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;

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

After being outscored 12-1 in their last two games, the Montreal Canadiens, minus Alex Newhook, plus Jared Davidson, were hosting the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre on Saturday night. The Habs meant business tonight, and Jayden Struble took it upon himself to warm up the crowd by inviting Nikita Zadorov to dance at the opening faceoff. The building exploded with cheers, and the tone was set for a typical Montreal vs. Boston tilt.

Much attention was on goaltender Samuel Montembeault, and when he stopped the Bruins’ first shot, you could almost hear a collective sigh of relief in the arena. 11 penalties were awarded in the first frame alone, including another couple of fighting majors when Arber Xhekaj dropped the mitts against Tanner Jeannot, who won the battle

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A Momentum Killer

An anemic power play is one thing, but one that wastes a five-on-three opportunity is quite another, especially when it ends with the other team landing a bone-crushing hit on one of your top players in open ice.

In the first period, with 1:28 of double-man advantage, Martin St-Louis sent Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson on the ice, electing to keep Juraj Slafkovsky for his second wave, but nothing came of it. With so much open ice, the Canadiens insisted on playing in close to Jeremy Swayman’s net, making it easier for the Bruins’ trio to cut passes, which is precisely what they did.

If it wasn’t bad enough to do it once in a game, the Habs got another five-on-three in the second frame, and the result was the same. Even worse, that one lasted 1:50, and it took Montreal 1:36 to get a shot on goal. So many passes and so few shots make it quite hard to capitalize. Even worse, after that one, Boston immediately took another penalty and killed it as well.

Asked about the power play, Martin St-Louis said:

I think we’re holding our sticks too tightly. Our reads are not clear, and that happens when you want things to work so badly that you rush too much; we’re not calm. We’ll take a look at it.

The Habs have not scored on the power play since November 4, meaning they’ve failed to score on their last 17 opportunities. Earlier in the season, having Demidov was like having an unknown secret weapon. Still, the league has now taken notice, and even though the young Russian possesses good deceptive skills, if he’s trying the same thing over and over, it becomes predictable. There’s a reason why this is the best league in the world.

The Trials and Tribulations Of Montembeault

Unfortunately for the Canadiens’ netminder, the only thing that has been consistent this year is his inconsistency. He can make a breathtaking stop one minute and then let in an easy shot the very next one. Usually, a goaltender who makes a big save gets a confidence boost, but that doesn’t seem to be true for Montembeault this season.

While some will say that he was unlucky in the Bruins' first game since the shot was going off target and bounced off him to cross the line, the truth of the matter is that if he hadn’t been so positioned to one side, the puck wouldn’t have hit him there. That’s not being unlucky, that’s being out of position.

In the second frame, he made a fantastic save on a breakaway opportunity before being beaten by a shot from the blueline that didn’t even take a deflection. He’s had a lot of trouble with those long-range attempts since the last couple of months of the previous season, which is strange, as it wasn’t an issue before. Is he struggling to evaluate the distance of the shots?

He did manage to shut the door in the final frame, even though he wasn’t called upon too much; he still made some key saves that allowed the team to stay in the game.

Matheson Keeps Making Key Plays

During this tough stretch of three consecutive defeats, it’s worth mentioning that blueliner Mike Matheson has been making some key defensive plays. In this game, he blocked four shots and intercepted several passes. He’s also broken up plenty of odd-man rushes in the last few games, and even if he can’t catch up to a player, he’s getting very good at being a nuisance without crossing the line.

Still with this 3-2 defeat, the Canadiens are no longer first in the Atlantic division, they trail the Bruins by two points, but they have two games in hand. Montreal is now sixth in the conference but only has 22 points, just like the eight-place Ottawa Senators.

