The Avalanche called up forward Daniil Gushchin from the AHL on Saturday.
Gushchin was a familiar face throughout training camp in the preseason. He showed impressive skating, offensive awareness, and some underrated snap behind his wrist shot. The 23-year-old Russia native has made an impact at the AHL level this season, producing a point per game with nine goals and two assists over 11 games.
In parts of three seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Gushchin appeared in 18 NHL games, posting two goals and three assists while averaging around 13 minutes of ice time. Now as a member of the Avalanche, this is a prime opportunity for Gushchin to show off his improvements to the coaching staff and perhaps earn himself a permanent spot in the future. But with how deep this team is right now, it might be a while before that happens.
Brindley Will Play
In an earlier version of this story, we reported that Gavin Brindley was listed as day-to-day. However, in recent hours, the Avalanche reported that Brindley would start the game. We'll see how this works out.
Avalanche vs. Oilers
Avalanche vs. Oilers goes down at 8 p.m. local time from Rogers Place and will be televised on ESPN. Donât miss the action.
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After eight shut-outs in a row, Arsenal finally conceded a goal ⌠then another, as Sunderland dramatically snatched a late point
Sunderland get the ball rolling. What an atmosphere!
⌠but before kick-off, thereâs a moment of silence in honour and respect of the fallen. A wreath of poppies laid by the centre circle. Immaculately observed. Pin-drop perfect. Then the Last Post. And finally a Roker-style roar of gratitude to break the silence. Here we go, then.
Saturday night, primetime hockey against a Canadian teamâtruly, it doesnât get much better than that.
Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche will go toe-to-toe with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the Edmonton Oilers as they square off at Rogers Place.
MacKenzie Blackwood, who made his season debut last Saturday against the San Jose Sharks, is the presumed starter for the game. Earlier in the week, Jared Bednar acknowledged that the netminder was still working through some rust but noted that a full week of practice should help him regain his timing and sharpness.
âHe missed most of training camp; heâs been working kind of on his own and lacking team practice time at this point, so thatâs why I think this week will be very good for him, practice yesterday; he got some work in today, weâre practicing again tomorrow and Friday, so itâs the most practices weâve had all year, so I think that will help him get sort of used to game situations and heâll be ready to go for the weekend," Bednar stated on Tuesday.
The Avs held an optional skate Wednesday and a full practice Friday before heading north, giving Blackwood ample opportunity to settle in. If he showed enough progress, he should get the start; if questions remain, Bednar may opt for a split with Scott Wedgewood as Colorado navigates a back-to-back that concludes Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks. They've already played one back-to-back this season, dropping both in overtime to the Boston Bruins and New Jersey Devils, respectively, leaving them 0-0-2 on the season.
As reported Friday, Samuel Girard did not travel with the team as he continues to manage an upper-body injury. However, according to the Family Sports Center schedule, an Avs injured skate is set from 3:05 to 4:05 p.m. Participants could include Girard, Joel Kivirantaâwho has just resumed skating following a lower-body injuryâand Logan OâConnor.
The Avalanche met the Oilers three times last season, dropping two of those contests, though each loss came under very different circumstances. In the first matchup, on November 30, Alexandar Georgiev was still in goal, while the second, on January 16, featured Mikko Rantanen on the roster. Their lone victory came in the third meeting, following the Rantanen trade that brought Martin Necas and Jack Drury over from the Carolina Hurricanes. While the Avs now have Blackwood and Wedgewood, the Oilers, in the meanwhile, havenât made any changes in net with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard manning the pipes, and some of their more solid defensive pieces from last season are no longer with the club.
Nathan MacKinnon leads the team in goals (10) and points (20), while his 10 assists rank second to Cale Makarâs 14 for the team high.
On a positive note regarding injuries, Gavin Brindley informed The Hockey Newsâin the elevator just before puck drop for the LightningâAvalanche matchupâthat he had cleared concussion protocol and is expected to play this weekend. Brindley had missed time following a collision with Ivan Barbashev during the October 31 game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 21-year-old Brindley suffered a concussion, but his symptoms were relatively minor.
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton enters this contest with a 6-5-3 record, a mark that falls short of the dominance the franchise has historically exhibited. The team remains heavily top-loaded, with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl accounting for a combined 14 goals and 21 assistsâ38 points in totalâso far this season. Yet, the potency of these two superstars cannot be understated; they remain capable of striking at a momentâs notice. Meanwhile, the Avalanche, despite boasting the NHLâs best record, have shown a vulnerability to conceding quick goals, whether due to defensive lapses or loose pucks. In a matchup of this caliber, anything can happen.
