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The 11-4-0 New Jersey Devils remain undefeated at home with a perfect 7-0-0 record, claiming the top spot in the Eastern Conference after a shootout victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins, who sit third in the conference, left Newark with one point.

Rookie Arseny Gritsyuk opened the scoring late in the first period, notching his third goal of the season. Pittsburgh answered in the second when former Devil Ryan Graves scored his first goal of the year against his old team. The remainder of regulation and overtime went scoreless, sending the game to a shootout.

Due to injuries, the Devils’ lineup was adjusted as follows:

Forwards

Stefan Noesen – Jack Hughes – Jesper Bratt

Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Dawson Mercer

Ondrej Palat – Cody Glass – Arseny Gritsyuk

Paul Cotter – Juho Lammikko – Luke Glendening

Defensemen

Jonas Siegenthaler – Simon Nemec

Brenden Dillon – Luke Hughes

Dennis Cholowski – Colton White

Quick Notes:

• Colton White made his first start of the season. The defenseman hadn’t played in the NHL since 2022–23, recording one shot on goal in 9:55 of ice time. His last NHL appearance came with the Anaheim Ducks.
• In a scary moment, captain Nico Hischier took a puck to the face and briefly left the game. He later returned, but while he was being evaluated, Jack Hughes filled in on his line.

In the shootout, Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt scored for New Jersey, while goaltender Jake Allen delivered a stellar performance, stopping 33 of 34 shots. His most crucial save came against Sidney Crosby in the shootout to seal the win.

Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs also deserves credit, making an impressive stop on a dangerous shot from Jack Hughes.

With the victory, the Devils improve to 11-4-0 and continue their pursuit of history. The franchise record for most consecutive home wins to start a season is eight, set by the 1987–88 Devils. New Jersey is now 8-0-0 this season when scoring first. The team has gone to overtime in three straight home games, defeating Colorado in overtime on October 26, Montreal in overtime on November 6, and Pittsburgh in a shootout last night.

The Devils will look to extend their home winning streak Monday night when they host the New York Islanders. Puck drop is scheduled for 4 p.m.

Canadian goaltender Malcom Subban, 31, has signed a contract to play the remainder of the current season with Dynamo Pardubice, the Czech Extraliga club announced on Sunday.

This is Subban’s first contract to play in Europe.

Pardubice already has a capable starting netminder in veteran Roman Will, who played four seasons in North America and one NHL game with the Colorado Avalanche. According to club sports director Petr Sýkora, this season’s compressed schedule requires more goaltending depth.

“This season is unique, as it will be interrupted by the Olympic break,” said Sýkora. “We have a demanding schedule before and after it starts, and we want to go into it with an experienced goaltending duo. We’re glad that we managed to reach an agreement with Malcolm. We believe that together with Roman Will, they will create a balanced and stable pair.”

Born in Toronto, Malcom is the younger brother of long-time NHL defenseman turned broadcaster P.K. Subban. Malcom played junior hockey for the Belleville Bulls of the OHL and was drafted in the first round, 24th overall, by the Boston Bruins in 2012.

Vladimír Sobotka Changes Czech Teams Veteran Czech forward Vladimír Sobotka is moving one Czech Extraliga contender to another. The 37-year-old is leaving Sparta Prague, where he played for five seasons and was captain last year, to Dynamo Pardubice, <a href="https://www.hcdynamo.cz/clanek.asp?id=Dynamo-posili-Vladimir-Sobotka-14491">the latter club announced on Wednesday</a>.

Between 2014 and 2024, Subban played 87 NHL games for the Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets, compiling a record of 36-34-9 with a goals-against average of 3.10, a save percentage of .898 and three shutouts.

Subban also spent time in the organizations of the St. Louis Blues, Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators, spending last season in the AHL with the Belleville Senators. He remained a free agent until signing with Pardubice.

Internationally, Subban represented Canada at the 2011 IIHF U-18 World Championship and at the 2013 World Juniors. 

Subban joins a high-profile Pardubice team that includes ex-NHLers Vladimír Sobotka, Lukáš Sedlák, Jakub Lauko, Libor Hájek, Martin Kaut, John Ludvig, Roman Červenka, Miloš Keleman and Jiří Smejkal. The team currently sits third in the 14-team Extraliga with 36 points in 21 games.

Czech Icon, National Team Captain Receives Contract ExtensionCzech veteran Roman Červenka defies age, signing through 2028. His elite scoring and leadership ensure continued national team impact.