Needless to say, tomorrow’s practice will not be an optional skate, and the power play will be put under the microscope. The Canadiens will get on the ice in Brossard at 11:30 AM and take off for Columbus at 2:00 PM. Perhaps a game away from the Bell Centre, with less pressure, will help the team get out of its first three-game losing streak of the season. There are only two home games left in November, and for the first time in quite a while, the Habs haven’t got a winning record at home for the month; they are 2-3-1 so far.

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The Buffalo Sabres put themselves in the win column Saturday night when they beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 in overtime. The Sabres trailed 4-1 midway through the second period, so the comeback win will please desperate Buffalo fans who watched their team lose the past five straight games heading into Saturday’s game. 

The Sabres’ win over Detroit was Buffalo’s second win in their past 10 games, and the Sabres’ record improves slightly to 6-8-4. But the Sabres are well out of a playoff berth, and if you broke down Saturday’s game against the Red Wings, there were still plenty of things to be concerned about.

For instance, there’s the fact Buffalo gave up four goals or more for the fourth straight game this season. The Sabres’ offense is the eighth-worst in the league at an average of 2.78 goals-for per game, so a poor defensive effort is going to lead to more dismay and disappointment for Buffalo.

Meanwhile, The Sabres’ win over Detroit was just their first roar win of the year in eight games. Any way you slice it, that’s abysmal. And with road games coming up against the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild coming up, Buffalo has its work cut out for it. 

The Sabres showed resilience in Saturday’s game, but they’ll have to do it far more consistently if they hope to rise up the standings and end their Stanley Cup drought at 14 seasons. Buffalo’s stumbles out of the gate have put a bigger mountain ahead of them, and nothing short of long stretches of wins this year will salvage their season.

Yes, it’s nice for the Sabres to celebrate a victory. But it’s the rarity of Buffalo victories that’s the issue here.True Cup contenders go about their business in a businesslike manner. But it feels like the Sabres are just happy to finally be back in the win column. 

That’s a key difference between playoff contender and playoff pretender. And until further notice, the Sabres have to be considered a pretender. If they win two or three games in a row, that won’t be enough to get into the post-season. Even a couple four-or-five-game win streaks won’t cut it. There now has to be extended stretches of stellar play from Buffalo, all season long, to atone for their brutal start to the season.

The Sabres have dug themselves a huge hole this year. And a win or two here and there isn’t good enough Buffalo play to give Sabres fans legitimate hope they’ll turn things around. 

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Points are at a premium for the Detroit Red Wings, who came into Saturday evening's contest against the Buffalo Sabres having just broken a three-game losing streak.

While they were able to pick up a point in the standings, they'll lament how they lost the second point that should have been theirs.

The Sabres mounted a four-goal comeback, seizing their first road victory of the season and stunning the sold-out crowd at Little Caesars Arena by beating the Red Wings by a 5-4 final score in overtime. 

Mattias Samuelsson scored the overtime-deciding goal, capping the comeback effort for the Sabres, who remain the worst team in the Eastern Conference. Buffalo has now won both games against Detroit this season, something that won't sit well. 

Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan has spoken often about the need for Detroit's players to strengthen their mental fortitude, and spoke openly about the kind of mental mistakes he felt played a role in their downfall on Satuday vening. 

"I guess that would come into play, but just understanding what's happening and what's important in certain moments," McLellan said about the need to improve the Red Wings' mental strenth. "We have D that are joining a rush, we're up by two with seven minutes left, and it's a risky rush. That just makes no sense to me. We have penalty killers that were throwing pucks back toward our end hoping to get a shot on goal in their end and turning it over for a breakaway."

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

McLellan also singled out defenseman Simon Edvinsson for his lack of action on Tage Thompson’s goal, which cut Detroit’s lead to 4-3 in the third period. Edvinsson allowed the 5'8" Alex DeBrincat to be the one attempting to stop the 6'6" Thompson on his drive to the net.

"Simon was on the ice tonight, and he let Cat take their 50 goal scorer who's 6'7" instead of him coming to play him. I don't know what happened sometimes, but those are all game management situations, it was one versus two," McLellan said. "Was that mental, between the ears? Probably. But until we value it and we figure it out, I'll probably be talking about this again. 

