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Takeaways: Avalanche goal 15 seconds into game spoils Nashville Predators 1st game in a week

A costly lapse of 15 seconds in the game haunted the Nashville Predators in their 3-0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena. 

The Predators were chasing the lead nearly the entire night, as Brent Burns picked the puck up off the boards and sniped a shot past Juuse Saros just 15 seconds in. Nashville's offense poured it on, outshooting the Avalanche, 35-26, but couldn't find the back of the net. 

Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury added empty net goals in the final two minutes of the game.

"You feel really good with the effort, and I thought we dictated the pace of the game against a fast team," Predators head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We had our opportunities. 
They didn't go in, but overall I really liked our game.

"It's a little bit redundant. We've said this many times here in this room, and all you can do is keep doing what you're doing and believe." 

Here are three takeaways from the Predators loss to the Avalanche. 

"Keep working"

Being down is nothing new for the Predators, but they have not been chasing a lead 15 seconds into a game. However, Brunette was straightforward, saying the team just needed to "stick with it" to turn things around.

The Predators had nearly 20 shots in the first period and put the puck on net 35 times against the top team in the NHL. It also successfully killed off three penalties and won the face-off battle, winning 32-of-56 draws. 

It was a game that, at the end of the night, felt frustrating for the Predators. Both Roman Josi and Jonathan Marchessault said it was another game in which they felt they played well but came up short again. 

"I feel like I keep saying the same things, but the first period I thought we played really well," Josi said. "They got the first one, but after that, I thought we had so many looks and grade A chances." 

Marchessault went so far as to say he's working as hard as he can but isn't generating the offense the Predators need. 

"I feel like I'm personally working as hard as I can," Marchesault said. "I feel like I create stuff, and you just don't get the bounces that we're looking for." 

In response, Brunette said he needs to "stick with it" and that the offense will come, feeling that the Predators will eventually round a corner. Nashville had an impressive outing against the Avalanche, but it's going down as yet another loss. 

"Keep working. It's not gonna go, if you stop working, it's not gonna come," Brunette said on Marchessault. "That's all you can do in these situations when you go through something like that...I believe he's (Marchessault) really working. It's not going to be easy for him, and the only solution for me is to keep working." 

Josi returns 

Josi's status was in flux all week after returning to the practice, but it was announced Saturday morning that he would play against the Colorado Avalanche. His presence was missed, as he was able to open up the ice a bit more for the Predators and spark their game. 

"There was a big difference having Jos (Josi) back in the lineup," Marchessault said. "It opened up a lot of things on the offensive side and it's definitely great to have him back." 

He took 24 shifts and played 19:40 minutes, recording four shots and a block. Josi finally got to play with Nic Hague on the second pairing, which has been the plan since the preseason, but had never come to action due to injuries from Josi and Hague. 

"I felt good," Josi said. "It felt nice to be back. I've been skating for a while now, which has been good to get my legs going. When you're injured, it's tough watching from afar." 

Needing another strong performance 

While the Predators lost to the Avalanche, it was arguably one of their best games of the season. Outside of the first 15 seconds, the Predators were the better team for the majority of the night. 

Saros had a strong night as well, making 25 saves on 26 shots against one the top lines in the NHL. 

The Predators will need a similar performance on Monday against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. They are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, but have been paced by Brad Marchand, who has 23 points in 19 games this season. 

Up next: Florida Panthers (11-9-1) at Nashville Predators (6-11-4) on Monday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. CST at Bridgestone Arena 

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Rust Gone: Mackenzie Blackwood Delivers Statement Shutout for Avalanche

Mackenzie Blackwood has insisted in recent weeks that all he needed was steady minutes and a consistent rhythm to rediscover his form. On Saturday night in Nashville, he proved it, delivering a commanding performance in Colorado’s 3–0 shutout of the Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

Blackwood made 35 saves in a heroic performance, while Brent Burns, Jack Drury, and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche, who extended their winning streak to eight games to improve their NHL-best 15-1-5 record.

