To open their 2026-27 home schedule, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Florida Panthers on Sunday evening at Honda Center, with their sights set on an NHL-record 11th straight home-opening win. 

The Ducks began their campaign with a 4-3 victory over the defending Western Conference Champion Vegas Golden Knights. That game saw five Ducks debuts (Jeff Malott, AJ Greer, Judd Caulfield, Travis Mitchell, and Noah Warren), including two NHL debuts (Caulfield and Warren. 

Game #2: Ducks vs. Panthers Gameday Preview (10/04/26)

Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Win over the Golden Knights

For Florida, this was the second leg of a three-game California road trip after opening their season against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Panthers entered this game 1-0-1, and both games were decided in overtime: a 1-0 win in Carolina and a 4-3 loss against the San Jose Sharks. 

Florida lost captain Aleksander Barkov during their game against the Sharks on Thursday, and he was placed on IR. In this game, they were without defenseman Aaron Ekblad (personal) but saw the returns of defenseman Gustav Forsling (upper body) and forward Brad Marchand (lower body), both making their season debuts in this game. 

The only change Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville made to his lineup from the one that opened the season was to insert Sam Colangelo in place of Frank Vatrano on the third line. 

Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game: 

Greer-Carlsson-Gauthier

Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke

Nesternko-Poehling-Colangelo

Malott-Washe-Caulfield

LaCombe-Luneau

Mintyukov-Mitchell

Hinds-Warren

Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks in this game and saved 29 of the 31 shots he faced. He was opposed by Jacob Markstrom, who stopped 18 of 21.

“We played a man’s team tonight, and a man’s game,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “I thought we did against Vegas the other night, and that’s what happens when you got experienced teams, and they know how to win. 

“They know it doesn’t stop, and it’s 60 minutes of pushing and shoving. You don’t have to be fancy sometimes. Just a little protecting of the puck and they’re getting it out of the zone or in deep or blocking a shot. All the little things add up, and they know how to win, and that was why it was such a big win.”

Game Notes

This game was not as pretty as Friday’s from an underlying perspective. Florida controlled 5v5 possession with 56.2% of the shots on goal, 61% of the shot attempts, and 62.5% of the expected goals. 

For the Ducks, this game was won on special teams, where they scored all three of their goals, going 3-for-4, and killing all four penalties they took as a team. They were just sound enough in their end for Dostal to see as many shots as possible, and though he didn’t wow with any of his 29 saves, he made several difficult ones and gave his team a chance to come away with another two points. 

Power Play: This season, Anaheim moved away from attempting to ice two equal power play units and elected to deploy one unit of all their top offensive players. So far, so good. Not only is the personnel consistent, but the five players (Mikael Granlund, Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe) have developed chemistry, rapport, and intuition, feeding and reading off one another. 

They’re showing levels of deception along with equal parts urgency and poise as they move pucks up ice and throughout the zone. They are executing give-and-gos off the wall and to the bottom of the circle as well as displaying a willingness to interchange positions with added fluidity in their structure. 

Penalty Kill/D-Zone Coverage: Though much of this game was spent in the Ducks’ defensive end, they, for the most part, did well to limit how dangerous Florida was with that extended time. As they were in Vegas, the defensemen and low forwards were difficult to gain ice against in front of Dostal, allowing him to see distance shots and doing well to box out rebound attempts. 

The most significant aspect of what made them successful was how they addressed open lanes. Either active sticks or quick retreats and recoveries to dangerous ice prevented crucial, high-danger situations. 

Leo Carlsson: When he was drafted, Carlsson was compared to some of the best 200-foot, Selke-winning players of their generations: Patrice Bergeron, Anze Kopitar, and Aleksander Barkov. Those reports were miscast, as he entered the NHL with a more offensive inclination, attacking downhill, and struggling to grasp defensive concepts. 

As the franchise center and highest-paid player in the NHL, Carlsson has no choice but to quickly and completely round out his game and live up to the pressures that are attached to his new status. In this game, he was that high IQ, 200-foot, two-way battle-winner down the middle. He was backtracking in proper lanes, sealing attackers, and breaking up countless opportunities. This was one of the more complete games of Carlsson’s blossoming career. 

The Ducks will face their third-straight Stanley Cup-contending opponent on Wednesday, when they’ll host the Edmonton Oilers at Honda Center at 7 pm PST.

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JETS 3, RED WINGS 2

DETROIT (AP) — Kyle Connor scored two of Winnipeg’s three power-play goals and added an assist on the third as the Jets held off the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on Sunday.

