Calgary’s struggles continue as Bertuzzi, Bedard lead Chicago to victory.

The Calgary Flames’ offensive woes continued Friday night as they were shut out 4-0 by the Chicago Blackhawks at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday night. 

Tyler Bertuzzi opened the scoring late in the first period, redirecting a pass at the side of the net past Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf to give Chicago a 1–0 lead after 20 minutes.

In the third, the Blackhawks pulled away. Bertuzzi struck again on a 2-on-1 rush, finishing off a crisp feed from Connor Bedard and roofing the puck for his second of the night — and fifth in just two games. 

Moments later, Bedard sparked another odd-man rush, setting up Andre Burakovsky in the high slot for Chicago’s third goal. Bedard scored the fourth goal late in the third with a highlight reel breakaway goal to go with three assists, extending his point streak to 10 games.

It was another night of frustration for the Flames, who outshot the Blackhawks but failed to convert on their chances against goaltender Spencer Knight. Calgary sits at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 4-10-2 record and just 10 points through 16 games.

There were some tense moments in the second period when rookie defenceman Zayne Parekh — back in the lineup after being scratched — collided with Nick Foligno and left the game with an upper-body injury. He did not return. 

With the team short on defence, Farabee was shifted to the blue line midway through the game to help fill the gap.

Three Takeaways:

1. Parekh shows promise before injury

Before exiting, Parekh stood out early with a strong defensive stick on Bedard and generated a shot on goal. His absence was noticeable after leaving the game following a collision with Foligno.

2. Odd-man rushes prove costly

Defensive breakdowns and turnovers continued to haunt Calgary. Three of Chicago’s four goals came off odd-man rushes after turnovers — a glaring issue that has plagued the Flames throughout the season.

3. No finish despite pressure

Calgary outshot the Blackhawks but couldn’t find any finish around the net. They lacked any sustained offensive zone time, and Knight turned aside every Flames opportunity for the shutout. Matt Coronato had 11 shots on net in the contest. 

In the 2023-24 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins finished with a 38-32-12 record, good for 88 points. 

They missed the playoffs by three points, and a big reason for it was their power play, which ranked 30th in the league at 15.3%. It was a stagnant unit that overpassed, never went to the net, could barely gain the zone, and never had a shoot-first mentality. The power play went through a 0-for-37 slump during the season, which was insane considering the amount of firepower that the Penguins had (and still have to this day). 

The unit's failures cost assistant coach Todd Reirden his job, and David Quinn was brought in before last season to fix a broken unit. He did a great job with it, helping the Penguins finish with the sixth-best power play at 25.8% last season. They missed the playoffs by more than three points, but got back to basics on the power play. The zone entries were cleaned up. A net-front presence was established. They weren't playing patty-cake at the blue line. They had a shoot-first mentality. 

All of those qualities have been turned up several notches to start the 2025-26 season as the Penguins currently have the top power play in the league at 35.9%. The unit went 3/5 against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, and it could've gone 4/5 or even 5/5 after spending a ton of time in the offensive zone. 

One of the biggest reasons for the PP's hot start is because of assistant coach Todd Nelson. Nelson joined the Penguins' coaching staff under head coach Dan Muse during the offseason after Quinn followed former Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan to New York. Nelson wants his players to zip the puck around with authority and keep penalty killers guessing, and both features have been on display throughout the first month of the season. 

If you go back to the first power play goal on Thursday, the Penguins moved the puck beautifully through the offensive zone before Ben Kindel delivered a gorgeous cross-ice pass to Sidney Crosby. It caught the Capitals completely off guard. 

Things you love to see: Sidney Crosby scoring against the Capitals 💪 pic.twitter.com/LmfUiXdmSb

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 7, 2025

Another example of these qualities in action came during the Penguins' game against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 23. They had some great puck movement before Crosby finished off a beautiful tic-tac-toe play near the goal line. The Panthers didn't see it coming.

Tic, tac, toe.

That's another power-play goal! pic.twitter.com/BsH4RFATfT

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 24, 2025

Crosby is super thrilled with the work that Nelson has put in on the PP.

"I think it has changed a little bit, just based on injuries, so I think it's about everybody being on the same page, being organized, and executing," Crosby said after Friday's practice. "For the most part, you don't want to change your game plan night-to-night, so I think that we're pretty consistent in how we want to approach it, and there are always little tweaks, depending on who you play, but I think it's been pretty clear as far as the mindset of the group. That has a lot to do with the way they are structuring it and organizing it, and it's up to the guys to go out there and execute."