It wasn't a perfect game. The Predators outshot the Avalanche 35-26 and Colorado struggled with puck control at points in the game, but Blackwood stood tall and made incredible saves throughout the game.

Nashville's Juuse Saros made one mistake 15 seconds into the game and that decided the game. He stopped 23 of 24 shots in an otherwise great performance.

First Period

The Avalanche needed only 15 seconds to seize a 1–0 lead. Burns gathered a loose puck at the point and rifled a shot through traffic, a blast Saros never picked up. Just like that, Colorado was in front. But from that moment on, the first period belonged almost entirely to Nashville.

Despite striking first, the Avs were on their heels for long stretches as the Predators dictated the tempo, outshooting Colorado 7–2 at one stage. Still, Colorado found ways to manufacture key moments. Burns delivered again later in the frame, laying out for a sliding block on a Steven Stamkos chance to disrupt what looked like a dangerous rush.

Luke Evangelista nearly broke through with nine minutes left, snapping a shot off the short-side post as Colorado continued to struggle exiting its own zone. Moments later, with under six minutes remaining, the Avalanche were staring down a delayed penalty when Nashville kept possession long enough for Roman Josi to hammer a one-timer off the rush. Blackwood, however, delivered a stellar save to preserve the lead—before Martin Nečas was sent off for holding.

After a successful kill, Blackwood produced an even more dazzling moment, robbing Filip Forsberg from point-blank range with a spectacular glove save that left the crowd gasping.

Second Period

The middle frame opened with a scare, as a turnover at the blue line gifted Forsberg another prime opportunity. But Blackwood—now fully settled in—stonewalled him yet again.

Devon Toews was whistled for tripping shortly after, though replays showed Evangelista actually stepping on Toews’ stick. Nevertheless, Nashville returned to the power play. Colorado’s penalty killers handled their business, and soon after the Avs earned their own man advantage when Forsberg slashed Cale Makar’s stick clean out of his hands.

It was the first look at the reconfigured top power-play unit featuring Gabe Landeskog in place of Victor Olofsson. They generated a few sequences, but nothing found the net.

As the period progressed, the Avs flipped the script. Unlike the opening 20 minutes, Colorado controlled possession and pace, while Blackwood continued authoring his best performance of the season.

Olofsson nearly doubled the lead with under four minutes remaining. He burst onto a loose puck in Nashville’s zone and got a shot off despite being hacked on the hands by Spencer Stastney, but no penalty was called.

The period ended scoreless, and after 40 minutes, the Avalanche still held a 1–0 edge behind Blackwood’s brilliance.

Third Period

Nashville earned another power play less than four minutes into the third when Toews was penalized for interference after losing his stick. Colorado’s penalty killers, perfect to that point, remained flawless once more.

The Predators then handed the Avs another opportunity when Michael McCarron took an interference penalty on Drury, but Colorado’s power play came up empty again. At that stage, the two teams were a combined 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

Midway through the frame, the Avalanche generated multiple grade-A looks, but Saros kept them alive. He denied Drury on a net-front jam attempt and then robbed Brock Nelson with a sharp glove save on a backhander.

Blackwood promptly delivered the save of the night at the other end, kicking out his pad to stone Erik Haula. Colorado surged back with MacKinnon slicing through the neutral zone, though his attempted feed to Landeskog didn’t connect.

With fewer than two minutes left, Nashville pulled Saros for the extra skater. MacKinnon promptly found the empty net to extend the lead to 2–0, and Drury followed with a second empty-netter to cement a 3–0 victory.

Mackenzie Blackwood, sensational from start to finish, earned the shutout.

Next Game

The Avalanche have no time to rest as they have another game tomorrow against Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks, losers of their last two games, come into the game with a 10-7-4 record. Coverage from United Center kicks off at 5 p.m. 

