The Philadelphia Flyers walked into Dallas on the second leg of a back-to-back, in a building they rarely look comfortable in, and got a very clear reminder of why the Stars are one of the league’s most complete teams.

The 5–1 loss wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t subtle — Dallas controlled the game early, dictated pace, and never allowed Philadelphia to find the kind of rhythm that carried them through St. Louis the night before.

1. The Game Was Tilted from the Start — and the Flyers Never Recovered Their Feet

This wasn’t a slow bleed; Dallas hit the gas immediately. Their pace in transition caused problems right away, and the Flyers’ legs simply weren’t at the same level after a grueling 6–5 shootout win against the Blues the night before.

When the Stars get rolling downhill, they’re one of the league’s toughest teams to disrupt. Their breakouts are crisp, their neutral-zone structure is airtight, and their forwards arrive in layers. Against a well-oiled Stars team, the Flyers spent most of the first 40 minutes reacting instead of initiating.

NHL (@NHL) on XThat's a natty hatty for Jason Robertson! 🧢 He now has six goals and nine points in his last three games!

2. Meaningful Offense Was Almost Impossible to Come By

You can usually tell how a Flyers game is going based on how often they generate second opportunities or extended o-zone shifts. This one had almost none of either. Dallas boxed out decisively, won middle-ice battles, and kept the Flyers to the perimeter.

Philadelphia ended up with shot attempts, but not enough that carried intent. Breakouts were choppy. Entries were rushed. And once inside the zone, Dallas immediately smothered passing options, turning potential scoring sequences into one-and-done possessions.

Christian Dvorak’s third-period goal — the Flyers’ only one — was less a spark and more a consolation after the Stars had already built what proved to be an insurmountable lead.

Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) on XStay hot, 2️⃣ 2️⃣! #PHIvsDAL | #LetsGoFlyers

3. Dallas Is Simply Not the Team You Want to See on Fatigue Night

The Stars are a matchup nightmare even when you're rested. They roll three legitimately dangerous lines, their defense is enormous and mobile, and Jake Oettinger doesn’t usually give much back when he’s dialed in.

The Flyers arrived in Dallas having emptied the tank the previous night. The Stars looked like a team waiting for them.

Philadelphia isn’t alone in this — plenty of teams get thumped here — but it does illuminate how thin the margin for error becomes against elite opponents when the schedule isn’t in your favor.

4. Perspective Matters: This Loss Doesn’t Erase the Progress of the Road Trip

A loss like this looks ugly on paper, but the larger picture matters. This was just the seventh road game the Flyers have had this season, and while they haven't been perfect away from home, they've found some footing in some tough road barns.

They collected wins in Montreal and Nashville on their previous road trip, then clawed out an exhausting shootout win in St. Louis. Facing Dallas less than 24 hours later was always going to be unforgiving.

The Flyers have been trending upward — structurally, competitively, and in their ability to stay in games late. None of that changes because Dallas did what an elite team does to a tired opponent.

The takeaway isn’t that the Flyers collapsed. It’s that they walked into a brutal situational matchup and got the expected result.

Not every loss needs to be a narrative shift, and this one certainly isn’t. It was a rough night against a powerhouse — nothing more, nothing less. 

In our pre-season predictions, the Colorado Avalanche were this writer’s pick to win the Central Division and be a frontrunner to win the Stanley Cup. That’s hardly a stretch, given how deep and talented the Avalanche were on paper.

But not even the Avs’ most fervent advocates believed they’d be as dominant as they’ve looked through the first 20 percent of this season. 

Indeed, Colorado has posted a 12-1-5 record thus far this season. That’s right, the Avalanche have lost just once in regulation time this year. That is astonishing, particularly when you consider the teams they’ve beaten this season.

To wit: the Avs are currently on a five-game win streak, with victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, Anaheim Ducks, and Buffalo Sabres. In addition, Colorado has beaten the Los Angeles Kings, Utah Mammoth, New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights. Out of those teams, only the Canucks and Sabres are subpar teams this year.

The truly impressive thing to note about the Avalanche is that they’re dominating at both ends of the ice. The Avs have the NHL’s best offense, averaging a whopping 4.11 goals-for per game. They also have the league’s best defense, averaging just 2.44 goals-against per game. So it’s no wonder Colorado is the NHL’s top team right now.

NHL Power Rankings: Avalanche Thrive As Leafs, Jackets And More FallOne week made a big difference in the NHL power rankings, with injuries continuing to be a big story and lengthy winning and losing streaks standing out.

That said, another impressive element in the Avalanche’s stunning start is the fact that starting goalie Mackenzie Blackwood didn’t play a game (due to injury) until Nov. 1. Since Blackwood has returned to action, he’s posted subpar individual numbers, including an .870 save percentage and 3.28 goals-against average. 