NEWS

Despite Emotional Loss, The Blue Jackets Must Stay LevelheadedLast night, the Blue Jackets lost a game to the New York Islanders by giving up two goals in 29 seconds with right around a minute to play, and there was no coming back from it.&nbsp;

The CBJ are on a five-game road trip that will take them to Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton, and then Seattle. This trip usually does not end well for Columbus. Below is a breakdown of how they've done historically on the Western Canada trip. In a very crowded Eastern Conference, these next four games are crucial. 

Overreacting To And Overanalyzing The Metro Standings As Of 11/03Devils dominate, Penguins surge, while surprising Blue Jackets climb. See where every Metro team truly stands early this season.

We are now, four weeks into the 2025-26 NHL season, and no one many could have predicted how this season is going. Looking around the NHL, teams that were supposed to be good are bad, and bad teams are good.

For the Columbus Blue Jackets, they have turned around a slow start and now are winnings of four of their last five. But where do the rest of the Metro Division sit?

Can The CBJ Goalie Tandem Keep Up Their Great Play All Year?Since Sergei Bobrovsky bolted Ohio for sunny Florida, the Columbus Blue Jackets have struggled to find consistency with their goaltending position. It's been bad, like, really bad.&nbsp;

Since Sergei Bobrovsky bolted Ohio for sunny Florida, the Columbus Blue Jackets have struggled to find consistency with their goaltending position. It's been bad, like, really bad. 

The only consistent thing about the goalies has been Elvis Merzļikins, and that's been a hot topic on its own, and a different discussion. 

From THN's Archive: Brassard Craves Attention The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.

Brassard sustained his second shoulder separation during the Quebec League pre-season of 2006-07. Both he and the Blue Jackets agreed surgery was the best course of action. After racking up 44 goals and 116 points in 58 games in 2005-06, Brassard played only 14 regular season games last year and still managed six goals and 25 points. He added nine goals and 24 points during a 12-game playoff stint.

An Early Look At The Blues Jackets' Unrestricted Free AgentsThe NHL season is now more than a month in, and the Columbus Blue Jackets are off to a very good start. They currently sit in fifth in their Division with a 7-5-0 record. This looks like the season that they are going to push their way into the playoffs and bring playoff hockey back to Columbus for the first time since 2019-20.

They need to make decisions that can drastically change the outcome of the season. First, there will be trades close to and at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline in March. After that, there will be the difficult decision to re-sign some of their unrestricted free agents.

Blue Jackets Recall Luca Del Bel Belluz; Erik Gudbranson To IRThe Columbus Blue Jackets have announced a pair of roster moves today.&nbsp;

The team has recalled forward Luca Del Bel Belluz from the Cleveland Monsters. Del Bel Belluz has three goals and six assists and nine points with a +3 plus/minus rating in 16 NHL games with the Jackets, including 2-6-8, +2 in 15 outings last season. He leads the Monsters in goals and points in 2025-26 with 3-2-5 in seven games. 

They also put defenseman Erik Gudbranson on IR with a hip injury. He has missed the last 5 games. 

Former Blue Jackets Forward Is Playing Very Well With New TeamRoslovic thrives in Edmonton, could beat his career-high in points and finding a comfortable top-six role. Can he secure his future?

The Columbus, Ohio native has three goals and five assists for eight points in just 13 games. That puts him on pace for around 50 points over a full season, which would set a new career-high and surpass his previous best of 45 points from the 2021-22 campaign with the Blue Jackets.

It's Time For The Blue Jackets To Make Two ChangesThe Jackets have been playing well behind solid goaltending and defense, but now it's time for the offense to step up.

1. Promote Adam Fantilli to the first line center role.  

Fantilli hasn't started the season the way he wanted to, I'm sure. In 13 games played, he's scored just two goals and has totaled 6 points. He's also a minus-6 and has 28 shots on goal. Last season, through 13 games, Fantilli had 3 goals and 7 points. So, there's still time.

From THN's Archive: Beauty And The EastRealignment boosts the Wings and Jackets, who cut their teeth in the superior West, and grounds the Jets, who had it easy in the East

On the flip side, the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets have to be thrilled. They’ll be playing the majority of their games in their own time zone and padding their record by beating up on patsies. Yes, we said that about the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the numbers back us up. Over the five seasons prior to 2012-13, the Blue Jackets have racked up an impressive record of 44-26-12 against the Eastern Conference teams. 