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Dodgers historic postseason homers by Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith and Miguel Rojas fetch big bucks at auction

Toronto, Ontario, Canada November 1, 2025: Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (16) hits a solo home run in the 11th inning during game seven of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Roger Centre on Saturday, November 1, 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers catcher Will Smith hits a pivotal home run in the 11th inning of Game 7 of the World Series between the Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Roger Centre on Nov. 1, 2025. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Talk about easing the blow. The Canadian father-son duo that secured not one, but both home run balls that doomed the Toronto Blue Jays team they root for in Game 7 of the World Series turned the evidence into some serious U.S. currency Saturday night.

Dodgers fans will never forget those baseballs hit by Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning and Will Smith in the 11th flying over the left-field wall and into the first row of seats beyond the Blue Jays' bullpen.

John and Matthew Bains — sitting side-by-side — will never forget the balls ending up in their hands. John, 61, caught Rojas' 387-foot home run in his glove on the fly. Two innings later, Matthew, seated next to his dad, saw Smith's blast land in the bullpen and bounce directly into his hands.

Novices they were not. John has been a Blue Jays fan since the team's inception in 1977 and purposely sits where he does for proximity to home runs. In fact, he caught one during the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees a few weeks earlier.

Read more:Kid thought he was going to dentist. Dad took him to World Series and he caught Freddie Freeman's grand slam

Both men brought baseballs into the stadium that they threw back onto the field, giving the Blue Jays faithful the impression the Bains did the honorable thing when, in fact, they did the smart thing for their bank accounts.

On Saturday night, the balls were sold at auction. Smith's homer, which provided the Dodgers with the winning run, sold for $168,000 while Rojas' blast that sent the game into extra innings fetched $156,000.

A third unforgettable Dodgers home run ball from the 2025 postseason eclipsed the Game 7 balls. The second of Shohei Ohtani's three home runs against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series sold for $270,000 in the same SCP Auction.

It was the longest of the his three, landing on the Dodger Stadium right-field roof 469 feet from home plate. And it was a key element in what is considered perhaps the greatest single performance in baseball history. Ohtani struck out 10 in six innings on the mound in addition to his offensive exploits, sending the Dodgers to the World Series.

Carlo Mendoza's story of how he ended up with Ohtani's ball is no less head-shaking than that of the Bains boys. The 26-year-old Los Angeles man said he was eating nachos in a food court behind the right-field pavilion and saw Ohtani hit the home run on a television monitor. He heard the ball hit the roof, dashed toward the sound and retrieved the ball from under a bush.

All three balls were authenticated by SCP Auctions through notarized affidavits and lie detector tests. SCP owner David Kohler said Mendoza was so apprehensive about handing over the ball that he insisted meeting Kohler in the parking lot of the Long Beach Police Dept.

Read more:In a World Series finale for the ages, Dodgers cement their dynasty in win over Blue Jays

"We authenticated through polygraph and eyewitnesses due diligence," Kohler said. "From the time we announced we had these baseballs until now, no one else has come forward and said they have the balls. There's been no contention."

The baseballs got top billing in the wide-ranging auction that included 579 items, but a Lou Gehrig game-worn jersey sold for well more than the three balls combined. The Hall of Fame Yankee first baseman hit his last World Series home run in 1937 wearing the jersey, for which a collector paid more than $2.5 million.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Oilers Outlast Panthers In Fiery Rematch To Close Road Trip Strong

The Edmonton Oilers walked into Sunrise expecting a battle, but their Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Florida Panthers turned into something closer to a street fight. Edmonton emerged with a massive regulation win, closing out their seven-game road trip with attitude, pushback, and a whole lot of attitude in a game that offered a bit of retribution. 

Jack Roslovic got things started early, putting a soft one past Sergei Bobrovsky for the 1–0 lead. Anton Lundell answered, but Roslovic buried his second just 36 seconds later after Evan Bouchard froze the entire rink with a shot fake before feathering a perfect pass. Roslovic now sits at 9-8-17 in 22 games, riding one of the hottest stretches on the team. 

Mattias Ekholm extended the lead on a late power play, and Vasily Podkolzin’s bad-angle snipe chased Bobrovsky from the game entirely.

Edmonton looked in full control at 4–1, but Florida stormed back with two in the second, outworking the Oilers and threatening another ending where the Oilers let one slip away. 

