognize Luke Wafle as a 2026 Navy All-American.
The Navy All-American Bowl Road to the Dome tour will visit Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, Ohio, on October 10th to recognize Sam Greer as a 2026 Navy All-American.
"Super Honored": Emmitt Finnie Grateful For Opportunity With Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings are set to begin their centennial campaign with a matchup on Thursday evening against the historic Original Six rival Montreal Canadiens, and while this campaign will be all about the franchise celebrating a full century in Motor City, there are several youngsters being introduced into the institution that is Red Wings hockey.