Blue Jackets Lead NHL In Goals By Defensemen Surprising offensive production from Columbus's defensemen fuels their league-leading goal count, adding a potent weapon to their attack.

According to Statmuse, they sit first with 11 goals from their back end. Behind them, the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, and Minnesota Wild are all tied with nine. Altogether, Columbus defensemen have combined for 26 points, 11 of which are goals.  

GAME PREVIEWS & RECAPS

Rookie Matthew Schaefer Has Two Goals; Jackets Falter LateThe Columbus Blue Jackets allowed two goals in 29 seconds to drop their first game since October 24th.

Columbus allowed two goals in 29 seconds to lose. 

The game was absolutely dominated by the New York Islanders, but Elvis Merzlikins was the singular reason this game was even close down the stretch. He made some huge saves throughout the game to frustrate NYI. 

Columbus Blue Jackets (14 pts) vs. Calgary Flames (8 pts) Game Preview Columbus is 36-25-0-8 all-time, and 15-15-0-4 on the road vs. Calgary.

Blue Jackets Roasted By Flames; Lose Sean Monahan To Injury<b>Kirill Marchenko</b>(6-SHG) scored the only goal for Columbus, and Jet Greaves would give up four goals, including two in the first&nbsp;1:32 of the game to seal it for Calgary.&nbsp;

Kirill Marchenko(6-SHG) scored the only goal for Columbus, and Jet Greaves would give up four goals, including two in the first 1:32 of the game to seal it for Calgary. 

The Jackets didn't play too bad after the initial onslaught by Calgary but couldn't overcome those two goals. The Jackets would fall to the Flames in Calgary.

Columbus Blue Jackets (14 pts) vs. Vancouver Canucks (14 pts) Game PreviewColumbus is 26-32-2-9 all-time, and 11-17-0-6 on the road vs. Vancouver.

Blue Jackets Lose Third Straight In Vancouver<b>Kirill Marchenko</b>(7,8) and&nbsp;<b>Dmitri Voronkov</b>(6) scored the goals for Columbus, while Elvis Merzlikins 21 of 25 Vancouver shots in the loss.&nbsp;&nbsp;

This wasn't the best outing for Merzlikins, who gave up the game-winner with five minutes left. The goal was one he will definitely want back. 

The first line of Dmitri Vorokov, Adam Fantilli, and Kirill Marchenko was the only noticeable line on the ice for the Blue Jackets. Between the three of them, they combined for 8 points, 14 shots, and were a plus-3. 

Up Next: Columbus takes on the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, Nov. 10th. They will wrap up their Western swing with a matchup against the Seattle Kraken.  

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Fresh off their 4-3 overtime victory against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Ducks are right back at it at home on Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets are coming off a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

The Ducks continue to sit at the top of the Pacific Division after Saturday's win, increasing their points lead over the Golden Knights to three. They are just two points back of the Colorado Avalanche, who are first in the Western Conference.

Anaheim’s current six-game winning streak has been spearheaded by Leo Carlsson, who extended his point streak to nine games on Saturday with two goals and a primary assist on the overtime winner. He is currently second in the league in scoring.

“Leo’s (been) putting on a show at the start of the season,” head coach Joel Quenneville said. “(He’s) showing that he’s taking a big step. There’s a lot of guys that we are also happy with, but Leo’s been leading the charge.”

The Jets are the third team the Ducks have faced in the past week who are top-5 in the Western Conference. They are one point back of the Dallas Stars, who the Ducks beat 7-5 on Thursday.

“That second period (against Vegas), I feel like when we play our simple game and work their team in our zone, we’re a great team,” Carlsson said.

“It was a better start for us here,” Quenneville said after their game against the Golden Knights. “We want to make sure we’re not just reacting (to) the way the game’s going to be played, let’s try to dictate it a little more. That first period pace was flying, was unreal, and we’re ready for that. I think that’s a good sign of some progress for us that if we can start the first 10 minutes that can dictate the flow and pace of the game, that can help us.”

There could be lineup changes abound for the Ducks in their second game of a back-to-back (SEGABABA). Quenneville said before Saturday’s game that Ryan Strome, who has yet to make his season debut due to an upper-body injury he suffered during preseason, is “very close to consideration to playing.”

Beckett Sennecke could also be a healthy scratch as the team manages his workload during his rookie season. This is the first back-to-back of the season for Anaheim and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek had hinted previously that Sennecke could go through a workload management plan similar to the one implemented by the team during Carlsson’s rookie season. Sam Colangelo, who has been a healthy scratch for the past four games, would draw in.

Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider - Leo Carlsson - Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier - Mason McTavish - Sam Colangelo
Nikita Nesterenko - Ryan Strome - Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston - Ryan Poehling - Frank Vatrano

Jackson LaCombe - Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger - Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov - Ian Moore

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Jets Projected Lines

Kyle Connor - Mark Scheifele - Gabe Vilardi
Vladislav Namestnikov - Jonathan Toews - Alex Iafallo
Nino Niederreiter - Adam Lowry - Nikita Chibrikov
Cole Koepke - Parker Ford - Tanner Pearson

Josh Morrissey - Dylan DeMelo
Logan Stanley - Neal Pionk
Haydn Fleury - Luke Schenn

Connor Hellebuyck (projected)

The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming off a 2-1 shootout loss against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

The Penguins outplayed the Devils for the majority of regulation and overtime before their struggles in shootouts continued. Goaltender Arturs Silovs allowed two goals on two attempts, while the Penguins missed their two attempts. The Penguins have lost 11 of their last 12 shootouts. 

They still got a point from that game and will look to finish the weekend off with 3/4 points when they take on the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday. The Kings have been off since Thursday after losing 5-2 against the Florida Panthers. 

The Kings come into this game with a 6-5-4 record, good for 16 points. This will be the second of two meetings between the Penguins and Kings this year after the Penguins beat them 4-2 in Los Angeles on Oct. 16. The Penguins took the first period off and were down 2-0 going into the first intermission before outscoring the Kings 4-0 in the final two periods. Filip Hallander scored the game-winning goal in the third period. 

Sunday will be the long-awaited debut of Penguins goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov. He was called up prior to Thursday's game against the Washington Capitals after Tristan Jarry suffered an injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. 

Murashov has dominated at every level of hockey he has played in during his career, but the NHL will be his biggest test yet. He was named the AHL's Goaltender of the Month for October after finishing the month with a 5-1-0 record, a 1.68 goals-against average, a .935 save percentage, and a shutout. 

Here were the lines for Saturday's game in New Jersey: 

Forwards

Rust-Crosby-Kindel

Novak-Malkin-Mantha

Koppanen-Hayes-Koivunen

Heinen-Lizotte-Dewar

Defense

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Shea-Letang

Graves-Clifton

Puck drop is set for 2 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

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The Chicago Blackhawks are about to end a six-game road trip. This final game will come against the Detroit Red Wings in Motown. 

Of course, any game between the Blackhawks and Red Wings is going to stir up the century-old rivalry between the two.

Chicago and Detroit are rivals in every major sport, but nothing is as intense as the one in hockey. Despite being in opposite conferences now, the bad blood is always remembered. 

There is also the Patrick Kane factor. This is Kane's third season with the Red Wings, following his short cup of coffee with the New York Rangers.

He just returned from injury in Detroit's most recent game, which is perfect timing ahead of this game against the franchise that took him first overall in the 2007 NHL Draft.

Blackhawks Road Trip Starts With Jonathan Toews And Ends With Patrick KaneThe Chicago Blackhawks started their trip with Jonathan Toews. Now they will end it with Patrick Kane.

Scouting Detroit 

The Detroit Red Wings have lost two in a row, but they are still 9-6-0 which is currently good enough for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They have a long way to go before they are a playoff team, but they could finally break the drought if all goes well for them from now until April. 

Finnie - Larkin - Raymond

DeBrincat - Compher - Kane

Kasper - Copp - Appleton

van Riemsdyk - Rasmussen - Berggren

Edvinsson - Seider

Chiarot - Sandin-Pellikka

Johansson - Hamonic

Gibson

The Red Wings have some important veterans on their roster, like James van Riemsdyk, Patrick Kane, and Dylan Larkin. 

Young stars entering their prime fill out their lineup like Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, but they also have up and coming players like Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Jonatan Berggren, and Emmitt Finnie. 

This well-balanced group is going to skate in front of goaltender John Gibson, whom the Red Wings acquired during the off-season from the Anaheim Ducks. 

Most of their offense goes through their captain, Dylan Larkin, who is projected to skate with Finnie and Raymond. On the second line, Kane plays with former Blackhawk Alex DeBrincat and JT Compher in the middle. 

On defense, Seider and Sandin-Pellikka are the ones to keep an eye on if you're the Blackhawks attacking and defending. 