Things Got Physical And The Oilers Got Two Empty-Netters

The real turning point? The willingness of the Oilers to stay in the fight. There were scrums, shoves, facewashes—and even an MMA-style slam throughout the game. Instead of backing down, the Oilers pushed right back, matching Florida’s intensity shift for shift.

Edmonton didn't fold when the Panthers made a goalie switch, and Daniil Tarasov came in and played outstanding hockey. Florida pushed in the second period, and they outplayed Edmonton in the middle frame. Tarasov didn't allow a goal, so the Oilers had to score twice when the Panthers pulled him in an attempt to tie the game. 

This was a tired Oilers group that had traveled on one of the most trying road trips of the season. Getting three points out of a final four has to be seen as a win. 

Key Oilers Defenseman Unexpectedly Missing From Morning WarmupKey Oilers Defenseman Unexpectedly Missing From Morning WarmupJake Walman's absence from warmup sparks concern. Is it rest, or has the defenseman's physical game taken its toll before facing the Panthers?

Notable Performances:

Stuart Skinner quietly delivered one of his steadier nights, stopping 35 shots and holding off a desperate Florida push. The goals against were not a result of his making mistakes. Anton Lundell jammed home a puck in the crease, and Darnell Nurse lost sight of his man in the crease. The other two goals were one-timers that would have been difficult for Skinner to stop. He noted 

Jack Roslovic continues to impress. The thought was that he might drop off with his play and his production would decline, but that hasn't happened. Offensively, he looks confident and he's providing the kind of depth scoring the Oilers have need for some time. He's got nine goals since joining the team. "This game was a good momentum builder," said Roslovic after the game.

Connor Clattenburg didn't look out of place in his first NHL game. He was looking for action, but didn't get any takers. Hey may not stay in the NHL for long, but there is a lot to like about this player. 

Matt Savoie looks like he's coming along. He was hard on the puck, smart defensively, and got rewarded with one of the last two goals. 

Evan Bouchard had three points, played big minutes, and made some nice plays on two goals. Ekholm and Bouchard played well together. 

The Oilers pulled out a big win over the Panthers. Photo by © Sam Navarro Imagn Images

The Panthers pulled the goalie twice, but Connor McDavid and Matt Savoie sealed it with a pair of empty-netters. The Oilers haven't always been known for capitalizing on the empty-net situations. They did twice. 

The Oilers showed something important: they can handle the nastiness in a Stanley Cup rematch with a team they wanted to beat, and they can finish off a difficult road trip and feel better about their game as things start to get a little easier for them. 

As the team inches toward its 30-game evaluation point, this was the kind of win that makes the front office think twice about tinkering too much. "The fact we came out .500, we should be pleased. There were some games that got away from us... a little bitter for us. Overall, I like where our guys are going."

Bookmark The Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site to never miss the latest news, game-day coverage, and more.   Add us to your Google News favourites, and never miss a story.

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Tim Stützle's Third Period Goal Gives Senators 3-2 Win In San Jose

The Ottawa Senators' seven-game road trip is off to an excellent start. Tim Stützle had two points, including the game winning goal in the third as the Sens defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Saturday night. After their victory in Anaheim on Thursday, it's the second time in three days the Senators rallied from a 2-1 deficit to win in California, 3-2.

The game marked the return of Thomas Chabot after his November 11th upper body injury. However, on a late third-period power play, he appeared to injure himself again while following through on a wrist shot from the point. He left the ice and was in visible discomfort on the bench in the final few minutes.

Just over a minute into the game, Will Smith gave the Senators a slap in the face, appearing to open the scoring 1:27 into the first period, but his goal was overturned on an offside challenge. 

The Senators struck first on the power play at the 7:50 mark of the first period. Tim Stützle carried the puck down the left wing and appeared to be trying to hit Claude Giroux on the far side, but his hard pass was redirected into the net by Dylan Cozens in the slot. Cozens’ eighth goal of the year made it 1–0.