In Blackwood’s stead, the Avalanche have leaned heavily on backup Scott Wedgewood, and he’s been terrific, putting up a 10-1-2 record, a 2.26 GAA and a .913 SP. Avs GM Chris MacFarland has rewarded Wedgewood with a one-year contract extension, which provides Wedgewood with job security through the 2026-27 campaign. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar has taken a tough-love approach when it comes to giving Blackwood the lion’s share of the work, and you can’t blame Bednar for it. He’s riding the hot hand, and that raises the competitive bar for both Blackwood and Wedgewood.

Now, it hasn’t been all sunshine and lollipops in Denver. The Avalanche did stumble through a four-game losing streak at the end of October. But even then, the Avs took two of those four games to overtime, and a third game to the shootout, which we know is a crapshoot. And since that stretch, Colorado has gone 7-0-1 to underscore their status as the NHL’s gold standard team. 

All things considered, if you’re an Avalanche fan, you couldn’t be happier with the way this team has come out of the gate. And considering that Colorado’s next five games come against the New York Islanders, New York Rangers,Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks, the Avs may go through the first 25 games of this season with only one regulation loss. And that is absolutely incredible. 

Expectations on the Avalanche were sky-high entering this season, and the Avs have more than lived up to those expectations. So long as the Avalanche stay healthy, as far as we’re concerned, all roads to the Cup go through Colorado this season.

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ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild (8-7-4) is 5-1-1 in its last seven games. The Wild are currently tied for the most points in the NHL since Nov. 1. Goaltending has been a big reason why. Jesper Wallstedt is 3-0-0 in that span and Filip Gustavsson is 2-1-1.

“Yeah, you need strong goaltending to win and we obviously have a good tandem," Wild head coach John Hynes said on the goaltending. "I think both guys are competing and that’s what you want when you have two guys that can play and they compete for the net. That’s usually what drives a lot of things is if you have competition.”

Wallstedt, 23, picked up another shutout on Saturday against the Anaheim Ducks after he stopped all 28 shots he faced. He has posted shutouts in back-to-back starts and leads the NHL in that category.

In his last three starts, Wallstedt is 3-0-0 with a 0.67 goals-against average and a .978 save percentage.

"I just think it's a player that's gone through adversity, which you have to have. When you go through some tough times, whether it be a team early in the year, when it's hard and it doesn’t go as what you want it, or as individual players, can you gain the lessons out of that? And then can you take the actions to get better? And, you know, for Wally, it was a tough season for him for numerous reasons, but it made him stronger," Hynes said on Wallstedt from last year to now.

"He took the lessons out of it. He committed himself this summer. And there's a difference in the way that he practices and the way that he conducts himself away from the rink. They're little things that make a big difference. So that's how I see it. Sometimes young guys go through struggles, and it’s OK as long as you learn the lessons and take the right actions to come out the other side."

'All The People That Have Doubted Me, This Felt Really Good': Jesper Wallstedt Opens The Season Proving Haters Wrong<b>ST. PAUL, Minn -</b> It has been one heck of a journey for goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. It is just one game, but there is no doubt Wallstedt is riding high after the win on Monday.

Per NHL Stats, Wallstedt became the first rookie in franchise history with consecutive shutouts as well as the youngest Wild goaltender to achieve the feat, besting the previous mark set by 24-year-old Darcy Kuemper (2 GP from Oct. 9-11, 2014).

Niklas Backstrom did it in his "rookie year," but he technically wasn't a rookie due to being 28 during that season.

Wallstedt has still not lost in regulation this year for Minnesota. He improved to 4-0-2 after the 2-0 win over Anaheim. He has a 2.10 goals-against average and .924 save percentage in six starts this season.

Gustavsson, 27, doesn't nessicarly have the best numbers on the season but has been playing great recently. He is 2-1-1 in the Wild's last seven games with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.

Since Nov 1, the Wild rank second in goals-against average (1.69) and third in save percentage (.939).

“Obviously, keeping goals low is a team result," Wallstedt said after his second consecutive shutout. "It’s something we’re doing as a team. If we can limit scoring chances and blocking shots and taking away sticks and boxing out, obviously my record will look good. But at the end of the day, it’s a team result. We’re doing it all together.”

Nonetheless, this had to feel good for Wallstedt. Last year he went 9-14-5 with a 3.59 goals-against average and a .879 save percentage in 27 AHL games. It was a hard season for him.

In two NHL games last year, Wallstedt went 0-2-0 with a 4.09 goals-against average and a .843 save percentage. 

Wild fans and people were writing the so called "goaltender of the future" off. But the Wild continued to believe in him and signed him to a two-year contract extension worth $2.2 million for a goaltender who had only played in five career NHL games.