The Red Wings built up a 4-1 lead midway through the second period, only to see it evaporate. Not long after Thompson scored to cut the lead to a single goal, the Sabres knotted the score thanks to a shorthanded breakaway goal from Ryan McLeod. 

These are the kinds of situations the Red Wings need to figure out if they're going to break out of their lengthy postseason drought. 

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ST. LOUIS – If that wasn’t rock bottom, the ocean floor sure has got to feel close.

The St. Louis Blues are a mess, and unlike Friday’s 6-5 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, this one was never in doubt.

The Vegas Golden Knights were not about to feel sorry for a Blues side that played the night before and it showed early.

Former Blue Brandon Saad scored his first of the season, Braeden Bowman scored his first NHL goal and the Golden Knights cruised to a 4-1 win over the Blues at Enterprise Center on Saturday.

Philip Broberg scored the Blues’ lone goal late in the third period:

Philip Broberg lights the lamp! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/kJwuaPCId4

— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 16, 2025

Despite earning points in their past four games (2-0-2) and going 3-1-2 the past six, the Blues (6-9-4) fell into a sinkhole on Saturday in front of another full house.

But it’s obvious something needs to change with this group, and it needs to change fast.

“Ultimately it’s cliché and it’s easy to say, just put in the work and keep grinding because besides maybe family and your friends, I don’t think anyone really feels sorry for us in this league,” Blues defenseman Justin Faulk said. “As a group, individually, the game moves on. It’s not going to wait for us to sit here and find our game. We have to continue to put the work in and mentally prepare and kind of … I hate say accept where we’re at but know where we’re at and we have to continue to grind to go up. It’s hard. This game is … some people say it’s very fair. No one’s going to take a night off. Throughout the league, teams are going to come in every night and make it hard and that’s guys’ jobs. Guys are fighting for their jobs every night and ultimately, you have to just continue to grind and put the work in because it’s evolving and it’s going to continue on and that’s the only way to put a stop to it.”

Let’s look at Saturday’s game observations:

* Blues had early life, then a turnover started spiral – Believe it or not, the Blues actually had some bite to their game early. There was a 2-on-1 with Alexey Toropchenko and Nathan Walker that Toropchenko kept but was stopped by Akira Schmid.

The Blues had an 8-4 advantage in shots, with multiple attempts in close at the net. But then came a Matthew Kessel giveaway exiting the zone – stop me if you’ve heard this before – and a turnover ensued, and seconds later, the puck is in the back of the net.

Kessel looked like he was trying to hit Dylan Holloway but missed the mark. Holloway wasn’t initially looking for the puck and when he turned, it was so far off the mark, Vegas intercepted it, and Saad, who had gone 16 games to begin the season without a goal, whipped one in past Joel Hofer from the slot to make it 1-0 at 12:52 of the first period:

What a return to St. Louis for Brandon Saad 🤩 pic.twitter.com/IUiOGfYsIC

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 16, 2025

Then after a Nick Bjugstad tripping penalty, Bowman slammed home a pass from Pavel Dorofeyev on the doorstep at 14:58 and it was 2-0, the wheels were coming off and for a team lacking confidence, any kind of fightback was going to be tough:

BRAEDEN BOWMAN'S FIRST NHL GOAL WAS A BEAUTY 😤 pic.twitter.com/JAAUKpxxlc

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 16, 2025

* Start to second final death knell – Like the start to the game, Blues coach Jim Montgomery had the Blues’ fourth line (Toropchenko, Oskar Sundqvist and Nathan Walker) and third defensive pair (Kessel and Tyler Tucker) on the ice to begin a period to provide a boost and some energy.

But just like the opening shift to the game, that five-man unit for hemmed in, and Noah Hanifin’s long-range shot from neat the blue line found its way past Hofer 36 seconds into the period and a 3-0 lead:

what a shot from Hanny 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/3G74nmzO5o

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 16, 2025

And it was game over.