With less than four minutes to go in the first, the Sharks tied things up on their own power play. John Klingberg’s wrist shot beat a screened Linus Ullmark to make it 1–1.

Just under eight minutes into the second, after a poor neutral zone turnover by Stützle, Barclay Goodrow made it 2–1 for the Sharks. Alex Wennberg appeared to smack home a rebound in the slot, but they ruled the puck went in off a falling Goodrow to give San Jose the lead.

The Senators have been waiting for Fabian Zetterlund to recapture the scoring form he once showed in San Jose, and a return to the Bay Area seemed to serve him well. Zetterlund, who had only one goal in his previous 20 games, broke in over the blue line and absolutely ripped one home to tie the game at 2. It was his first goal in San Jose since the Sharks traded him last March.

With under seven minutes to play, a great stretch pass from Jake Sanderson sent the Senators in on a 2-on-0 with Drake Batherson and Nick Cousins. After a chaotic finish to the play, the puck somehow ended up sitting right on the goal line. Stützle out-hustled everyone to jam in the loose puck for what would stand as the game-winning goal.

Ullmark made 17 saves, including a couple of beauties from close range in the dying seconds. 

With the win, the Senators improve to 11-6-4 on the season. After a flat 2-4-1 start to the season, start, they've gone 9-2-3 since.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

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Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby Hits New Milestone

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is already one of the best players in NHL history, and on Saturday, he added a new milestone to his outstanding career. 

After notching a goal and an assist against the Seattle Kraken, he became only the sixth player in NHL history to notch 500 multi-point games, joining Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne, Mark Messier, and Gordie Howe.

Crosby is also the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach 500 multi-point games.

Crosby scored the tying goal in the second period to make it a 1-1 game before getting an assist on Evgeni Malkin's goal in the third period that made it a 2-1 game. The Penguins eventually lost in overtime, thanks to a game-winning goal from Brandon Montour. 

Despite that, Crosby hit a new milestone and is also getting closer to passing Mario Lemieux for the Penguins' franchise record in points. He's 13 away from tying Lemieux and 14 away from passing him.

The Penguins will be back in action on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres.

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

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Devils score first before allowing five straight goals en route to 6-3 loss to Flyers

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers set a franchise record by scoring three goals in just 26 seconds in the first period on Saturday night against New Jersey, getting two from Tyson Foerster in 17 seconds and one from Matvei Michkov on their way to a 6-3 win over the Devils.

The Flyers scored three goals in the fourth-fastest time in NHL history. Boston needed 20 seconds when it scored three against Vancouver in 1971. Washington (1990) and Chicago (1952) scored three goals in 21 seconds, and the Montreal Maroons needed 24 seconds to score three against the Rangers in 1932.

The Flyers scored three goals in 35 seconds on a March 1, 1979 game against Boston. Behn Wilson, Blake Dunlop and Al Hill scored for the Flyers in a game that ended in a 4-4 tie.

The Flyers and Devils were tied at 1 in the first when the scoring barrage started.

Michkov scored his fifth goal of the season in his 100th career game at the 12:06 mark. Foerster beat Jake Allen on two consecutive shots at 12:15 and 12:32 for his sixth and seventh goals of the season.

All three goals were at even strength.

Foerster’s two goals in 17 seconds were the fastest by a Flyer since Jeff Carter netted two in 13 seconds against Atlanta on Jan. 8, 2008.

The Flyers took a 4-1 lead on a night they honored Hall of Fame goalie Bernie Parent, who died two months ago at age 80.

Bobby Brink made it 5-1 in the second period, and Trevor Zegras scored on a breakaway in the third for a 6-3 lead.

Timo Meier, Nico Hischier and Simon Nemec scored for the Devils.

Allen stopped 23 shots. He had allowed only four goals total in his last three starts and entered with a .920 save percentage and a 2.13 goals-against average.

Dan Vladar had 32 saves for the Flyers, who still allowed the first goal for the seventh straight game.

Up next

Devils: Host Detroit on Monday.

Flyers: Play Monday at Tampa Bay.