Whoâs Deeper?
There is little doubt that the Avalanche boast greater depth. Edmonton has only three players with at least 12 points this season. We already know about McDavid and Draisaitl, but the third is Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. In contrast, Colorado can count five players in that category: Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas, Cale Makar, Victor Olofsson, and Artturi Lehkonen.
Ultimately, the outcome may hinge less on star power than on execution and the ability to minimize mistakes.
Showtime
Avalanche vs. Oilers goes down at 8 p.m. local time and will be televised on ESPN. Donât miss the action.
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Nico Harrison traded the franchiseâs star player, someone beloved by fans, and what he got back made Dallas older, shortened whatever championship window they had and placed that hope on the bodies of a couple of players with long injury histories. This season, his team is off to a 2-7 start, which has them dead last in the West â they went from a Finals team in 2024 to one that does not threaten anyone in the conference. While they landed the No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg, he is being played out of position, and it shows.
"A legitimate question right now is: Is Nico Harrison's job in serious jeopardy? That is an absolutely legitimate question. It's the question obviously Mavericks fans have been hoping would be answered with an affirmative since early February, I don't have a firm answer for you right now that you know that that's as much as I can tell you, but it is absolutely legitimate question. When you talk to people about the Mavericks around the league, it is the first question that people are asking."
Luka Doncic, averaging 40 points a game this season, being an offense unto himself and lifting the Lakers to a 7-2 record with a top-10 offense in the league, is salt in the wound for Mavericks fans watching their team have the worst offense in the league through nine games.
However, the Doncic trade never happens if team owner/governor Patrick Dumont doesn't sign off on it (it may not have been hard to talk him into not giving Doncic what would have been the largest contract extension in league history). Harrison can also point to the ACL injury to Kyrie Irving that has him out until mid-season at some point â plus shorter-term injuries to Anthony Davis and Dereck Lively II â as mitigating factors. However, as MacMahon notes in the podcast, Irving's injury was known and the team had all summer to find a solution (D'Angelo Russell is not a solution), and they traded for Davis knowing his injury history.
All of which makes one wonder if Dumont has the stones to fire Harrison, in a move that would be seen as a tacit admission that the Doncic trade failed, a trade he approved? Does he give Harrison more rope, hope the Mavericks start to turn things around, or does he go the route we saw from GMs in Memphis and Denver last season, where once the decision to move on from a coach (and GM in Denver) was made, it happened rapidly without concern for timing?
Cooper Flagg is going to prove to be a star in this league, but he's a rookie with a steep learning curve asked to play out of position as a point forward and initiate the offense (watch any point guard who comes into the league and, just like quarterback in the NFL, you see it takes time to adjust and comes with bumps and bruises along the way). The 1.8% luck that landed Dallas that pick only buys management so much of a grace period.
In the first period of the Minnesota Wild's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Tyler Pitlick was ejected for a hit to the head on defenseman Jalen Chatfield.
On Friday, the NHL ruled that there would be no further discipline for Pitlick. They ruled that the hit was direct head contract and more that it was not avoidable.
Chatfield is still injured and Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'amour will provide an update on the defenseman's status soon.
As for Pitlick, he did not play on Friday and was a healthy scratch against the New York Islanders.
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After a productive two-game swing through Montreal and Nashville, the Philadelphia Flyers return to Xfinity Mobile Arena with four points and a little bit of tension released from their shoulders.
They didnât just collect a road sweep; they rediscovered some rhythm. A shootout win in Montreal showed their persistence, and a 3â1 victory in Nashville demonstrated a more grounded, mature team effort. Now, as they prepare to face the Ottawa Senators, the Flyers will look to translate that steadiness into a consistent home-ice identity.
A Team Settling Into Its Adjustments
Whatâs been most notable about the Flyers over the past week isnât any individual performance but how well theyâve adapted to change. Tyson Foersterâs lower-body injury forced head coach Rick Tocchet to shuffle his forward lines, and what began as a necessity has evolved into something thatâs genuinely working.