“Earlier than we wanted to, probably the start of the second,” Faulk said when the game got away. “They came out, got an early goal. The life on the bench and the group definitely, to be honest, there wasn’t a ton. It kind of got drained after that. Ultimately, kind of played the rest of the game on auto pilot, it seemed.”

Ouch. That’s not a good sign. Sort of like a sign of a team that is sorely lacking confidence.

“I don’t think it’s high,” Montgomery said. “And it shouldn’t be because we haven’t earned the right to have confidence because we’re not playing with enough desperation and with enough urgency. And we need to correct that and we will.

“I don’t agree with (Faulk’s auto pilot assessment). I think we got flat and that’s where we need to have more from our group. There needs to be a better response. I don’t like the start of our second period, but that’s been most of the season. But I did think around the 10-minute mark, we started to play better hockey. We were more connected, we were more physical, the penalty kill was good. We killed that (four-minute Walker high-stick at the end of the second) off. And then we got flat again. We need to be better. To a man, we need to have more desperation.”

Blues captain Brayden Schenn added, “A minute into the second, just in general, we have to do a better job with life energy and coming to the rink and be excited to be here, play for this team, play for each other and the organization and stuff. Confidence is probably a low one on a lot of guys. But at the end of the day, you have to fight your way through it.”

* Blues go nearly entire period without a shot on goal – The moment Pius Suter put a close range rebound into the pads of Schmid with 10:51 left in the first, it was their eighth shot on goal. Little did anyone know at the time that it would be their last shot for the next 18:36 when Sundqvist, from the left wall, throws a harmless shot at Schmid at the 7:15 mark of the second period.

The Blues had no push, they had no jam, they had no connectivity that was even a hint of a threat in the offensive zone.

Meanwhile, Vegas was busy with the next 15 shots on goal and three goals between Blues shots.

The Blues were chasing the puck, it seemed, the entire time.

“Yeah, I thought we were doing a lot of staring and watching and not enough trying to make plays or kill plays,” Montgomery said.

“We’re not hard enough probably on both ends, not killing plays in the D-zone first and foremost,” Faulk said. “Probably spending a little too much time letting teams hemming us in three-quarters ice and then at that point you don’t have anything for a forecheck. On the flip side, when we do have some juice for a forecheck, it seems we’re pretty light. We’re not hemming them in and if we are, we’re perimeter. We’re not taking chances getting shots to the net or crashing the net or making it hard on the inside. That same style works on both ends of the ice and right now, it’s a struggle for us.”

The Blues saw the Flyers do it to them twice(!) in one game on Friday, overcoming a pair of two-goal deficits. Right now, this team has no fight back in it whatsoever.

“No, I don’t think, I didn’t want to use the word ‘acceptance,’” Faulk said. “I don’t think guys are accepting of the fact where we’re at and are just going to roll over and say that’s OK. We know it’s not acceptable, the standards of this organization. The responsibility we’ve been given to uphold it, we have to be better, we have to grind. Guys know that. Guys are coming to the rink working every day in practice. It’s not like we’re going through the motions there or anything like that. I think guys have had a pretty good attitude with practice and knowing that’s the time to get better. You’ve got to do it and you’ve got to show up and do what’s asked of you.

“It’s hard to say that where we are in the standings,” Schenn said. “Guys care. Guys show up like they’re going to work hard. Right now we’re not getting the results. Obviously confidence is shaken. At the end of the day, we have to find a way to grind through it as a team. I don’t believe at all we don’t come to the rink to work hard. I just think we’re off in a lot of areas, which probably makes us look slower or not as connected as we need to be.”

* Time to do something else – The third period was also a microcosm of what the Blues are lacking as far as pushback is concerned, because Vegas (8-4-5) played like a team wanting to win, and not like one playing to lose.