Penguins Overcome Another Blown Lead, Take Down Washington CapitalsFor the first 20 minutes of their Thursday matchup - and first of the season - against the Washington Capitals, the way the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> were dominating was quite similar to what they did to the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs">Toronto Maple Leafs</a> for the first 40 minutes of a <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-suffer-epic-third-period-collapse-fall-to-leafs-4-3">heartbreaking 4-3 loss on Monday.</a>

---

While Bryan Rust's process hasn't always been there in all situations this season, he scored a beauty of a PP goal on Thursday, which turned out to be the game-winner. It came off a ridiculous feed from Evgeni Malkin, who has eight assists and nine points on the man-advantage. 

Rust echoed a lot of what Crosby said about Nelson after practice, including calling Nelson "awesome." 

"Todd's been awesome," Rust said. "He's given us a blueprint on kinda what to do and I think he's also given us the leeway to kinda play with a little bit of a creativity, which I think, there's obviously a fine line of getting too out of control, but I think we're in a good spot right now and we're trying to continue to keep getting better and keep on building."

The Penguins' PP is going to face tougher penalty kills this season, including on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils, who rank sixth in PK percentage, but as long as that unit keeps every PK guessing and on their toes, it's going to be really hard to stop. 

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

The Detroit Red Wings returned home to the friendly confines of Little Caesars Arena after a winning road swing hoping to earn some valuable points in the standings.

While the Red Wings generated several prime scoring chances against the visiting New York Rangers, they were ultimately unable to capitalize. The Rangers, on the other hand, made the most of their opportunities, scoring twice in the third period on their way to a 4-1 victory.

Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) on XBack here Sunday vs. Chicago.

The Rangers, who have a stunning 0-5-1 record on home ice, improved to 7-1-1 away from Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, the Red Wings have now dropped consecutive games and are 9-6 through the first 14 games of their centennial campaign. 

New York struck first in the opening 20 minutes, as Will Cuylle beat Cam Talbot with a quick shot at 6:46 of the opening period while the Rangers enjoyed the man-advantage.

The Red Wings then drew even thanks to J.T. Compher's third goal of the season, as he took a pass behind the net from Mason Appleton and beat the crouched Jonathan Quick by going upstairs. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

From that point on, Quick shut the door on the Red Wings and was even the beneficiary of a nanosecond of hesitation from a future Hall of Famer.

Not long after the Rangers took a 2-1 lead after Northville, Mich. native Noah Laba scored, Quick had a clearing attempt batted down by Patrick Kane, who had a gaping net to shoot at. Instead, the paddle of Quick's stick prevented Kane from getting a shot off as both Carson Soucy and Braden Schneider both rushed to the aid of their goaltender. 

Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) on XJONATHAN QUICK MISPLAYED THE PUCK, AND PATRICK KANE HAD THE EMPTY NET BUT COULDN'T BURY IT 😭😵

It was Kane's first game back in the lineup since he was injured on Oct. 17 against the Tampa Bay Lightning; he had missed nine straight contests. 

The Red Wings also had a prime scoring chances early in the third period as Compher raced in on a two-on-one rush and attempted to pick the corner, only to have his shot somehow deflected by the outside cuff of Quick's glove. 

New York then added a pair of insurance goals from Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere, the latter of which followed a Detroit defensive lapse. 

Talbot finished with 22 saves, while Quick turned back the clock with his performance, making 32 saves. 

The Red Wings will have to have a short memory, as they'll host the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday afternoon. 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

NEW YORK (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist, and the Minnesota Wild beat the New York Islanders 5-2 on Friday night.

Vinnie Hinostraza, Danila Yurov, Brock Faber and Marco Rossi also scored for Minnesota in its third win in four games. Jesper Wallstedt finished with 25 saves.

Emil Heineman and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders and David Rittich had 21 saves as New York lost its second straight and snapped a three-game point streak (2-0-1).

Kaprizov scored on a give-and-go with Mats Zuccarello to push the Wild’s lead to 5-2 at 8:33 of the third period. It was Kaprizov’s ninth goal of the season.

Trailing 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Islanders got on the board at 4:38 of the second as Heineman got a pass from Bo Horvat in the right circle and beat Wallstedt for his sixth.

Faber restored the Wild’s two-goal lead 1:18 later as he got the puck in the high slot after Matt Boldy’s wraparound try and put it past Rittich.

Rossi pushed the lead to 4-1 as he skated in on Rittich and beat him into the top right corner at 9:05.

Pageau pulled New York back within two, skating in on Wallstedt and tucking it past the goalie on the right side with 1:09 left in the second.

