LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ottawa Senators forward Hayden Hodgson received a game misconduct and major penalty for boarding Los Angeles defenseman Brandt Clarke in the Kings' 6-5 overtime victory Thursday night.
Hodgson took a run at Clarke, charging in at 21 mph according to the game broadcast. Clarke was just below the goal line when he was driven into the boards. The hit caused a brief scrum, and the Kings' Erik Haula received a two-minute penalty for roughing Hodgson.
Clarke was ruled out for the rest of the game for what the Kings called an upper-body injury.
The play with 8:45 left in the second period came shortly after the Kings scored three goals in 4:03 to take a 4-1 lead and chase goalie Jonas Johansson.
Hodgson has played in only 24 NHL games over five seasons, but including Thursday has amassed 51 minutes in penalties.
Ottawa committed six penalties in the first two periods, and the Kings took advantage with power-play goals from Haula and Artemi Panarin to take a 5-1 lead into the third.
The Senators, however, scored four goals in the third period to tie the game. Shane Pinto scored on a 6-on-5 with 1:40 left to force overtime, but LA's Quinton Byfield scored at 3:37 of OT.
Tensions were high throughout the game, with the teams combining for 13 penalties. Ottawa's Samuel Helenius and Los Angeles' Nick Cousins were each handed 10-minute misconduct penalties 4:52 into the third period.
DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 6: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets on December 6, 2025 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
We’re 6.1% of the way through the NBA regular season.
That’s just there in case anyone is taking Houston’s 5-0 record and extrapolating it to contender status.
The Rockets were 13-4 to begin last season, and we all remember the disaster that ended up being. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t enjoy this fun start. You absolutely should! But taking a fun surprising start and building new expectations off of it is a recipe for disappointment. Give this team time.
Nevertheless, the Rockets are playing fun and free. This looks nothing like last season’s tooth-pulling adventure. The offense is flowing and shots are going in. There will inevitably be a time where the vibes are no longer stellar.
Speaking of last season (I’m sorry), there was a time where the Rockets were 15-5 and sauntered into Dallas to take on the 8-16 Mavs. And yes, of course it was the second night of a back-to-back because it always is. Anyway, the Rockets were without Alperen Sengun (GTD tonight), Steven Adams (OUT tonight), and Fred VanVleet (available as I type this and knock on all of the wood in the Pacific Northwest). Dallas scored at will, shooting 60% from the field. They went 7-19 from deep and only took 20 free throws, but when you get a ton of shots at the rim, the analytics aren’t as important (yes I know analytics says shots at the rim are best).
Now, Houston isn’t on a back-to-back, but they do play again tomorrow. This is a Friday night game so you know American Airlines Center will be packed to see Cooper Flagg and Friends get their first division win. It’s yet another road test for a surging Rockets team that is dealing with some injuries and still trying to find out who they’ll be over 82 games.
Dallas is 3-1 since that opening night matchup, with their only loss coming to the Spurs. They just took down the Oklahoma City Thunder to give OKC their first loss of the season and they would love to do the same to their I-45 rivals.
Tonight also marks the first game of Houston’s NBA Cup journey. The Rockets will be attempting to win the Falcon this season in West Group A. Their other road contest will come against Denver in a couple of weeks, and they’ll have two home games against the Jazz and Suns. Remember, 4-0 guarantees a spot in the Cup playoffs while 3-1 gives you a good chance but introduces point differential into the mix.
For a minute there, it looked like the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to seize two points from the Utah Mammoth after going down 2-0 in the first period of the game and coming all the way back late.
A Rickard Rakell shorthanded goal with a little more than nine minutes to play tied the game. Then, with 24 seconds left in regulation, the Penguins worked hard ahead of a go-ahead Ben Kindel goal at the net-front on a second-chance opportunity off the pad of goaltender Sebastian Cossa.
It was all smiles, and it looked like everyone in Pittsburgh was going home happy.
But, unfortunately, the last second of the game - and Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley - came back to bite them.
With less than one second remaining on the clock, a puck got behind Penguins' goaltender Arturs Silovs and went in off the stick of Cooley for his third goal of the game, sending things to overtime. With a minute and 33 seconds left in the extra frame, Mikhail Sergachev put home a rebound opportunity to give Utah the 4-3 win and, instead, send Pittsburgh and its hockey team home in shock.
“I mean, can’t do much about it. It’s a sour taste, for sure," Silovs said. "[We] should’ve just won the game, should’ve just shut it down. But, you know, things happen. It’s hockey, so you just keep going.”
The Penguins got off to an excellent start early on, but an egregious defensive zone turnover by Erik Karlsson went tape-to-tape with Cooley's stick at Utah's offensive blue line, and he skated across the slot and beat Silovs from the left circle to give the Mammoth the 1-0 lead.
Later in the period, Cooley took a pass from Lawson Crouse and split the Penguins' defense, giving himself a breakaway opportunity and finishing it off to put Utah up by two.
The Penguins grabbed some momentum a few minutes into the second period, and they were eventually rewarded when Karlsson walked in down the right side after the second line broke into the zone and got him the puck, stickhandling around Nick Schmaltz and ripping a shot past Cossa from the slot to cut Utah's lead in half.
Despite Utah controlling most of the play in the third period, Pittsburgh took back the momentum entirely with Rakell's shorthanded goal, which was the second of his career. He won a race to a loose puck in the neutral zone that set up a two-on-one with him and Nick Robertson, and he elected to shoot, sniping one into the upper-left quadrant of the net to beat Cossa blocker-side and tie the game.