Bobby Brink has meshed surprisingly well alongside Matvei Michkov, adding energy and pace that complements Michkovâs creativity. Christian Dvorakâs line with Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett "has been good for us," in the words of head coach Rick Tocchet â a mix of puck possession and defensive responsibility thatâs given Tocchet dependable middle-six minutes.
Itâs an encouraging sign for a coach who values structure but isnât afraid to let his players breathe within it. The Flyers arenât playing âsafeâ hockey right now â theyâre playing informed hockey, where their system dictates their decisions rather than their nerves.
Erssonâs Return Eases the Workload
Between the pipes, thereâs more good news. Sam Ersson, who missed a brief stretch with a lower-body injury, is once again available for selection, and will get the start against Ottawa.
Dan Vladar has held his own â and then some â in Erssonâs absence. His performance in Nashville, particularly during a second period where the Predators swarmed the crease with heavy traffic, was calm and composed. He read plays cleanly, held his positioning, and managed rebounds effectively.
Still, asking any goaltender to carry consecutive games on short rest can wear thin over time. Erssonâs availability doesnât just offer rest; it restores flexibility. Tocchet now has the freedom to manage both goalies based on matchup and rhythm rather than necessity.
Ottawaâs Offensive Push and What the Flyers Must Counter
Ottawa arrives in Philadelphia as a team that can still score in bunches, even if consistency remains an issue.
Cam Yorkâs recent form, in particular, has been a bright spot. Against Nashville, he looked confident and efficient, breaking up rushes early and managing the puck with poise. If the Flyers can maintain that kind of control in their exits, they can neutralize Ottawaâs quick-strike tendencies.
Discipline will also be key. The Flyers have had their share of testy games, but they canât afford to give them extended opportunities to find rhythm. Tocchetâs group has leaned on its penalty kill as a foundation all season, but the goal will be to spend less time relying on it.
Continuity, Not Complacency
One of Tocchetâs subtler victories in recent weeks has been instilling patience in how this team approaches progress. The back-to-back wins werenât always flashy, but they were composed â the kind of hockey that holds up over time.
The Flyers are still a team learning to manage momentum instead of chasing it. Their depth scoring is coming alive again, and their defensive structure looks tighter, but Tocchet has made it clear that the standard doesnât change based on results.
Thatâs what will make the Ottawa game a useful barometer. Can the Flyers take the maturity theyâve shown on the road and bring it home? Can they avoid the lulls that sometimes creep in when the adrenaline of travel fades?
Those questions will define whether this recent stretch is a temporary upswing or the start of something more stable.
At 5-5 on the 2025-26 NBA season following a 4-1 start, the .500 Warriors have some work to do if they want to contend in the Western Conference.
But despite the steep road ahead, coach Steve Kerr explained why thereâs no point in feeling a sense of urgency at the beginning of a long campaign â especially in a league that now is so fast-paced, focusing on the little things is more important than ever.
âWeâve given a couple games away for sure, and thereâs absolutely a focus on that,â Kerr told 95.7 The Gameâs âWillard & Dibsâ on Thursday, one day before Golden Stateâs blowout NBA Cup loss to the Denver Nuggets. âBut you canât just say, you know, âHey, we got to get urgent here.â There has to be a process that leads to the execution, that leads to the wins. And so right now, the focus is on the process. Take care of the damn ball, and we can help you with that as coaches with spacing and our offensive scheming, what weâre doing, thatâs a collaboration.
âBut ultimately, you know â adapt or die. I mean, the league has changed, and everyoneâs playing with pace and 3-point shooting. I would say, seven or eight years ago, we could turn it over 18 times, and it didnât matter, because we were going to shoot threes and play fast and out-talent people. Now you can play one of the worst teams in the league, and they will beat you by shooting, making 20 threes and playing really fast if you turn it over.â
The Warriors havenât done a great job at taking care of the ball so far this season â they rank No. 20 in the league in turnovers per game with 16.0 and No. 22 in turnovers per possession (15.5 percent). In consecutive losses to the Sacramento Kings and Nuggets this week, Golden State allowed 28 points off 31 turnovers and has turned the ball over 15 or more times in seven of their 10 total games.
If the Warriors can limit their turnovers, Kerr believes the sky is the limit. But as he said, itâs truly do or die in an NBA that isnât slowing down any time soon.
âAnd so our entire team needs to understand this message,â Kerr continued. âAnd obviously, Iâve given them that message. Iâm not sharing it with you guys without sharing it with them, but I want them to hear this too on the radio like, you know, we have to adapt to what the league is doing right now, and that means take care of the ball, handle transition at both ends.