Hinostraza gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 7:24 of the first, deflecting a pass from Jonas Brodin past Rittich from the right doorstep.

Yurov doubled the lead with 7:28 remaining in the opening period as he took several whacks at a loose puck in front.

Up next

Wild: Host Calgary on Sunday to open a five-game homestand.

Islanders: At New York Rangers on Saturday to open a seven-game trip.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4–3 in a shootout last night, but for one player, it was more than just another game - it was a mini-reunion and a taste of home.

Devils rookie Arseny Gritsyuk was reunited with his friend Ivan Demidov before the matchup. The two played together last season with SKA St. Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), before Demidov made the jump to the NHL to join the Canadiens.

Gritsyuk told NHL.com that when he traveled from Russia to New Jersey this offseason, he stopped in Montreal to visit his old teammate.

“He told me you need to always be stronger — like always, always be ready for the hit,” Gritsyuk said of the advice Demidov shared with him to NHL.com.

The two have stayed in touch as Demidov adjusted to his first NHL season and Gritsyuk prepared for his own North American debut.

“I talked to him after Montreal lost in the playoffs,” Gritsyuk said to NHL.com. “I called him for a lot of details. He said it’s always a challenging game — every game. There’s always pressure, not much time. And the micro-battles are so important. When you go back for the puck — body check, body check, body check.”

Ahead of the game, Gritsyuk posted on his Telegram channel, Grit’s Diary, that he had invited Demidov over for dinner.

He shared a photo of the two with the caption:

Gritsyuk’s Telegram – @arsenigritsyuk81

“It was my turn to receive guests — for example, today Vanya Demidov stopped by 🤝 We had a delicious meal, chatted, and just had a great time. 😇 See you on the ice, brother 🤙”

Gritsyuk has mentioned having dinners with several familiar Russian faces during his first 14 NHL games and was happy to return the favor by hosting Demidov ahead of their matchup in Newark.

In the game, Demidov logged 10:27 of ice time, finishing with no points and two penalty minutes, while Gritsyuk played 15:29 and recorded two shots on goal.

As Gritsyuk navigates his rookie season and Demidov continues his sophomore campaign, the two continue to lean on each other for advice, familiarity, and friendship, both on and off the ice.

The Philadelphia Flyers have generally rolled with the same lineup over the last few games, but their latest transaction indicates that may not be the case for long.

On Friday, the Flyers announced that they had recalled forward Carl Grundstrom, acquired in the Ryan Ellis trade, and sent Aleksei Kolosov back to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

That move comes on the heels of a separate switch that saw goalie Sam Ersson come off injured reserve and center Jacob Gaucher head back to the Phantoms.

The key here, though, is that Gaucher had originally been called up by the Flyers because the team needed a right-shot center.

Grundstrom, 27, is neither a right-shot forward nor a center, and he gives the Flyers 13 forwards on their active roster with Tyson Foerster still on injured reserve.

NHL Insider 'Can See' Flyers, Trevor Zegras Contract Extension Talks StartingNHL insider Elliotte Friedman is beginning to "wonder" about contract extension talks between the Flyers and Trevor Zegras.

The Flyers also, however, have eight defensemen, which is not a particularly common denomination around the NHL.

Grundstrom's sudden addition to the NHL roster, and replacing Gaucher, especially, has created some questions that will be solved sooner or later.

For instance, eccentric rookie forward Nikita Grebenkin has played fewer than 10 minutes in three of his last five games, and veteran tough guy Nick Deslauriers just played a season-high 10:01 in his sixth appearance of the season in Thursday night's 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators.

One of Deslauriers or Grebenkin could come out of the lineup for Grundstrom if the Swede is to draw in at some point, especially given that Rodrigo Abols appears to have the fourth-line center role on lock.

And, if and when Foerster does return, the Flyers will need to send another player down to the AHL.

Unheralded Flyers Defenseman Quietly Playing Like One of NHL's BestPhiladelphia Flyers defenseman Cam York has been more dominant this season than anyone had imagined.

Would Grundstrom head back to the Phantoms so soon, sticking around for just a cup of coffee? Or will the Flyers decide they've had enough of the eight-defenseman rotation on the blueline?

Adam Ginning has played just one game since Oct. 16, and Emil Andrae appears to have usurped Egor Zamula's place in the lineup with his transitional skills outweighing his lack of size.

No matter the outcome, the Flyers are almost inevitably heading towards some kind of further change to the lineup and roster, which could some as soon as the end of the weekend.