Then, with time winding down, the Penguins' second line came in on the rush. Cossa made a spectacular close-range save on Evgeni Malkin with his right pad, but Kindel was waiting on the doorstep, and he gave the Penguins the late 3-2 lead.
But, with less than two seconds left, fellow Pittsburgh native Vincent Trocheck threw a puck on net, and Cooley snuck in behind Penguins' defenseman Declan Carlile uncovered. In front of an entire suite full of friends and family, Cooley guided in the tying goal on his backhand with 0.9 seconds left and forced overtime, where Sergachev ended it.
A similar thing happened to the Penguins last season against the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 9, when they surrendered the tying goal with a little more than a second left on the clock and lost in the shootout, 4-3. This time, though, marked the latest tying goal the Penguins, as a franchise, have ever surrendered.
But they have no choice but to move forward and look ahead to Saturday's tilt in Montreal against the Canadiens, where they hope to hunker down on the defensive details like they know they are capable of doing.
"We need to understand if we lead by one goal, it's important [for them] to not score. It's important to play good in d-zone, you know?" Malkin said. "Not turnovers, like, play right. We know how we need to play. We watch lots of video, we work [in] practice, but sometimes we play against good teams. They're, what, first power play in the league? And six-on-five is a little bit like a power play, too.
"They knew what they [were] doing, and again, next time we need better, for sure."
- All things considered, this wasn't necessarily a poor effort from the Penguins. In fact, they controlled stretches of play and were able to dictate terms offensively here and there, and they did this against one of the league's fastest teams.
The problem is that they are ill-equipped to handle heavy momentum swings, which are going to happen against good teams. And they force themselves into mistakes.
As Malkin alluded to, this team is capable, which is what makes some of their decisions with and without the puck all the more baffling. If Karlsson doesn't turn that puck over, there's no first Cooley goal. If Carlile covers Cooley at the end of the game, he probably doesn't have time and space to put the puck in the back of the net with less than a second to go.
At the end of the day, this seems to be an issue of execution and mentality. Mistakes happen, but most of the Penguins' mistakes end up in the back of their net.
- And, make no mistake, this score could have looked a lot worse. In fact, the Penguins were lucky to have gotten a point out of it in the first place.
Silovs, playing in his fourth consecutive game, was outstanding. Early in the first period, he looked a little bit deep in his net, but he was locked in from the second goal allowed through the rest of the game. He made two breakaway saves in the third period alone, one on Kailer Yamamoto early and the other on Clayton Keller later. He made a key save on Nick Schmaltz when he was in all alone in the second period, too. He also made some stops in overtime before the Sergachev goal.
This guy has been lights-out for the Penguins, and the consistency is beginning to show. Folks tend to forget that Silovs is only 25 and was a rookie last season, which means there is still room for him to develop into a No. 1 goaltender in the NHL.
And, right now, he is very clearly this team's No. 1, although I suspect Sergei Murashov might get the nod Saturday in Montreal since he hasn't played in two weeks.
Chinakhov's speed advantage is clear, but it's remarkable that Kindel looks like he's keeping up with him pretty well. Kindel is so cerebral, and once he got back in the swing of things, he was making things happen and driving play for his line. I expect this line to take off if its stays intact.
The first line got some momentum midway through the game as well, especially Rakell, who has looked much better in the last three or four games. That said, Tommy Novak has no points since joining the third line three games ago and having eight points in his first 10 games, while Sidney Crosby has just three goals and seven points in 13 games.
If the Penguins are to truly turn the car around this season, they need their top-six to be operating at a higher level. Maybe they have something in these lines, but if Crosby can't start producing with regularity soon, it may be time to raise some alarm bells.
- On the other end of the defensive spectrum, Kris Letang was outstanding Thursday. And he's been playing very well for a handful of games.
There were two different occasions in the first period where Letang got the puck out of danger in front of his own net, whether by swiping the puck to the corner or picking off a pass right in Silovs's wheelhouse. His stick work has been noticeable, and his breakouts have been much better, too.
He isn't trying to play beyond his means right now, and that's probably the best-case scenario for him. A decreased workload and a consistent partner have done wonders for Letang, even if Carlile has been far too inconsistent on the defensive side of things. Perhaps a partner who is very active and likes to jump into the play has forced Letang to simplify, which has actually been to his benefit.
Regardless, it's good to see Letang playing well. The Penguins really need him to, especially given the instability of the blue line so far this season.
- Rakell has been outstanding on the penalty kill this season. Head coach Dan Muse has spoken in the past about how he likes to use power play players on the penalty kill because they have the ability to read and predict plays. Rakell does that very well, and he puts a lot of pressure on the puck carrier to make quick decisions.
With Bryan Rust out, Rakell's PK responsibilities have increased, as he is part of the second unit with Robertson. Opposing teams know they're both threats to go the other way. They've both been fits on that unit, particularly when they're out there at the same time.
- Karlsson now has 13 points in 13 games. Malkin has six goals and 11 points in 12 games and has, by far, been the Penguins' best player this season.
The Penguins are slowly but surely getting younger, and they need to. But this goes to show that, so far this season, they've been far too reliant on their veterans to produce, which is probably a big reason why the team has seen inconsistent results.
They won two games with a more youthful lineup, and even though the competition wasn't at the level of Utah, I'm not entirely sure that's a coincidence. Avery Hayes and Rutger McGroarty are back in the AHL or sitting in the press box, respectively.