Even with a 3-0 lead, the Golden Knights stayed on their toes and attacked, not allowing the Blues to even resemble a pushback.

Another misplayed puck at the offensive zone blue line, this one by Dylan Holloway, allowed Tomas Hertl to score on a breakaway at 11:20 to cement Vegas’ win:

off he goes 🏎️💨 pic.twitter.com/pAEaWIAHLM

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 16, 2025

But no matter what the Blues are currently doing, whether it’s the systems or style of play, it isn’t working.

“All I know in life is you work,” Montgomery said. ‘You work and you watch film and you talk to your staff, you talk to your managers, you talk to your leaders and you keep working together, and you come up with solutions.

“We might need to change the way we play in certain areas. We tried redefining and making sure that our habits and details are really good and after a while, the definition of insanity is trying to keep doing the same thing and not getting good results, so we might need to try different things.”

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After a decade of starvation, fans and players finally got to experience the magic and fanfare surrounding international hockey when the NHL's 4 Nations Tournament took place last February. 

The NHL Global Series had, of course, already returned a few years prior after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this season's two-game set is underway between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators. Although it's still a chance for players to experience hockey away from the regular routine of the NHL season, the annual series doesn't feature best-on-best like 4 Nations, the World Championship, or the Olympics.

And at the end of the day, the chance to play best-on-best hockey is a key motivating factor for a lot of players this season - and, particularly, a lot of Penguins. Pittsburgh's GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said as much during his season-opening press conference when discussing Swedish players Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson as well as Team USA hopeful Bryan Rust - all three of whom appeared in trade rumors throughout the summer.

With the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina just around the corner, they all have a bit of a chip on their shoulder.

"All three of them have a huge amount to play for," Dubas said. "I think, for those three players in particular - plus others on our roster - they all want to be there, they all want to play in it, and I think that provides us the opportunity to really push them forward and continue to preserve where they're at as they continue to age but also try to find another level for them that can help them be on those national teams."

The captain concurred with that sentiment.

"I agree," Sidney Crosby said. "I think that, throughout the league, I'm sure that's the case. There's always extra motivation with guys trying to make teams or, for guys that have already made it, they know what's to come. So, I think any Olympic year, you tend to see guys try to elevate."

And there are five main Olympic locks and hopefuls in the locker room - Crosby (Team Canada) and goaltender Arturs Silovs (Team Latvia) have already secured spots as part of the "First Six" for their countries - who went into this season motivated to elevate for various reasons, including the Olympics. And they have, largely, succeeded so far. 

Sidney Crosby Ready for Fast-Paced 2026 Olympics After Four Nations Success<a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> captain Sidney Crosby guided Team Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off title earlier this year and loved the pace of that tournament.&nbsp;

Rust missed the first few games of the season due to injury, but since then, he has recorded five goals and 15 points in 16 games. Rakell - although currently out with a broken hand - played on Sweden's 4 Nations Roster, should be ready in plenty of time for the Olympics, and started the season with three goals and eight points in nine games. 

And then there's Karlsson, who was one of the first players named to Sweden's 4 Nations roster - and who wasn't named as one of the First Six this time around. Karlsson, 35, has been magnificent to begin the 2025-26 season, as he has a goal and 12 points in 18 games and could probably have a whole lot more with the way he's played. 

Karlsson is confident that he's still a top player in the league - and, heading into the season, he believed he would eventually be named to Team Sweden's roster for the Olympics.

"Obviously, I'm aiming to play in the Olympics, and as of right now, I think I'm a lock on that team," Karlsson said during training camp. "I still have to prove myself and show them I can still play at a very high level. And I think I've done that up until now, but now I've got to continue that.

"I'm obviously happy for all the guys that got the nod to go already, I think they're all very deserving of it. Again, a very important thing for me is to represent Sweden, especially at the Olympics. It's been a while since we had that opportunity, so that's obviously a big motivator for me and same as it is a big motivator for me to come in here and show I can be a top player in this league still, which I believe I am."