Safe to say so far that decision by the Wild was a great one.

“It feels really good. It’s obviously a big difference from what I experienced last year and changes the whole mood and my whole lifestyle outside of hockey as well," Wallstedt said on the how this year has been for him personally. "It’s so much more fun right now going to work than it was 12 months ago. With that said, like I’ve said, it’s not just me. It’s about this team as well.”

The 6-foot-3 goaltender took it upon himself to get in better shape this season. You could see it as training camp opened. Wallstedt just looked different on and off the ice. It should not come as a shock as to why he has played so good to start the season.

“He’s physically fit. He’s more fit than he was last year. I think he’s mentally tougher than he was last year," Hynes said on Wallstedt. "His practice habits are good so when you combine all those things, you do get yourself ready whether you play lots of games in a row where there’s a little bit of time in between starts that when you do start, you are ready and he’s done a nice job of that.”

Spoked Z (@SpokedZ) on XJESPER WALLSTEDT SHUTS THE DOOR AGAIN

You need both goalies all season long. It is good to see Wallstedt finding his grove and playing such good hockey right now.

The Wild also committed to Gustavsson long-term. Right before the season they extended him to a five-year contract worth $34 million ($6.8m AAV).

Could we have some goaltending controversy?

“I’ll take that any day of the week," Hynes said postgame.

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With Jack Hughes sidelined for the next several weeks after undergoing surgery on his finger, the New Jersey Devilscontinued their road trip, facing the Washington Capitals on Saturday evening at Capital One Arena. 

Arseny Gritsyuk and Luke Hughes scored for the Devils in regulation, while Jesper Bratt and Simon Nemec lit the lamp in the shootout for a 3-2 victory. Goaltender Jake Allen made 31 saves on 33 shots. 

"Good teams find a way and we’ve got to hold the fort for (Jack Hughes)," Hischier told NJD.TV. "That is what we are trying to do here, and I think everybody bought in and that is why we got a grindy win, that is important for morale."

Gritsyuk scored his first road goal at the 5:05 mark of the first period. With the Devils on the man advantage, the 24-year-old was positioned on the flank and fired the puck with a slap shot that flew past Capitals' goaltender Logan Thompson.

Hughes extended New Jersey's lead to 2-0 with two minutes remaining in the period. It was his first goal of the season and second point as he earned the primary assist on Gritsyuk's goal. 

Allen lost his stick one minute into the third period as the Capitals had the Devils hemmed in the defensive zone. Connor McMichael skated in front of New Jersey's net and popped the puck in to bring Washington within one goal. 

With 11 minutes remaining in regulation, Alexander Ovechkin tied the game with his fifth goal of the season and 902nd of his career. Hughes was unable to tie up the Russian's stick, leading to the game-tying goal. 

After a lively overtime, where the Devils had a 7-2 shot advantage over the Capitals, a shootout was needed to declare a winner. 

Dylan Strome was the only Capital player to beat Allen, while Bratt and Nemec scored for a 3-2 victory. Saturday marked the fifth consecutive game that New Jersey had to play extra minutes. 

"We have been dealing with injuries and adversity all season long, finding ways to cope" head coach Sheldon Keefe told NJD.TV. "Finding ways to earn points and stay alive in games, but the guys just played incredibly hard here today. They are well-deserving of the two points."

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

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.

The Florida Panthers dropped a frustrating battle to their biggest rivals on Saturday night in Sunrise.

Florida struggled with their offense in a physical matchup, falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 at Amerant Bank Arena.

It was the first time in several games that the Panthers looked a bit out of sorts when compared to how they have generally been able to perform against their opponents.

In this case, the defeat stings just a little bit more because, you know, it’s Tampa.

Here are Saturday’s takeaways:

TROUBLE GETTING PUCKS ON NET

An area that we’ve seen the Panthers struggle from time to time is with getting shot attempts through to the net.

Some nights their opponents have been amazing at getting into the shooting lanes, other nights Florida just can’t seem to find the net with looks that get through.

Saturday felt like a steady mix.

Between Tampa Bay blocking a couple dozen shots and Florida missing with several handfuls of others, it wasn’t nearly as difficult of a night for Andrei Vasilevsky as it could or should have been.

“They did a real good job blocking shots,” said Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice. “I think we had 37 (shot attempts) that never got to the net. That's a bit of a challenge.

FAILED TO WIN PUCK BATTLES

One of the ways Florida has become such a dominant force is in their physicality.

If you’re heading into the boards with a Panthers player in hopes of emerging with the puck, odds are the situation won’t go well for you.

That’s the norm, but that wasn’t the case on Saturday.

Credit to the Lightning, who know exactly what to expect out of their cross-state rival and were ready, willing and able to withstand what the Panthers threw at them.