If some of the veterans can't help this team win, it might be time to consider bringing some of that youthful energy into the lineup more regularly. Because, well, it does matter, and it does make a difference, especially against younger and faster teams like Utah.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is already turning heads around the NHL, and Minnesota Wild defenseman Quinn Hughes believes the 19-year-old is only scratching the surface of what he could eventually become.
Following Minnesota’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Islanders on Thursday night, Hughes offered significant praise for the young defenseman, even suggesting Schaefer has the potential to develop into one of the NHL’s top three to five players.
“He’s really impressive. I mean, when I was 19, I was a sophomore at Michigan. And when Cale [Makar] was 19, he was a freshman and did one more year, or two more, I forget. But same with Fox, he did three years. Werenski, too. Like, all those guys I just mentioned were in college at this kid’s age. So he’s obviously really good.”
For Hughes, what makes Schaefer’s emergence particularly remarkable is how far ahead he is compared to several of today’s premier NHL defensemen at the same age.
Hughes, Makar, Adam Fox and Zach Werenski all spent time developing in college before establishing themselves as elite NHL defensemen.
Schaefer, meanwhile, is already making an impact against the world’s best players.
But Hughes believes the most exciting years of Schaefer’s career are still ahead of him.
“Yeah, really like his game. But I think for him, being 19, this is all gravy right now. Like, when he’s 22, 23, 24, 25, all the way up, I mean, those are the years where he can really — he should be a top-three, top-five player in the league. So he’s just got to keep climbing. But it’s obviously impressive with where he’s at at 19.”
That’s substantial praise coming from Hughes, who has established himself as one of the NHL’s premier offensive defensemen.
And he wasn’t the only member of the Wild impressed by Schaefer on Thursday.
Wild head coach John Hynes was particularly impressed with Schaefer’s skating ability and offensive instincts.
“He’s good. He’s hard to play against. He’s a great skater. You saw what he can do with the puck, and he’s an offense driver and he was good tonight,” Hynes said.
“Yeah, he has the ability, he’s got good size, but I think the thing that helps him is his skating is elite. He’s able to hold onto the puck and do some things at the offensive blue line and some of the things that you see with the premier offensive defensemen in the league he has that skill set.”
Hynes’ assessment highlights what makes Schaefer such a difficult player to defend.
His skating allows him to maintain possession, create offensive opportunities and extend plays along the blue line, qualities typically associated with established offensive defensemen.
On Thursday night in Minnesota, Schaefer's game was on full display.
With his overtime-winner, Schaefer became the first teenage defenseman in NHL history with three career overtime goals. He broke a tie with Cam Fowler (2).
Wild forward Nico Sturm was equally impressed by the confidence Schaefer displays at such a young age, and if he sees a little Hughes in Schaefer.
“I think that’s pretty fair to say. I just admire the guys coming into the league at 18, 19, and the confidence that they have and just looking like they’ve been in the league for eight years,” Sturm said.
“I don’t know what these guys do growing up, to be honest with you. It’s kind of insane. They just all get good hands, good skating, elite shot. I think I missed that part growing up.
Players like Schaefer are entering the league with advanced skating, puck skills and confidence, allowing them to make an immediate impact rather than spending several years adjusting to the professional game.
Schaefer, 19, is now up to four goals, ten assists and 14 points in 13 games. He scored the game-tying goal in the first period before he scored the game-winner in overtime.
It was his fifth career multi-goal game and tied Phil Housley for the most by a teenage defenseman in NHL history.
It was pretty evident that Minnesota struggled to contain the young defenseman. He was all over the ice on Thursday.
“Yeah, he’s a heck of a player for sure. He showed it tonight. I don’t think we did a good enough job of slowing him down, making his life a little bit harder,” Boldy said. “But credit to him, he plays the game like he’s been playing for 10, 15 years. It’s pretty fun to watch. Future is obviously pretty bright. They’re pretty lucky to have him over there.”
For a player still in the early stages of his NHL career, receiving that level of recognition from opposing players and coaches speaks volumes.
Hughes sees a future superstar. Hynes sees an elite skating ability and offensive skill set. Sturm sees remarkable confidence and maturity. Boldy sees a player who already looks like an NHL veteran.
And if Hughes’ prediction proves accurate, what the Wild witnessed Thursday night could be just the beginning of something special for Schaefer and the Islanders.
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View of a 'Jack of Spades' from a deck of playing cards (printed in Frankfurt, Germany), circa 1875. (Photo by Transcendental Graphics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s the offseason so it’s time to check the latest roster-building websites out.
Here, I have made an opening salvo at what would be an aggressive, yet realistic, offseason for the Guardians.
-They trade for Alec Burleson from the Cardinals (trading Welbyn Francisca, Ryan Cesarini and Slade Cecconi) and Gabriel Hughes (trading Kyle Manzardo, Franco Aleman and Braylon Doughty) from the Rockies.
-They sign Alex Vesia in free agency at 2 years/$16M.
-They add Justin Campbell, Franklin Gomez, Jacob Zibin, Jaison Chourio and Tommy Hawke to the 40-man.
-They keep David Fry for depth (he still has 2 options).
-They let Matt Festa, Blake Perkins and Shawn Armstrong go.
-The starting lineup is very left-hander heavy, but the bench features guy who can all swing it from the right side. I see Genao getting starts at short, second and third, and maybe getting reps in center. Adell and Burleson platoon, essentially, and Burleson can play first. Angel platoons with Ingle in left, and Ingle can continue to get some reps at catcher, also.