Cole Perfetti scored the Jets’ other goal and had two assists, while Josh Morrissey also had two assists. Stuart Skinner made 33 saves in Winnipeg’s first victory. The Jets lost to Boston in overtime in their season opener on Friday.

Viktor Arvidsson and Emmitt Finnie scored for the Red Wings and John Gibson stopped 24 saves. Detroit was blanked 2-0 by the New York Rangers in its opener on Friday.

Prominent members of the United States’ gold-medal squad at the Milan Cortina Olympics were not on the ice. Detroit center Dylan Larkin was sidelined with an upper-body injury, while Winnipeg goaltender Connor Hellebuyck remained on the suspended/inactive list. Both players have requested trades from their teams.

RANGERS 4, MAMMOTH 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves and had an assist on Eeli Tolvanen’s empty-net goal with 1:15 remaining and New York beat Utah.

Three nights after becoming the first Rangers goalie to score, Shesterkin got his fourth career assist when he made a long pass to Will Cuylle before Tolvanen scored for the third straight game.

Gabe Perreault scored the tiebreaking goal 3:15 into the third and J.T. Miller scored with 7:13 remaining as the retooled Rangers won their third straight after opening with a loss.

Perreault snapped a 1-1 tie by pouncing on a loose puck after goalie Karel Vejmelka made a pad save on Alexis Lafreniere. Vejmelka did not control the rebound and Perreault’s shot from slightly inside the left circle sailed into the open net.

Miller scored when he deflected Vladislav Gavrikov’s shot by Vejmelka for a 3-1 lead. Gavrikov scored late on a shot from the point late in the first period before setting up Miller.

Nick Schmaltz backhanded a rebound off Clayton Keller’s shot in the second for the Mammoth, who were trying to open 3-0-0 for the second time in three seasons in Utah. Andrew Peeke scored with 5:03 remaining for Utah.

Vejmelka made 18 saves, including a pair on Lafreniere on breakaways.

DUCKS 3, PANTHERS 2, OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Cutter Gauthier scored two power-play goals and captain Mikael Granlund had a power-play goal 4:14 into overtime, sending Anaheim to a victory over Florida in their 11th consecutive win in home openers.

Leo Carlsson had three assists for the Ducks, including the setup for Granlund’s winner in front of Jacob Markstrom.

Lukas Dostal made 29 saves for the Ducks, who have won their first two games following last season’s successful run to the second round of the playoffs, ending a seven-year postseason drought.

Gauthier delivered his 12th career multi-goal performance and added an assist on Granlund’s winner in his first home game since he signed a six-year, $81 million contract extension last month coming off his 41-goal breakout season.

Brad Marchand tied it with 1:50 left in regulation in his season debut for the Panthers, who lost their second straight. Carter Verhaeghe scored an early goal and Markstrom stopped 18 shots.

Beckett Sennecke drew a tripping penalty on Gustav Forsling midway through overtime, but Florida nearly killed the penalty before Carlsson found Granlund in front for his first goal. Carlsson has five points in his first two games after getting his own $90 million extension.

KRAKEN 6, FLAMES 1

SEATTLE (AP) — Berkly Catton, Mackie Samoskevich and Bobby McMann scored within the first eight minutes of the game and Seattle cruised to a win over Calgary.

Samoskevich added another goal late in the second period and Joey Daccord made 32 saves. Shane Wright and Jordan Eberle also scored in Seattle’s home opener.

Morgan Frost scored on the power play and Dustin Wolf stopped 21 shots for the Flames, who remain winless.

Catton opened the scoring 2:22 into the first period and Samoskevich scored at 4:40. It was Samoskevich’s first goal with Seattle after being acquired from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 conditional second-round pick in June.

McMann gave the Kraken a three-goal lead 7:40 into the first, and Wright added another goal with 8:02 remaining in the second.

Frost spoiled Daccord’s shutout bid by scoring with 5:35 left in the game. It was the first power-play goal conceded by the Kraken this season. Eberle scored 39 seconds later.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 3, CANUCKS 2

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Marc Gatcomb scored the go-ahead goal late in the second period and Las Vegas downed Vancouver.

Mitch Marner scored his first goal of the season and Victor Olofsson added a power-play score for the Golden Knights. Adin Hill stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced, including a key save midway through the third when he slid well out of his crease to deny Liam Ohgren on a short-handed breakaway.

Canucks winger Paul Cotter opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period, extending his season-opening point streak to four games with four goals and two assists across that stretch.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki also scored for Vancouver while Kevin Lankinen made 25 saves in a bounceback performance from Thursday night when he gave up eight goals on 20 shots in the Canucks’ 9-7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

After putting up 17 goals over their first three games of the season, Vancouver struggled to generate offense against Vegas, with just 19 shots in the game.