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

Karlsson had the opportunity to play in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, when he led all tournament defensemen in points (four goals, eight points) and tied for the all-around lead in points with ex-Penguin and three-time Stanley Cup champion Phil Kessel. However, his fellow countryman, Rakell, has not yet gotten that opportunity.

Rakell - drafted 30th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2011 - was only a rookie when the Sochi games took place. He did make Team Sweden's roster for 4 Nations as a replacement, but he was part of that "sweet spot" - as Dubas put it - of players between 2014 and 2026 who did not have the chance to play at highest level internationally during the primes of their careers.

So, the chance to represent Sweden at the Olympics this time around is certainly something that is on Rakell's mind.

"It's huge for me," Rakell said. "For the Penguins, for me to have a better season than last year, it was important for me to have a good summer, and I just tried to improve on the things that I wanted to improve from last year. Obviously, getting a chance to play in the Olympics... I've never had the chance before. So, yeah, that would be huge for me, and it's a great motivator for the season."

Rust, 33, may be a bit more of a longshot to make Team USA's roster. Of course, that is no knock on Rust, who has put together six straight seasons of 20 or more goals and is - once again - hovering around point-per-game this season. His lineup and deployment versatility might give him a bit of a boost, but there is simply so much talent vying for USA's roster - and young talent such as Tage Thompson and Clayton Keller, who didn't make the 4 Nations roster last season - that he will really have to separate himself to earn the opportunity to don the red, white, and blue.

He was invited to Team USA's Olympic Camp this summer, and he does have a connection to Team USA head coach - and former Penguins' bench boss - Mike Sullivan, who has always spoken very highly of Rust. But, regardless, Rust is grateful for the fact that he's even in the conversation. 

"It's awesome," Rust said. "I'm extremely gracious for the opportunity just to be at that camp over the summer and be in the mix of players who are considered. My focus is here first and foremost, but obviously, having the opportunity to represent my country at the highest level possible would be an exceptional dream come true. That's obviously a goal of mine, but I'm trying not to think about it too much."

Rust also agreed that the Winter Games are a motivating factor for a lot of the guys in the room who may be in the mix - even for the captain, who already has a spot locked down.

Rust’s Team USA Camp Invite Was Well-Deserved. And It Shouldn’t Stop There.On Tuesday, Team USA revealed its <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/latest-news/penguins-star-invited-to-usa-s-2026-olympic-orientation-camp">U.S. Men’s Olympic Orientation Camp</a> roster, which includes 44 players.

"I think guys who are in the mix are definitely thinking about it," Rust said, smiling. "I know Sid's probably always got it in the back of his mind to make sure his game's in top form even though he may not admit it.

"But everybody's excited about it, and guys who have an opportunity, I think, are really trying to get their games in order and make sure they're playing good, quality hockey to give themselves the best opportunity to make the team or to make sure they're playing well heading into it."

At the end of the day, every player in the Penguins' locker room is playing for the common purpose to win hockey games and make the Stanley Cup playoffs. The players realize that their focus has to be in Pittsburgh in-season - and they are doing an excellent job keeping it that way, as the Penguins are currently in an Eastern Conference playoff spot at 9-5-4. 

But they know what's on the line. And - regardless of whether they're still vying for a spot or they're already heading to Milano Cortina - the opportunity to represent their countries on the biggest possible stage speaks to these players in a way that transcends the sport.

"It's always an honor to represent your country, especially in the Olympics," Silovs said. "Especially [because] NHL players haven't had the chance to play in the past, what, eight years? I think it's a great opportunity to see the best of the best, especially representing the national team. It's a special opportunity, and everyone is doing everything for the cause."

Is There Reason For Concern With Penguins' Recent Stretch?After an 8-2-2 start to the season during the month of October, all seemed to be going well and right for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>.&nbsp;

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