Payroll is a very sustainable $110M.
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TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Pontus Holmberg set a career high with four points on a goal and three assists, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and two assists, and the Tampa Bay Lightning remain unbeaten at home with a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.
Brayden Point, John Carlson and Conor Geekie all scored for Tampa Bay. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots.
The Lightning improved to 6-0 at home to tie a franchise record to start a season.
Neil Pionk, playing his 600th game, scored twice. Kyle Connor and Dylan Samberg also scored for the Jets and Mark Scheilffele had three assists.
Stuart Skinner allowed five goals on 21 shots before being replaced by Nico Daws to start the third period. Daws finished with nine saves in his Winnipeg debut.
Winnipeg is winless (0-5-2) in the past seven games, including three consecutive regulation losses since trading goaltender Connor Hellebuyck to New Jersey.
The Jets’ last victory came on Oct. 13.
HURRICANES 3, BLUE JACKETS 2
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Mark Jankowski scored in the third period for a three-goal lead, Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 saves and Carolina beat Columbus.
Kochetkov improved to 9-0-0 and set the franchise record for longest season-opening winning streak. Jordan Martinook and Logan Stankoven also scored and Seth Jarvis added two assists as the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes won for the fourth time in five games.
Jet Greaves stopped 24 shots for Columbus. Denton Mateychuk and Kent Johnson scored in the third period.
Jankowski’s goal, 16 seconds into the third period, felt like added insurance, but turned out to be the difference in the game.
Martinook beat Greaves from the left circle to give the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead with 4:09 left in the first period.
Stankoven made it 2-0 with his team-leading ninth goal of the season, 7:47 into the second period. Stankoven has five goals in six home games this season.
MAMMOTH 4, PENGUINS 3, OT
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Logan Cooley completed a hat trick against his hometown team with a second left, Mikhail Sergachev scored at 3:27 of overtime and Utah stunned Pittsburgh.
After Ben Kindel put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2 with 25 seconds left, Cooley — playing his third NHL game in Pittsburgh — batted the puck in from the left side of the net for sixth goal in four games and seventh of the season.
Cooley became the third Pittsburgh native with a hat trick against the Penguins, joining Brandon Saad and R.J. Umberger. At age 5, Cooley took part in Sidney Crosby’s first Little Penguins Learn to Play Hockey program.
Cooley scored for the first time in seven games against Pittsburgh. He had two first-period goals to give the Mammoth an early 2-0 lead, and scored in the third for his third career hat trick.
In overtime, Sergachev beat Arturs Silovs off a rebound in front.
Sebastian Cossa stopped 31 shots for the Mammoth, who have won three of their last five games overall. Utah is 5-0-0 after a loss and 8-0-0 when leading after two periods.
Rickard Rakell had a short-handed goal, and Erik Karlsson also scored for Pittsburgh. Silovs made 30 saves.
RED WINGS 4, BLACKHAWKS 1
DETROIT (AP) — Viktor Arvidsson scored his sixth career hat trick and added an assist as Detroit Red overcame the suspension of former captain Dylan Larkin with a victory over Chicago.
The third four-point game of Arvidsson’s career gave Detroit a 5-1-1 record over its last seven games. Lucas Raymond added a power-play goal and Alex DeBrincat had two assists. John Gibson made 18 saves, including one on Frank Nazar’s second-period penalty shot.
Connor Bedard scored for the Blackhawks, who are 0-5 on the road this season. Spencer Knight stopped 25 shots.
The Red Wings suspended Larkin without pay prior to the game. Larkin, who requested a trade during the offseason, through his agent said would no longer play for the organization. Larkin has two goals and six assists in 10 games this season, including the tying goal during a shootout victory at Edmonton on Monday.
CANADIENS 5, STARS 2
DALLAS (AP) — Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook scored two goals each as Montreal beat Dallas.
Jakub Dobes made 17 saves in his first win since opening night as the Canadiens won their fourth consecutive game, all in Central Division rinks. Phillip Danault had an empty-net goal and an assist.
Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars, who had won five straight before Tuesday’s 5-1 home loss to New Jersey. Jake Oettinger, who went into play third in the NHL with a 1.43 goals-against average, allowed a season-most four goals on 20 shots.
Caufield opened the scoring with a one-timer 7:24 in. Only 27 seconds after Newhook broke a 1-1 tie late in the first period, Caufield stuffed in a puck that crossed behind Oettinger to give Montreal the lead for good.
Newhook made it 4-1 early in the second period six seconds after Dallas’ top-ranked penalty kill notched the 25th of 27 consecutive kills scoring on a ricochet off the boards behind the net that Oettinger never saw.
The Canadiens are 4-0 without captain Nick Suzuki, who was lost for two-to-four weeks on Oct. 20 with an upper-body injury.
BLUES 4, BRUINS 1
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg each had a goal and two assists to lead St. Louis to a win over Boston.
Before the win, the Blues were 0-3-3 in their last six games against Bruins at home since Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final on June 3, 2019.
Jimmy Snuggerud and Jake Neighbours scored a power-play goal for St. Louis and Joel Hofer recorded 31 saves.
James Hagens scored for the Bruins and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots.
St. Louis went ahead 2-1 on a wrist shot from the top of the slot by Broberg at 5:17 of the second period. Connor McMichael passed from behind the net to an open Broberg, whose shot went just inside the right post.
The Blues extended the lead to 3-1 on a goal by Thomas at 12:08. He took the puck from Justin Barron at the blue line, skated to the high slot and fired a wrist shot high to beat Swayman.