“I didn’t like the number of pucks we came up with on contested pucks,” Maurice said. “That would be the place that we need to get better at.”

STRONG OUTING FROM PK UNIT

One area that Florida was excellent all-around on Saturday was their penalty kill.

This is nothing new, as the Cats’ PK has been humming along for the past several games.

Not since the first period in Los Angeles have the Panthers allowed a power play goal, a stretch that has now reached 13 consecutive penalty kills.

“I liked our penalty kill, that was the highlight of the game. I thought we did a real good job with that,” Maurice said. “It's no different than your power play; It's all confidence based. We went through a run of having a tough stretch on our kill, and it's been good for the last four or five games. Really aggressive, everybody moving together, getting sticks on pucks, winning face offs, some blocks, but some really good clears.”

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Photo caption: Apr 28, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Carter Verhaeghe (23) controls the puck against Tampa Bay Lightning center Gage Goncalves (93) during the third period in game four of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amerant Bank Arena. (Rich Storry-Imagn Images)

After a disappointing start to the NHL Global Series on Friday, the Pittsburgh Penguins will look to rebound in the second and final game of the event against the Nashville Predators.

Pittsburgh lost the first of the contests in Stockholm, Sweden in overtime, 2-1, and they were well-aware that their effort in that game wasn't good enough. The Penguins are now 9-5-4 on the season, and - with one more loss, regulation or overtime - the team will technically fall below the .500 mark.

As of now, they are also holding onto one of the final three playoff slots in the Eastern Conference with 22 points - and there is a tie among the three teams in the Penguins, New York Islanders, and New York Rangers. The team may be in Sweden, but they know how important banking two points against one of the league's bottom teams is on Sunday.

The Penguins have now blown leads in five of their last six games, the latest of which occurred in the final minute and change of regulation on Friday against Nashville. They own a 1-3-2 record in their last six, and they are focused on getting back to shutting the door when they hold a lead. 

"When you lead going into the third period and late into the game like that, you've got to find ways to close it out," captain Sidney Crosby said. "And now, it's been a few times now that we've lost those leads. You've got to find a way to close out games."

Takeaways: Penguins' Lack Of Injury Depth Exposed In 2-1 Loss To Predators During First Game Of Global SeriesDespite all of the excitement and fanfare surrounding the start of the 2025-26 Global Series, Friday simply wasn't the night for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>.

Pittsburgh is still injury-depleted and have limited options to address their scoring depth while on another continent, but their production has dried up in recent games. They have only scored a total of four goals in the last three games, all of which have been losses.

Nashville did not have much going heading into the Global Series, either, as they had lost five consecutive games prior to Friday. With the initial weight lifted off Nashville's shoulders, the Penguins will look to regroup and steal three of four points on the trip, which would put them in a good position for their next stretch of schedule back in North America - where six out of their next seven opponents are currently outside the playoff picture. 

Starting in Sweden, Penguins Must Win Upcoming Stretch Of GamesOn Friday, the 2025-26 NHL Global Series kicks off.&nbsp;

As far as lineups, it seems that not much figures to change from Friday's game - at least, not based on Saturday's practice. The only change came on the bottom defensive pairing, which saw Connor Clifton take the place of Matt Dumba, who got the nod on Friday.

Line rushes did not take place, so it's unclear whether or not changes will occur on that front for Sunday's game. 

Here were the defensive pairings from Saturday's practice:

Parker Wotherspoon - Erik Karlsson

Ryan Shea - Kris Letang

Ryan Graves - Clifton

Dumba - Harrison Brunicke

Practice day in Stockholm for the @penguins - plenty of Pens fans in attendance to watch today 🇸🇪

No line rushes but d-pairings skated in these pairs:

5-58
28-65
27-75
24–45 pic.twitter.com/4DFm8jZcB4

— Josh Getzoff (@JG_PxP) November 15, 2025

If Brunicke is indeed a healthy scratch for Sunday's game, it will be the 19-year-old rookie's fifth healthy scratch in a row. That number is significant because it would mean that Brunicke becomes eligible for an AHL conditioning stint that can last a maximum of either five games or 14 days - and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) plays five games within the next 14 days. 

It will be a situation to keep an eye on for Penguins' fans.

Puck drop for Sunday's game is set for 9:00 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh and NHL Network. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

What Will The Penguins Do With Top Defensive Prospect Harrison Brunicke?On Thursday, it was confirmed by <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' head coach Dan Muse that 18-year-old center <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/players/penguins-top-prospect-ben-kindel-to-remain-in-pittsburgh">Ben Kindel will remain in the NHL through his 10th game</a>, meaning the first year of his three-year entry-level contract will kick in.&nbsp;

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