âAnd if we do that, I love our team. I think weâre going to go places.â
Insert third-year forward Noah Clowney, who came through with 19 points in Friday's 125-107 loss to the Detroit Pistons. It was Clowney's third straight 15-plus point game, as the 21-year-old has started the past three contests for head coach Jordi Fernandez.
After the game, Fernandez spoke highly of Clowney's recent stretch, while acknowledging there is still room for improvement, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
"Noah always takes positive steps. I need him to be better defensively and he knows it," Fernandez said. "His voice needs to grow, embracing the contact, they're playing with the two bigs. Whether you're the low man, whether your communication is on or off the ball, all those things.Â
"He's really smart, he's about the right things, he knows it. Like everybody else, need to grow into that fast. I know he will. I like his aggressiveness, how he shot the ball. Got to keep taking, like I said, positive steps."
Clowney went 5 of 13 shooting on Friday night, including 4 of 8 from three-point range with all four makes coming in the first quarter. Across his three recent starts (31 minutes per game), the Alabama product is averaging 17.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field, 40 percent from three, and 75 percent from the foul line.
The scoring is a big jump from what he was doing off the bench across the Nets' first six games. Clowney had scored just a total of 26 points (4.3 points per game) over 20 minutes per night prior to starting the past three games.
His hot stretch has also been helpful for rookie guard Egor Demin, who assisted on three of Clowney's four triples. The No. 8 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft believes Clowney can continue being a reliable option with his strong shooting.
"I love him. I think it's really important for me, personally, and for the team, to make sure that he has this confidence to keep shooting, and everybody knows that he can shoot the ball extremely well, as he did today," Demin said.
The Nets will need Clowney to continue scoring at the rate he has as they search for their second win of the season. Brooklyn will take on the crosstown rival Knicks on Sunday evening at MSG in the first of four matchups between the Atlantic Division two teams.
The All Blacks resisted a ferocious second-half fightback to maintain their unbeaten record against Scotland
2 mins. A very solid receive, recycle and boot drill from Scotland, featuring 0% nonsense, despatches the ball to touch. NZ warm some of their carriersâ hands with the possession won from the lineout, but it comes to nothing before the ball is spilled forward.
Barrett puts his foot through the ball to get the test match underway
The Pittsburgh Penguins will face one of the best teams in the NHL to start the season on Saturday.
They'll be in Newark to take on the New Jersey Devils, who have won 10 of their first 14 games and are tied with them for first in the Metropolitan Division. Devils forward Jack Hughes has been lighting the league on fire, compiling 10 goals and 18 points in 14 games. He's a strong contender for the Hart Trophy after the first month of the season.
Jesper Bratt has also been great, racking up five goals and 15 points in 14 games. Dawson Mercer is second on the team in goals with eight and third on the team in points with 14.Â
The Devils are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Bratt scored the overtime winner for the Devils.Â
The Penguins are coming off a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday and are now 9-4-2 to start the season. They blew a three-goal lead for a second-straight game, but were able to rally in the third period thanks to a game-winning goal from Bryan Rust.Â
Arturs Silovs will start in goal for a second-straight game after he was steady on Thursday. The Penguins are taking it easy with prospect Sergei Murashov and potentially saving his NHL debut for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Kings.Â
Kevin Hayes, who has missed the first 15 games of the season due to an injury he suffered at the beginning of training camp, will make his season debut for the Penguins. He will slot in for Philip Tomasino, who continues to struggle.
Here were the lines at practice on Friday:
Forwards
Rust-Crosby-Kindel
Novak-Malkin-Mantha
Koppanen-Hayes-Koivunen
Dewar-Lizotte-Heinen
Defense
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Shea-Letang
Graves-Clifton
Dumba-Brunicke
Puck drop for this contest will be at 12:30 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'
Nov 6, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen (47) and Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) battle for the puck during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Game Day
Who: Dallas Stars (7-4-3) at Nashville Predators (5-7-4)
Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.
When: 2:30 Pm CST
TV: FanDuel Sports Network South
Radio: 102.5 The Game
Betting line (via BetMGM):
Stars
-1.5 (+150)
O 6 (+100)
-160
Predators
+1.5 (-185)
U 6 (-120)
+135
Injury Report
Cole Smith (upper-body injury) is currently on injured reserve and is expected to miss 3-6 weeks.