ISLANDERS 4, WILD 3, OT
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matthew Schaefer scored his second goal of the game on a wrist shot at 33 seconds of overtime to give New York a victory over Minnesota.
Schaefer beat goalie Jesper Wallstedt from the right circle on a break.
Schaefer also had an assist, Bo Horvat scored a power-play goal and Adam Pelech also connected for for New York. Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves.
Joel Eriksson Ek, Quinn Hughes and Matt Boldy scored for Central Division-leading Minnesota, with Boldy tying it at 3 with 3:53 left in regulation.
Wallstedt stopped 22 shots.
The Islanders won their second straight to improve to 7-4-2. The Wild dropped to 9-4-2. They had won three in a row.
CAPITALS 4, PREDATORS 3
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cole Hutson scored twice to lead Washington to a victory over Nashville.
Boone Jenner and Alex Tuch also scored and Charlie Lindgren made 25 saves for Washington, winners of three straight and five of six. Aliaksei Protas and Jack St. Ivany each had two assists.
Filip Forsberg scored twice, Ross Colton also scored and Juuse Saros made 25 saves for Nashville, losers of four of five. Roman Josi had three assists.
Forsberg opened the scoring with 7:12 left in the first period.
With the Predators on a 5-on-3, Ryan O’Reilly sent a pass from the high slot to Forsberg at the top of the left circle, where he beat Lindgren with a one-timer.
Forsberg has scored a power-play goal in three-straight games. O’Reilly extended his points streak to four games. He has three goals and four assists over that span.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 21: Yaxel Lendeborg #1 of the Golden State Warriors dribbles into the defense. of Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Lakers (4-1) will kick off their quest for another NBA Cup title on Friday against the Golden State Warriors (2-3). Both Pacific Division teams are in West Group C for the group stage.
Start time and TV schedule
Who: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors
When: 7 p.m. PT, Oct 30
Where: Chase Center
Watch: Prime Video
It’s been just a week since these two teams faced off in the season opener and now they’re back in the spotlight to headline the first day of the NBA Cup. After dominating the Warriors in the season opener, the Lakers have kept building momentum while the Warriors have been up and down.
And oh, Yaxel Lendeborg has not stopped talking about Luka Dončić. I mean, seriously, it’s like there’s a new quote from him about Luka that makes the rounds every single day.
Is Yaxel Lendeborg looking forward to the Lakers game on Friday?
Going from LeBron James vs. Stephen Curry headlining these Lakers-Warriors matchups to now it being Dončić vs. the rookie from Michigan. It’s an interesting shift for a matchup that has lost some of its juice over the past few seasons. Maybe this NBA Cup game will add more to the fire.
Speaking of the NBA Cup, the Lakers and Warriors are in the same group as the Spurs, Blazers and Kings. All these teams will face each other for the next month and the squad that’s on top of the Group C standing advances to the knockout round. They can also advance as the wild card team by having the best record among all second-place finishers in the conference.
Given how the Lakers have performed in the NBA Cup over the last two years, it would be nice to see them go far this season for a change. Perhaps it won’t be too hard to motivate them given the additional money that could come with winning these games. That’s why some of these NBA Cup games add much-needed juice this early in the regular season.
If the Lakers-Warriors season opener was any indication, Friday’s rematch should be even more thrilling. The purple and gold should expect a better Warriors team coming in with a two-game winning streak. Golden State has really benefited from Lendeborg’s early success and on top of that, Curry — who just scored 44 points in their recent victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves — is still one of the most dangerous players.
The Lakers’ defense will have to be prepared. It’ll be interesting to see if head coach JJ Redick continues to give Jared Vanderbilt playing time after he played 21 minutes in the victory against the Clippers. Vando was a has a plus-minus of +22 and had seven rebounds. The Lakers also nabbed a season-high 48 rebounds, which hopefully is a sign of improvement moving forward.
Beyond controlling the boards, the Lakers must once again capitalize on their advantages over the Warriors. LA has more offensive firepower, a better bench and, frankly, the best superstar on the floor and it has to look that way on Friday. The Lakers can’t let Lendeborg or Brandin Podziemski make a significant impact.
Golden State will be more comfortable knocking down those 3-pointers at home and playing loose. It’ll be up to the Lakers to control the game as they did so in the first matchup.
Let’s see if the Lakers can do that and start their NBA Cup campaign with a statement win on Friday.
Notes and Updates
If you need a refresher course on the NBA Cup, here’s the perfect thread for it:
In the season opener match between these two teams, Walker Kessler scored 26 points and was a perfect 12-12 from the field. It’ll be ideal if the Lakers can get a monster performance from their big man again.
For the Lakers’ injury report, Ziaire Williams (left foot injury management) is questionable.
As for the Warriors, Gui Santos (left knee tendinitis) is doubtful while Kristaps Porzingis (not with team), Moses Moody (left patellar tendon repair) and Jimmy Butler III (right ACL repair) are out.
They made us sweat about it more than necessary, but the New York Islanders came through with a big two points against one of the league’s heavyweights in the Minnesota Wild.
Matthew Schaefer tied and then surpassed Bobby Orr’s teenage scoring record on the leaderboard, with two goals and an assist tonight. Bo Horvat scored on the power play, and Adam Pelech picked up his first of the season to round out the scoring.
It wasn’t the cleanest win for the Islanders, who at times struggled to keep up with Minnesota’s pace, but they definitely grew into the game, and closed out a tough road trip with a win.