Projected Blackhawks Lines, Defense Pairs, and Starting Goalie

At 7-4-3, the Blackhawks are currently right on the bubble of the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference. They aren't a lock to make it by any means, but they are continuing to show that they will be a hard team to beat all year long. 

Greene - Bedard - Burakovsky

Teravainen - Nazar - Bertuzzi

Moore - Donato - Mikheyev

Dach - Foligno - Lafferty

Vlasic - Rinzel

Kaiser - Levshunov

Grzelcyk - Murphy

Crevier

Knight

Söderblom

The Blackhawks didn't practice on Saturday, and there was no morning skate on Sunday ahead of this afternoon's game, so this is all a projection. 

Frank Nazar left their most recent game against the Calgary Flames with an injury. He is a game-time decision for this one against the Red Wings. Whether he plays or not, it isn't a long-term issue, which is a big break for the Blackhawks. If Nazar can't play, they will still likely go 11/7, but with Sam Lafferty drawing into the lineup. 

After Spencer Knight dominated his last two starts, it would make sense to run it back with him, but this is also a great game to get Arvid Soderblom in some game action. 

UPDATE:Sam Lafferty will play and Frank Nazar will not. Arvid Soderblom will be the starter. 

How To Watch

This game can be found on CHSN in the Chicagoland area, FanDuel Sports Network Detroit for those in Michigan, and on NHL Network for those trying to watch it nationally outside of the two participating markets. WGN Radio AM 720 will carry the Blackhawks feed in Chicago. The puck will drop shortly after noon on Sunday. 

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The Detroit Red Wings announced Sunday that they have recalled center Nate Danielson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XUPDATE: The #RedWings have recalled Nate Danielson from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

Danielson, the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, has impressed since returning from a preseason injury on Oct. 24. In four games with Grand Rapids this season, the 21-year-old has recorded a goal and four assists for five points along with four penalty minutes and a plus-two rating.

Last season as a rookie with the Griffins, Danielson posted 12 goals and 27 assists for 39 points in 71 games, ranking among the team’s leaders in points (6th), assists (2nd) and goals (6th). He also added one goal and nine penalty minutes in three playoff appearances. Among AHL rookies in 2024–25, he placed tied for ninth in assists, tied for 14th in points, and led the league in shorthanded assists.

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Since making his professional debut with Grand Rapids in spring 2024, the Red Deer, Alberta, native has totaled 44 points, 37 penalty minutes and a plus-six rating in 75 regular-season games.

Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XOK, NATE! 🚨: Danielson 🍎: MBN

Danielson turned heads during Detroit’s training camp and preseason, where he registered one goal and two assists in three exhibition games. Many believed he was close to making the NHL roster out of camp, alongside fellow rookies Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård. The group all lived together during the offseason and are all seen as a key part of the Red Wings’ rebuild under general manager Steve Yzerman.

With his recall, Danielson could now get his long-anticipated shot to join that group in Detroit and potentially secure a full-time NHL role this season.

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A former Montreal Canadiens first-round pick is heading back to the American Hockey League (AHL).

The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have assigned former Canadiens defenseman Logan Mailloux to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. In addition, the Blues called up Hunter Skinner with the roster spot that opened up from Mailloux's demotion. 

The Canadiens traded Mailloux to the Blues during this summer in exchange for forward Zack Bolduc. Mailloux has struggled during the beginning stages of his Blues tenure, as he has recorded zero points, seven giveaways, and a minus-12 rating.

Overall, Mailloux has had a shaky start with the Blues, so it is understandable that they have assigned him to Springfield. The former Canadiens blueliner will now look to get things back on track with the Thunderbirds from here. If he does, he could land another call-up to the Blues' roster in the near future. 

Mailloux was selected by the Canadiens with the 31st overall pick of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared in eight games for the Canadiens over two seasons from 2023-24 to 2024-25, where he posted two goals, three assists, five points, 23 hits, and a minus-4 rating. 

In 135 games over two seasons with the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, Mailloux posted 26 goals, 54 assists, 80 points, and 165 penalty minutes. 

Two of the NHL’s top teams — and four of its brightest stars — faced off Saturday night as the  Colorado Avalanche met the Edmonton Oilers. But only one side looked like a Stanley Cup contender. The hope was that facing one of the league's best would bring out Edmonton's A-game. It didn't. In fact, the Oilers met the challenge that is Colorado by crumbling, left only to look in the mirror and ask who and what they really are. 