Adam Wilsby (lower-body injury) is listed as week-to-week.
Captain Roman Josi (upper-body) is on injured reserve.
Preds Fall To Flyers, OâReilly Expresses Frustration
The Nashville Predators carry a three-game losing streak into Saturday afternoonâs matchup against the Dallas Stars at Bridgestone Arena.
Itâs been a particularly tough week for the Preds, losing two consecutive overtime games and managing only one goal in their last outing, a 3-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Preds forward Ryan OâReilly expressed frustration after the Flyersâ game, not only for his teamâs difficult stretch but his own play.
"I know for myself, (I'm) the No. 1 center and I'm turning over the puck," O'Reilly said following the game. "I can't make a 60-foot pass to save my life. You're not going to have much success if I'm playing pathetic like that.â
Forsberg Bobblehead Day
As the Preds play their final home game before heading to Stockholm, Sweden for the 2025 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal, Saturdayâs game is a Swedish send-off of sorts for Filip Forsberg.
The first 10,000 fans inside Bridgestone Arena will receive a Filip Forsberg bobblehead to commemorate the Preds forward and the trip to his home country that starts on Nov. 14.
The Preds will face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a two-game series in Stockholm. Forsberg was born in Leksand, so this series will be a dream come true for him.
Team Leaders
Speaking of Forsberg, he currently leads the team in scoring with six goals and 12 points. OâReilly has tallied six goals and 10 points. Michael Bunting is right behind (4g-5a) with nine points, while Erik Haula (3g-5a) and Luke Evangelista (1g-7a) are tied with eight points apiece.
Juuse Saros, who was on the receiving end of the tough loss against Philadelphia on Thursday, comes into Saturday with a 5-5-3 record, 2.88 goals-against average and .902 save percentage. Justus Annunen is 0-2-1, 3.70, .872.
The Predsâ power play comes into Saturdayâs matchup 7-of-49 (14.3%), 28th in the NHL. On the penalty kill, the Preds rank 14th at 82.0% (9-for-50).
Milestone Watch
The next goal Michael Bunting scores will be the 100th of his NHL career.
Scouting The Stars
The Preds have already faced Dallas once this season, falling 3-2 in an Oct. 26 meeting at Bridgestone Arena.
Jonathan Marchessault and Spencer Stastney tallied goals for the Preds, who were playing the second night of a back-to-back.
After falling behind 2-0, the Stars clawed back to score three unanswered goals for the comeback win. Saturday will be the second of three matchups between the two clubs this season.
Dallas is in a bit of a slump themselves. Theyâve dropped three of their last four outings, the latest being a 7-5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night.
Mikko Rantanen paces the team with 20 points (8g-12a), followed by Wyatt Johnston (9g-8a) with 17 points and Jason Robertson (3g-10a) with 13 points.
Jake Oettinger is 5-3-2 in goal for the Stars with a 2.89 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. Casey DeSmith is 2-1-1 with a 3.15 GAA and .876 SP.
The Starsâ power play is third in the NHL (17-of-50, 34.0%). The penalty kill is 28th at 70.5% (13-of-44).
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The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to face the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena tonight.
The Vancouver Canucks come into this game 6th in the Pacific Division, 12th in the West, and 28th in the league. They've gone 4-6-0 in the last 10 and have lost 2 of their last 3 games.
But much like every team in the league, just because they've lost a few games doesn't make them any less dangerous. Couple that with the fact that Rogers Arena is a factory of sadness for the Blue Jackets, and tonight might be a long night for the CBJ. Columbus is 11-17-0-6, all-time in Vancouver.
Columbus has lost two straight games since their four-game winning streak and will be looking to pick up two points. Expect lineup changes for tonight, as Denton Mateychuk should return from missing the game against Calgary.
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 16.1% - 25th in NHL
Penalty Kill - 68.4% - 30th in NHL
Goals For - 40 - 25th in NHL
Goals Against - 41 - 13th in NHL
Canucks Stats
Power Play - 19.2% - 19th in NHL
Penalty Kill - 68.0% - 31st in NHL
Goals For - 40 - 23rd in NHL
Goals Against - 50 - 26th in NHL
Series History vs. Canucks
Columbus is 26-32-2-9 all-time, and 11-17-0-6 on the road vs. Vancouver.