Joel Eriksson-Ek opened the scoring less than 30 seconds in on a shot that Ilya Sorokin probably wanted back, coming down the center of the ice with no traffic in the way. It was a little more back and forth after that, with the Islanders getting a few good chances.
Kyle Palmieri was called for hooking Danila Yurov, but the Islanders killed the penalty.
Ryan Pulock left the game sometime around then, and wouldn’t return, due to an upper body injury.
Then, Emil Heineman took a shot that Wallstedt saved, but Matthew Schaefer found the rebound with perfect timing and put it away to tie the game.
The Islanders went to the power play early in the second, with Olli Maatta tripping Palmieri, and Simon Holmstrom set up a Bo Horvat tip to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead.
JG Pageau went to the box for tripping, and the Islanders killed that. That kill turned into a mega shift for the Islanders in the Minnesota zone, which unfortunately didn’t end in a goal despite significant offensive zone time.
And even more unfortunately, just after that, Quinn Hughes tied the game at 2-2 on a backhand pass that went through Sorokin’s legs and in, another goal he would really want back, especially in a tight game like this.
Adam Pelech was called for a weak trip in the third period, and the Islanders killed the penalty, with Scott Mayfield and Logan Stanley on for the full two minutes.
A few minutes later, Pelech got on the scoresheet in a positive way, picking up his first goal of the season to make it 3-2. It’s listed as unassisted, but hard work along the boards by Heineman and Victor Eklund helped set it up.
Ondrej Palat drew a tripping call, sending Eriksson-Ek to the box, but the Islanders couldn’t convert.
And later, Matt Boldy took advantage of a turnover and rare all-around bad play by Schaefer to make it 3-3.
Sorokin made a huge save on Olli Maatta alone in front late, and Pelech rang a shot off the crossbar, and so we went to overtime.
The Wild had a great chance in OT, but Kirill Kaprizov shot the puck high, and the Islanders were able to turn it around, setting up Schaefer and Holmstrom on a 2 on 1. Schaefer elected not to pass, and shot the puck past Wallstedt for his second of the night and the game winner.
Next, the Islanders head home to UBS Arena to take on the Edmonton Oilers at 2pm on Halloween. Here’s hoping the spookiness stays off the ice, especially with Connor McDavid on a tear.
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Saint Paul, Minn.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The first thing Matthew Schaefer said in his postgame scrum Thursday night was not about his overtime winner. It wasn’t about his three-point night, nor his second straight game logging 30 minutes, nor that he outplayed Quinn Hughes on a night when both superstar defensemen had it going.
Instead, Schaefer wanted to talk about his turnover that led to the Wild tying the game with under four minutes to go in regulation.
“That’s obviously my fault there,” Schaefer said. “But honestly, we learned from it.”
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Saint Paul, Minn. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
It’s questionable how much of the fault was his, but it was one last way Schaefer managed to impress everyone in a night full of them.
Down to five defensemen for most of the night after Ryan Pulock exited with an upper-body injury having played just 51 seconds, the Islanders bested the Wild 4-3 on the 19-year-old’s overtime winner, earning what was easily their best victory in the season’s first month.
“I know everyone talks about Schaef, and he deserves every accolade he gets, but this was a team win tonight,” head coach Pete DeBoer said. “We had four lines and five ‘D’ that were committed to giving us a chance to win and playing the right way.”
He was right on both counts.
This was the Islanders’ best team game of the season. It was also Schaefer at his jaw-dropping best — playing half the game, scoring twice, assisting a third goal and winning most of his shifts in the toughest of matchups.
“I mean, when I was 19, I was a sophomore at Michigan,” Hughes said, having scored two points to fall short of Schaefer’s three. “And when Cale [Makar] was 19, he was a freshman and did one more year or two more, I forget. But same with [Adam] Fox, he did three years. [Zach] Werenski too. All those guys I just mentioned were in college at this kid’s age.
New York Islanders players celebrate a goal against the Minnesota Wild in Saint Paul, Minn., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
“So he’s obviously really good.”
The praise from inside the Islanders’ own room was just as effusive.
“At least once a period, I curse to myself on the bench, or on the ice even, just ’cause he’s very special,” Logan Stanley said.
Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Kiersted (26) skates with the puck as New York Islanders center Kyle MacLean defends, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in St. Paul, Minn. AP Photo/Abbie Parr
The team effort, though, was nearly as good as Schaefer’s individual effort.
The Islanders never were overwhelmed by the Wild’s speed. They protected the middle of the ice in their own zone and played smart, physical hockey for 60 minutes. It didn’t quite keep Minnesota’s cadre of superstars quiet, but it certainly kept the home team from taking over the game — while making sure it was played on the Islanders’ terms.
“We’ve talked about it since training camp,” DeBoer said. “When we have detail in our game, play hard like that in hard areas of the rink, we give ourselves a chance to win.”
The Isles entered the third period tied at two but with a huge 8-3 edge on high-danger chances at five-on-five.
Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt defends his goal while Olli Maatta trips New York Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, in Saint Paul. NHLI via Getty Images
The chance to retake the lead came after the Islanders killed off their third penalty of the night. After Victor Eklund won a puck battle along the boards, it floated to Adam Pelech in space. The defenseman’s shot hit Michael McCarron in the leg before getting past Jesper Wallstedt.
There was still plenty of game left from there, and an Islanders defense that had been stout all night started to show some wear late in the game. Matt Boldy tied it on the rush with 3:53 to go after a couple of poor shifts in a row put the Islanders on their heels.