If this was a test, the Oilers failed it miserably. If this was a challenge, the players didn't meet it. If this was a benchmark, this team isn't close. 

After a 9-1 shellacking, head coach Kris Knoblauch said he hoped this was rock bottom. 

Trending Stories:

Oilers Stack Top Line In Major Test vs. Avalanche

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In a strategic plan to counter speed and skill with speed and skill, Edmonton's top line was stacked. Connor McDavid skated alongside Leon Draisaitl and Jack Roslovic to combat Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Nečas, and Artturi Lehkonen. "I thought we were ready to play," said Knoblauch. It didn't take long to realize they weren't. 

“I hope this wakes up a lot of guys and we understand we’ve got a lot of growing to do to become a good hockey team.”

When Cale Makar struck first on a wrist shot at the 13:29 mark, the Oilers might have suffered a setback, but they weren't throwing in the towel. When Makar scored his second, it felt like the team simply gave up.

"There was a lot of deflation, especially after the second one after the faceoff. After that, it was a lot of guys beating themselves up and not playing very well," said Knoblauch. 

Unbelievably, it could have been worse.

After a Gabriel Landeskog goal was called back because of an offside, what could have been a lifeline turned out to be anything but. Before long, it was 3-0, then 4-0. During the television timeout in the second period, Stuart Skinner got the hook, and Calvin Pickard was in. Skinner wasn't great, but this felt a bit like a mercy pull. Who would have guessed it would be Pickard who needed the saving when all was said and done?

He didn't fare much better as Parker Kelly scored to make it 5-0 about two minutes after Pickard took the net. 

The Oilers drew a call when Mattias Ekholm was cross-checked, and McDavid wasted no time and slid one under Scott Wedgewood's pads. That was as close as it ever got.

Edmonton immediately gave up a shorthanded breakaway, and Parker Kelly scored his second of the game. The second period ended 6-1, with the Avs leading on the shot clock by a 21-16 margin. Yes, that's a .714 save percentage between the two netminders. 

If the question heading into the third period was how much worse could it get, the Avs answered that one early. MacKinnon scored on a 2-on-1 break with Necas. He scored again as he came out of the penalty box, going high on Pickard with a quick release to make it 8-1. A clearly frustrated Walman took a two-minute penalty for hooking, then another for unsportsmanlike. 

Adam Henrique got a short-handed breakaway but couldn't score. Jack Drury then scored his second of the night to make it 9-1. 

Who And What Are The Oilers... Other Than Pretty Bad Right Now?

Walman spoke after the game, and said, "We deserved this tonight. Not really trending in the right direction for a while, they kicked our ass tonight." He added, "It's just frustrating. To a guy, we owe it to everybody in here to figure out, kinda what our role is, what everybody's role on the team is, and do it, cause we're not right now." Walman was confident they would get out of it, but it's going to take some tough talk from some of the guys in the room. "It's not acceptable right now." He added, "I've got to be better, everybody's got to be better. To a man, we've got to figure out what that looks like."

Colorado's Demolition Job Should Finally Wake Up the OilersColorado's dominant 9-1 win exposes Oilers' flaws. MacKinnon, Makar lead a terrifying, deep Avalanche squad.

That could take the Oilers stepping out of their comfort zone. Andrew Mangiapane was questioned about his willingness to be an agitating, in-your-face type of player. He said he needs to go out there and be a hard worker and tenacious. "If that comes, that comes," said Mangipane. 

Trent Frederic was asked why he's not been more physical. He responded that he's trying to get people to fight him, but no one wants to accept a fight from a guy who only has one goal in 15 games. He wouldn't accept a fight either if the shoe were on the other foot.

Both players seemed to miss the point Knoblauch was making. After the game, the coach suggested they couldn't wait for the game to come to them—the Oilers need to force their game onto others. Saturday night was a clear indication that this team is reacting rather than acting.

They lost 9-1, and that's with the Avalanche going 0-for-7 on their power play.

When asked in the morning what to expect of the game later that night, Knoblauch had said, "It will be exciting for the fans." Little did he know he would be speaking on behalf of Avalanche fans.  

What Oilers fans got was a reality check. Edmonton's ability to squeak out points in games they hadn't played well in was a luxury they can no longer afford. This was a total team loss, and addressing it has to start now. 

That means asking questions and finding answers. It's time to hunker down and work their way out of this. Knoblauch said they want to make it fun, but playing good hockey matters more. They do that first, they can worry about it being fun later. 

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