The Jackets are 7-3-1 in the last 11 games against the Canucks.
The CBJ went 1-1 vs. the Canucks last season.
Who To Watch For The Canucks
Columbus native Kiefer Sherwood leads the Canucks with 9 goals.
Conor Garland leads Vancouver with 8 assists and 11 points.
Thatcher Demko is 5-4-0 with a .912 SV%. He last played on November 3rd against Nashville and won.
Kevin Lankinen is 2-4-0 with a SV% of .880. He last played on November 5th, a loss against Chicago.
CBJ Player Notes vs. Canucks
Zach Werenski has 8 points in 14 games against the Canucks.
Sean Monahan has 29 points in 48 games.
Kirill Marchenko has 6 points in 5 games vs. Vancouver.
Elvis Merzlikins is 5-2-1 with an .892 SV% against Vancouver.
Injuries - Gudbranson on IR
Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 4 games - IR
Denton Mateychuk - Undisclosed - Missed 1 game
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 15
How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.
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OTTAWA SENATORS (6-5-3) at PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (8-5-1) Faceoff: 1 pm, TSN5, RDS2
The Senators go another round with the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon. The two clubs met in Ottawa back on October 23rd with the Senators winning a defensive struggle, 2-1. Former Flyer Olle Lycksell scored the winner early in the second period before the two clubs completely shut each other down the rest of the way.
The State of Sens Nation
That win over the Flyers was the start of better things for the Senators. With the inclusion of that victory, the Sens have only lost once in regulation (4-1-2) since, though they have dropped their last two in overtime, falling 3-2 to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night and 4-3 to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Much of the dialogue in Sens Nation has centred on goaltending. With Linus Ullmark just 12 games into his four-year, $33 million contract, he hasn't come close to living up to the expectations that come with being the Senators' second-highest paid player. Ullmark stats so far are among the worst in the NHL, with an .863 save percentage and a 3.36 goals against.
While official lineups aren't out until closer to game time, backup Leevi Merilainen will get a look either Saturday or Sunday. He's only started in two games so far this season.
It's been a slow start for three Senators who are all just starting their new contracts. Along with Ullmark, Ridly Greig (4 years at $3.25 million per) and Fabian Zetterlund (3 years at $4.275 million per) are scuffling. In 14 games, Greig has 1 goal and 3 assists, while Zetterlund has 1 goal and 2 assists.
The Senators are on their Dad's trip so they made a father-son visit to Lincoln Financial Field to tour the Eagles' facility, dressing room, and even got to pose with the two Vince Lombardi Trophies the Eagles have won. Sens fans would love to see some of that championship aura rub off on the fellas.
They also whipped across the street to Citizens Bank Park to tour the Phillies' building and even take some swings in their batting cages. That was a special treat for centre Shane Pinto, who's apparently a big Philies fan.
This will end a stretch of three road games before the Sens open a four-game homestand on Sunday night versus the Utah Mammoth.
The Opponent
In their preseason NHL forecasts, not many of the experts saw the Philadelphia Flyers logo pop up in their playoff crystal balls, but the Flyers currently hold down a wild card with a record of 8-5-1 so far this season. That said, the Eastern Conference parity borders on the bizarre. Only six points separate first from 16th, and everyone in the conference is above .500 (points percentage).
The Flyers have gone 5-2-0 over their last seven games, and they've been relatively stingy, allowing just 2.6 goals per game. But when it comes to these routine-destroying 1 pm starts, a lot of trends tend to go out the window.
This may be the year that Trevor Zegras' point production catches up with his sublime skill level. Zegras leads all Flyers in scoring with 15 points in 14 games, so the change of address this season after five years in Anaheim appears to have served him well.
Former Ottawa 67's captain Travis Konecny is on a six-game point streak after a goal and an assist in the Flyers' 3-1 victory in Nashville on Thursday.