Joel Eriksson Ek celebrates his goal with teammates Quinn Hughes and Jonas Brodin during a game in Saint Paul, Minn., Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026. NHLI via Getty Images
Instead of all five minutes, though, he netted the winner on a two-on-one rush after 33 seconds.
The only development about which the Islanders might be quietly worried is that of Ilya Sorokin. In his first start after letting in six goals against the Stars — a performance that could easily be called both an outlier and a product of poor defense — the goaltender let in three softies.
First, just 27 seconds into the game, Joel Eriksson Ek beat him clean from 41 feet out. Then, late in the second period, Hughes lifted a sharp-angle backhand past Sorokin’s pads to tie the game at two. Even Boldy’s tying goal was one Sorokin probably should have had, despite Schaefer’s rush to blame himself.
“No one liked the second goal and [the] first, the start of the game,” Sorokin said. “But after, I tried to stay focused and play the full game. I don’t like, again, the goal with two minutes left. As a [team], I liked our overtime goal. It’s a big ‘W’ against a really good team.”
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 06: Grayson Allen #8 talks with Royce O'Neale #00 of the Charlotte Hornets during their preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center on October 06, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consen23ting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The start of the NBA season is infamously known as “October basketball” by many.
With an 82-game regular season, the stakes feel low, players are getting legs under them, and new additions are still getting acclimated to their new teams. Although they have stakes, the first handful of games almost feel like dress rehearsals with exclusive members in the audience, rather than the packed Friday shows on Broadway that are about to begin, with 75+ games still on the schedule.
But the games aren’t just about stakes: they’re also a reminder of what teams don’t have anymore.
With the Phoenix Suns on a four-day break between games, I put my NBA League Pass on a team I seldom watch compared to the other 29 teams: the Charlotte Hornets. As Detroit was closing out the surprise darlings from a season ago in a 97-89 win, I could not stop thinking about the Phoenix Suns, not because Charlotte recently acquired the team’s unprotected 2033 first-round pick, but because of who was on the floor for them late in a close game.
Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen.
Both traded from the Suns this past offseason in return for Miles Bridges. The two played pivotal roles for the team last year, helping the Suns make the playoffs. No matter who was in the lineup alongside them, they provided toughness, experience, and continuity, most memorably in a late February game against Luka Dončić, LeBron James, and the Los Angeles Lakers that helped the team get out of a rut with Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks out. Allen led the scoring attack, and O’Neale hit the game-winner.
And while Bridges, with his size and offensive versatility, is an upgrade over Allen and O’Neale on the court, with the Suns reportedly dealing with “growing frustration” in the locker room over the lack of a point guard, while neither plays point guard and both struggled in Charlotte’s loss last night, they were both key members helping resurrect Phoenix from disappointment to a surprise.
Yes, the team is three games into the season. Yes, the Suns resigned and extended many of their key players from a season ago, all in an attempt to build around Devin Booker, who’s tied for the second-most seasons in a Suns uniform, but when there are reports of discombobulation, it’s natural to remember the people who help combobulate, even if there’s continuity within the discombobulation.
Just something to think about as we wait for Suns basketball to return from this early-season 96-hour hiatus between games. The stakes for “October basketball” may remain low with teams so close to each other in the standings, but the reminders that arise shine brightly.
With multiple storylines surrounding Thursday’s matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings forward Viktor Arvidsson gave everyone another one to talk about.
Arvidsson scored his sixth career hat trick to lead the Red Wings to a 4-1 victory at Little Caesars Arena, capping a day dominated by major news surrounding former captain Dylan Larkin’s suspension.
The contest also featured the return of former Red Wings forward Patrick Kane for the first time since he decided to rejoin the Blackhawks over the summer, accepting a two-year, $16 million contract after having played in Detroit since December 2023.
Earlier in the day, Larkin's agent, Pat Brisson, said through NHL insider Pierre LeBrun that his client had "had enough" of the ongoing trade stalemate. The Red Wings later announced that Larkin had been suspended without pay.
Despite the ongoing drama, the Red Wings had a game to play, and it wasn't long before they found themselves trailing by a 1-0 score thanks to Chicago captain Connor Bedard beating goaltender John Gibson with a backhand shot off a rebound at 5:59 of the first period.
However, the Red Wings tied the game at the 7:31 mark of the second period on the first of Arvidsson’s three goals. He deflected a shot from defenseman William Wallinder past goaltender Spencer Knight for his sixth goal of the season.
Detroit took the lead for good early in the third period thanks to a wicked wrist shot from Lucas Raymond on the power play, as Kane was in the box for high sticking.
Arvidsson added to the lead at the 15:26 mark of the third period, crashing the net and burying a rebound of an Alex DeBrincat shot past Knight. He then completed the hat trick late in the frame, hitting the open net.
Having played last season with the divisional rival Boston Bruins, Arvidsson signed a two-year, $10 million contract to join the Red Wings during the summer; the move reunited him with head coach Todd McLellan, under whom he played while with the Los Angeles Kings.
Gibson picked up the victory for Detroit, making 18 saves on the 19 shots he faced. Meanwhile, Knight stopped 25 shots for Chicago.
The Red Wings will next host the St. Louis Blues for a Saturday afternoon Halloween matchup.
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ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Matthew Schaefer scored his second goal of the game on a wrist shot at 33 seconds of overtime to give the New York Islanders a 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.
Schaefer beat goalie Jesper Wallstedt from the right circle on a break.