The Golden Knights had ample scoring opportunities with five power plays and found success with the extra man with a five-forward unit.

The Golden Knights took the 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at the 14:30 mark of the second after Lankinen stopped a shot from Jack Eichel. The rebound popped out to Mark Stone at the goal line and he sent a pass to Olofsson, who fired a shot into the top of the net to make it 2-1 for Vegas.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Marc Gatcomb scored the go-ahead goal late on the second period and the Vegas Golden Knights downed the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on Sunday night.

Mitch Marner scored his first goal of the season and Victor Olofsson added a power-play score for the Golden Knights. Adin Hill stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced, including a key save midway through the third when he slid well out of his crease to deny Liam Ohgren on a short-handed breakaway.

Canucks winger Paul Cotter opened the scoring with a power-play goal late in the first period, extending his season-opening point streak to four games with four goals and two assists across that stretch.

Jonathan Lekkerimaki also scored for Vancouver while Kevin Lankinen made 25 saves in a bounceback performance from Thursday night when he gave up eight goals on 20 shots in the Canucks’ 9-7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

After putting up 17 goals over their first three games of the season, Vancouver struggled to generate offense against Vegas, with just 19 shots in the game.

The Golden Knights had ample scoring opportunities with five power plays and found success with the extra man with a five-forward unit.

The Golden Knights took the 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at the 14:30 mark of the second after Lankinen stopped a shot from Jack Eichel. The rebound popped out to Mark Stone at the goal line and he sent a pass to Olofsson, who fired a shot into the top of the net to make it 2-1 for Vegas.

Vegas has now won eight straight games against Vancouver dating to Dec. 19, 2024.

Up next

Canucks: Begin a six-game road trip on Thursday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Golden Knights: Visit the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Former NHL defenseman Lyle Odelein, who spent the final season of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2005-06, died overnight Friday. He was 58.

No official cause of death has been shared at this point, although sources told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he died of a heart attack. Odelein lived outside of Pittsburgh in Fox Chapel, Pa. with his wife, Laura, and he owned several Supercuts locations in addition to being a community fixture at several local businesses. 

A seventh-round pick (141st overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in 1986, Odelein hailed from Quill Lake, Saskatchewan in Canada. The 6-foot, 212-pound blueliner won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1993 and spent 16 seasons in the NHL across eight different teams.

During his final season in Pittsburgh - the first season post-lockout and Sidney Crosby's rookie season - Odelein played in only 27 games, registering one point. Over the course of his NHL career, he amassed 50 goals and 252 in 1,056 games. 

According to the Post-Gazette, it is believed that a blood infection caused by the prick of a cactus in 2018 while golfing in Arizona caused a blood infection that led to further health complications. The Penguins and several other NHL teams that Odelein suited up for acknowledged his passing with social media posts.

In addition, the Penguins held a moment of celebration for Odelein during their home opener against the Canadiens on Saturday.

Takeaways: Penguins Edge Canadiens In Wild Overtime ThrillerThe Pittsburgh Penguins have scored 13 goals in their first two games of the season to start off 2-0.

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The Vancouver Canucks battled, but they didn’t quite get their desired result, as they suffered a 3–2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the second-half of their weekend back-to-back. Paul Cotter and Jonathan Lekkerimäki were the two Canucks that found the back of the net, while Kevin Lankinen stopped 25 of 28 shots faced. 

The first period was all about special teams. Vancouver made a slight change to their first-unit power play personnel tonight, subbing Cotter into the spot previously occupied by Drew O’Connor. 

While Vancouver established some early momentum on the power play after Elias Pettersson drew a slashing call on Vegas captain Mark Stone, two back-to-back penalties taken by Jamie Oleksiak and Aatu Räty gave the Golden Knights an early offensive advantage, allowing them to establish a stronger presence in Vancouver’s zone by the time both penalties were over. 

This continuous O-zone presence nearly gave Vegas the game-opening goal after the puck bounced around Lankinen before landing on top of Vancouver’s net. Though it was close, Zeev Buium managed to bat the puck away before Vegas could capitalize on the chance, allowing his team to re-set in their own zone. 

When Vancouver did exit their zone, however, they made it count. Lekkerimäki and Arshdeep Bains, sent up-ice by Max Sasson, put together a strong rush-chance that ultimately drew a hooking call on Tomáš Hertl, sending the Canucks to the power play for the second time this period. It was none-other than Mr. 300th-Game himself that scored on the man-advantage, tapping-in a shot from Filip Hronek.  