Senators projected lineup (subject to change)
Nick Cousins -- Tim Stutzle -- Drake Batherson Ridly Greig -- Dylan Cozens -- David Perron Michael Amadio -- Shane Pinto -- Claude Giroux Kurtis MacDermid -- Lars Eller -- Fabian Zetterlund
Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen Tyler Kleven -- Nikolas Matinpalo
Linus Ullmark Leevi Merilainen
Flyers projected lineup (subject to change)
Owen Tippett -- Christian Dvorak -- Trevor Zegras Matvei Michkov -- Sean Couturier -- Bobby Brink Nikita Grebenkin -- Noah Cates -- Travis Konecny Nicolas Deslauriers -- Rodrigo Abols -- Garnet Hathaway
Cam York -- Travis Sanheim Nick Seeler -- Jamie Drysdale Emil Andrae -- Noah Juulsen
The Flyers saw a comeback bid fall short Saturday afternoon as they suffered a 3-2 overtime loss to the Senators at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Matvei Michkov and Jamie Drysdale provided the Flyersâ goals. Michkov trimmed Ottawaâs lead to 2-1 in the second period before Drysdale tied the game a little over halfway through the third period.
But the Senators recovered as Tim Stutzle scored the OT winner with his second goal of the day. Trevor Zegras was a step behind in coverage after skating toward the bench for an attempted change.
âHe wanted to come off, but youâve got to be decisive,â Rick Tocchet said. âIt was a tough play, but youâve either got to come hard or youâve got to stay on.â
The Flyers (8-5-2) have lost their last three home games, scoring just 1.67 goals per game.
Theyâve played a lot of close games this season, with nine being decided by one goal. Theyâre 4-3-2 in those games.
Tocchetâs club is 0-1-1 against the Senators (7-5-3) with one more matchup to go Feb. 5 back here in Philadelphia.
⢠Samuel Ersson made his first start since Oct. 28 after being activated off injured reserve before Thursdayâs game.
The 26-year-old converted 10 saves on 13 shots. The Flyers were able to shore things up after a rocky start and allowed just one shot in the third period.
But it wasnât enough and an early hole didnât help.
âIâve got to do a better job getting the team ready,â Tocchet said.
Ottawa jumped out to a 2-0 lead not even six and a half minutes into the game. The goals came in the span of one minute and five seconds.
On the first goal, Bobby Brink was unable to play the puck up the boards, which allowed the Senators to find a wide-open Stutzle for a blast from the circle.
The Flyers were poor in coverage again on the second goal when Michael Amadio made a move in close off a nice pass by Claude Giroux.
Two days ago, the Flyers gave up a goal just 1:44 minutes into the game, but they went on to beat the Predators, 3-1.
âObviously Iâve got to look at myself,â Tocchet said. ⌠âWeâre a little bit slow starting the game, we just seem a little bit off. That falls on me.â
Senators netminder Linus Ullmark stopped 20 of the Flyersâ 22 shots.
âThatâs two games now that the other team comes out stronger than us and out-battles us,â Sean Couturier said. âIt makes it hard on us to come back. But as much as it could have been a frustrating day, we didnât give them a whole lot after the first [period].â
⢠Michkov has scored a goal in back-to-back games, a really good sign for the Flyers.
âEvery game, I feel better and better,â Michkov said through translator Slava Kuznetsov, a Flyers consultant.
The 20-year-old winger fended off Ottawa defenseman Jake Sanderson before making a move toward the net and ripping home a shot. He screamed to the crowd in celebration.
âOur staff, since weâve been here, has been stressing body position before the puck,â Tocchet said. âThat was classic, what he just did. A lot of times, guys will go to the puck and they get stripped. Weâre a team that still has to get better at that. What Mich did is something that weâre preaching all of the time, and that was textbook.â
In the first period, the Flyers had a failed power play. Michkov and Travis Konecny had some words on the bench. It didnât look like they saw eye to eye on what they were trying to execute.
But after Konecny recorded an assist on Michkovâs goal in the middle stanza, he gave the youngster a fist-pound and patted him on the head. Two competitive guys working through things.
⢠Giroux has enjoyed seeing his old team.
His first-period helper gave him 13 points (three goals, 10 assists) in 11 career games against the Flyers.
⢠Carl Grundstrom, who was acquired in the Ryan Ellis trade, made his Flyers debut after being called up Friday from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
The 27-year-old winger came to the Flyers with 292 games and 43 goals on his NHL rĂŠsumĂŠ. He wore No. 91 and opened the game on a line with Konecny and Noah Cates.
⢠The Flyers have three days before their next game Wednesday when they host Connor McDavid and the Oilers (7:30 p.m. ET/NBCSP).
Guerilla Sports (@guerillasports) on XDanil Gushchin's ninth goal of the season. He is tied for the AHL-lead in goals. đ¨
The @ColoradoEagles are 6-0-0 when they score on the power play.