Schaefer also had an assist, Bo Horvat scored a power-play goal and Adam Pelech also connected for for New York. Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves.
Joel Eriksson Ek, Quinn Hughes and Matt Boldy scored for Central Division-leading Minnesota, with Boldy tying it at 3 with 3:53 left in regulation.
Wallstedt stopped 22 shots.
The Islanders won their second straight to improve to 7-4-2. The Wild dropped to 9-4-2. They had won three in a row.
DALLAS (AP) — Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook scored two goals each as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Dallas Stars 5-2 on Thursday night.
Jakub Dobes made 17 saves in his first win since opening night as the Canadiens won their fourth consecutive game, all in Central Division rinks. Phillip Danault had an empty-net goal and an assist.
Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars, who had won five straight before Tuesday’s 5-1 home loss to New Jersey. Jake Oettinger, who went into play third in the NHL with a 1.43 goals-against average, allowed a season-most four goals on 20 shots.
Caufield opened the scoring with a one-timer 7:24 in. Only 27 seconds after Newhook broke a 1-1 tie late in the first period, Caufield stuffed in a puck that crossed behind Oettinger to give Montreal the lead for good.
Newhook made it 4-1 early in the second period six seconds after Dallas’ top-ranked penalty kill notched the 25th of 27 consecutive kills scoring on a ricochet off the boards behind the net that Oettinger never saw.
The Canadiens are 4-0 without captain Nick Suzuki, who was lost for two-to-four weeks on Oct. 20 with an upper-body injury.
Dobes played instead of standout rookie Jacob Fowler, who has won his last six starts including Montreal’ three previous games. Dobes had allowed 20 goals in his four previous outings, going 0-2-2. In his previous start against Dallas early last season, Dobes was pulled after allowing five goals on 13 shots in a 7-0 loss.
Montreal’s Noah Dobson and Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen (who turned 30 on Thursday) had two assists.
Dallas is 3-2-0 with one game left in a season-long six-game homestand.
The New York Islanders (7-4-2) concluded their three-game road trip (2-0-1) with a monumental 3-2 win against the Minnesota Wild (9-2-4) in St. Paul on Thursday night.
Matthew Schaefer scored his second of the game in overtime, with a blocker side snipe off a 2-on-1 rush with Simon Holmstrom at the 33-second mark of the extra frame:
Matthew Schaefer tied his career high by extending his point streak to six games (three goals, three assists) after adding a goal and an assist in the win.
His goal at 16:36 tied the game at 1-1 after he buried an Emil Heineman rebound, short-hopping the puck:
Schaefer recorded his 13th (three goals, 10 assists) in 13 games this season.
Horvat scored his seventh goal of the season at 1:41 of the second period to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead, bringing his total to 14 points (seven goals, seven assists) in his 13th game:
But, for the second time, the Wild ansnwered. After Schaefer got caught, Matt Boldy beat Sorokin through the legs off the rush at 16:07 of the third to tie the game at 3-3:
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 29: Onyeka Okongwu #17 of the Atlanta Hawks handles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 29, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks were back in action on Thursday evening to face the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Hawks are coming off a loss to the Miami Heat last night, where not much went right for them on either side of the ball. The one bright spot was Kingston Flemings, who had his breakout game, finishing with 23 points.
As for the Cavaliers, they’re also coming off a back-to-back, as they defeated the Washington Wizards 121-111.
The Hawks struggled against the Heat due to the likes of their frontcourt, and the Cavaliers pose similar problems with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen down low.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker got things started for the Hawks with a 3-pointer.
It was another slow offensive outing for the team in the first quarter, as they couldn’t get much to go at the rim. The 3-point numbers weren’t bad, but they didn’t take that many to make a big difference.
That led the Cavaliers to grab a double-digit lead toward the middle of the quarter, and the Hawks found themselves fighting back. Going into the second, the Hawks trailed the Cavaliers 28-16.
It was a slow start to the second for the Hawks, but the bench was able to find a little bit of a rhythm to cut down their deficit. It was Aaron Wiggins who brought the Hawks life as the quarter continued, knocking down a few 3-pointers to bring them within striking distance.
The starters fed off that energy, and they were able to get stops on defense that led to their offense. Onyeka Okongwu made a layup to tie the game at 37.
The Hawks were able to take the lead a few possessions later, and even extend it a little further. Okongwu was able to get a few 3-pointers to go in after struggling with his shot to start the season.
It was a strong start to the third for the Hawks, and Okongwu continued his hot shooting from the 3-point line. They were able to maintain their lead throughout the quarter, and Okongwu brought his scoring inside the paint.
Even when the Cavaliers made their run, the Hawks always had a response. To end the quarter, Flemings found Alexander-Walker on the break for a 3-pointer to give the Hawks an 89-82 lead going into the fourth.
The Hawks continued to stay afloat in the fourth, hitting timely shots and getting stops on defense. Wiggins was there when they needed him, and Johnson was also able to get some shots to go, including this dunk in transition.
The Cavaliers had one final run in them, and they made it close with less than a minute remaining. With 20.6 seconds left, the Hawks led by one point, and that’s when the free-throw game came in. Alexander-Walker was able to knock down both to give the Hawks a 3-point lead. From there, all the Hawks needed was a stop on the other end, and they got multiple stops to seal the game in the end.
Okongwu finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds, Alexander-Walker finished with 25 points, and Wiggins finished with 20 points and seven rebounds.
The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday to face the New Orleans Pelicans.