Vancouver’s penalty kill deserves some credit in tonight’s game, with some of their units featuring forward pairings of Bains and Cotter, Pettersson and Liam Öhgren, and Sasson and O’Connor, combining for an 80% success rate through around five PKs throughout the game. This included two 2-on-1 chances shorthanded for Sasson and O’Connor, during which they provided dangerous chances but weren’t quite able to score. 

Having said that, the fact that Vancouver ended up on the penalty kill so often did ultimately cost Vancouver their initial lead. With Vegas scoring their first goal of the game at 5-on-5 off a play by Mitch Marner, Tom Willander’s tripping penalty gave the Golden Knights their fourth opportunity on the man-advantage. 

One potentially worrisome moment saw Willander end up on the receiving end of a big hit by Vegas defenceman Brayden McNabb during the second period. The defenceman was slow to get up after the hit and immediately went to the Canucks’ dressing room, not returning for the remainder of the period. By the time the third period started, however, Willander returned to play.  

Much like how they have in the past couple of games, after a couple of periods that resulted in Vancouver trailing, the Canucks switched up a couple of their lines. Öhgren was moved up to Pettersson and Linus Karlsson’s line, with Marco Rossi taking his spot alongside Cotter and Brock Boeser. O’Connor joined Sasson and Bains, while Lekkerimäki skated with Räty and Brendan Gallagher. 

Despite their strong numbers in third periods throughout the 2026–27 season thus far, the Canucks were ultimately not able to pull off their same miraculous comebacks. Vegas battled back against the Canucks to retain their 3–2 lead by the end of the game. 

At the end of the day, there was a clear skill gap between the Canucks and Golden Knights. That said, Vancouver was still able to put up a fair effort in the second-half of a back-to-back against a team that went to the Stanley Cup Final the year before. 

Stats and Facts: 

• Paul Cotter skates in his 300th NHL game 
• Two former members of the Canucks organization (Marc Gatcomb, Nic Dowd) record points 
• Forward Elias Pettersson (20:29) and defencemen Zeev Buium (20:07), Tom Willander (21:02), and Filip Hronek (26:25) all finish with over 20 minutes played 
• Marco Rossi records a team-high four hits   

Scoring Summary: 

1st Period: 

18:52 - VAN: Paul Cotter (4) from Elias Pettersson and Filip Hronek (PPG) 

2nd Period: 

9:01 - VGK: Mitch Marner (1) from Brayden McNabb 

14:30 - VGK: Victor Olofsson (2) Mark Stone and Jack Eichel (PPG) 

17:54 - VAN: Jonathan Lekkerimäki (2) from Linus Karlsson and Luke Schenn 

18:28 - VGK: Marc Gatcomb (1) from Braeden Bowman and Nic Dowd 

3rd Period: 

No Scoring. 

Up Next: 

Thursday, October 8 @ Carolina Hurricanes

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The New York Islanders underwent minor changes throughout the 2026 summer. The organization decidedly focused on leaving as much roster flexibility as possible for youth, such as Victor Eklund.

Undergoing that type of decision led to the departure of solid NHL players.

One of those became Marc Gatcomb, one of the hardest-working players on the Islanders in recent years.

Gatcomb signed a two-year, $1.75 million ($875k AAV) contract with the Vegas Golden Knights this past summer.

Gatcomb, 27, played 88 games over the last two seasons with the Islanders, posting 11 goals and 16 assists in that time.

He stepped up in times of injury or when the Islanders needed a spark in their bottom six, with his best success coming on New York's fourth line.

Gatcomb worked his way up from being undrafted, playing four years of college hockey, then parts of four AHL seasons before the Islanders gave him the call to the NHL in his fourth professional season.

The depth forward became a victim of the numbers guy in New York, with an excess of forwards on the team.

However, for a cap-strapped contender like the Golden Knights, it's a perfect fit.

Gatcomb's shown strong ability in semi-limited opportunities, and forced his way into Vegas' opening night roster.

He posted one assist in his Vegas debut on opening night, all while showcasing his strong two-way play.

Sunday night in Vancouver, the first team to give him a professional contract with the Abbotsford Canucks, Gatcomb buried his first goal with Vegas.

The Dark Knight Rises 🦇 pic.twitter.com/WD3OkZOxZR

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) October 5, 2026

The style of goal shouldn't be any surprise to Islanders fans. Gatcomb excelled at finding the soft spots within team's defenses, consistently poaching rebounds and gritty, hard-working goals.

The more Gatcomb plays his way, the more success he will have. 

Things you love to see. Gatcomb is an easy guy to root for. https://t.co/yvp82UaRBq

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) October 5, 2026