The Tampa Bay Lightning aren't the only team being carried by their top line to begin this season.Sure the trio of Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Vladislav Namestnikov have been other-worldly, but in Philadelphia, their top line of Claude Giroux, Jakub Voracek, and Sean Couturier have been doing some damage of their own.The Flyers are off to a cavalier start with a 6-5-1 record, but things could be going much worse if not for the contributions of their big three, who through 12 games have combined for 15 goals and 45 points.PlayerGoalsPointsPower-Play PointsShotsVoracek216543Couturier915136Giroux614424The hot start by the three should be largely contributed to head coach Dave Hakstol. The biggest glaring change - which is paying dividends - is that Giroux has been moved from his native at center to the left wing. Couturier has manned the center ice position and Voracek has been slotted at his usual spot on the right side.While the change might be a surprise, Giroux said he spent the majority of his life playing on the wing before he became a professional, according to John Boruk of NBC Sports Philadelphia. He could be more comfortable with his new assignment than one might expect.The move appears to be working in spades and both Giroux and Couturier look like they should easily surpass their offensive totals from a season ago.Last year, Giroux endured his lowest goal total of his career over a full 82-game season, bagging just 14 goals while playing in every game. With six already on the board through the first month of the season, topping that mark should be no problem.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)As for Couturier, he looks to be in the midst of a career year. Last season he - like Giroux - scored 14 goals in 66 games, just one short of his career-high of 15, which came during the 2014-15 season. With nine already in the bank, Couturier would have to go on a streak of epic proportions to not match his previous best.Now, Voracek's two goals don't scream record-breaking, but with 16 points in 12 games, he ranks third in league scoring and - at least for the time being - is on pace to smash last year's total of 61 points and potentially his career mark of 81.The Flyers are clinging to a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference as they look to reach the playoffs after missing out last season. If they are to return to exercise the demons of last year, there's no question their elite trio will have to continue to flex their muscles as they have this October.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

CHICAGO -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville apparently saw enough. With Chicago in the midst of a three-game losing streak, he commanded a longer-than-usual practice on Tuesday and cursed at his players afterward because he thought their effort was lacking.The Blackhawks will try to bounce back Wednesday when they face off against the Philadelphia Flyers at the United Center.Chicago (5-5-2) started the season on a high note but has been outscored 12-6 during the past week while dropping games against the Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche. The Blackhawks are 1-5-0 in their past six contests."I didn't like the last part of our practice," Quenneville said to the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday. "The intensity and the pace went down to a tough-to-watch (level). It was just, let's go."Philadelphia (6-5-1) also is searching for more consistency after an up-and-down start to the season. The Flyers are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the previously winless Arizona Coyotes, and they are 1-2-1 in their past four.Injuries to defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Andrew MacDonald have placed the Flyers in a difficult spot. Four of the team's seven active blue-liners are rookies."I've played with a few of them as a partner (in the AHL), so the familiarity certainly makes it easier," said defenseman Will O'Neill, who joined the team on Tuesday.Philadelphia has been forced to turn to its depth on offense, as well. Rookie forward Nolan Patrick has a head injury, and he did not make the road trip.Chicago likely will turn to goaltender Corey Crawford for his 11th start of the season. The 32-year-old is 5-4-0 with a 2.12 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage in his first 10 contests.The Flyers have had Crawford's number. In four career games against Philadelphia, Crawford is 1-3-0 with a 3.51 GAA and an uncharacteristically low .855 save percentage.Veteran goaltender Brian Elliott is expected to start for Philadelphia. Also 32 years old, Elliott has posted a 5-2-1 record with a 3.23 GAA and a .884 save percentage in his first season with the Flyers.Elliott is familiar with the Blackhawks from his tenure with the St. Louis Blues. In 18 career games against Chicago, he is 7-8-1 with a 2.50 GAA and a .910 save percentage.Patrick Kane leads Chicago with 13 career points (four goals, nine assists) in 11 games against Philadelphia. Artem Anisimov scored two goals in two games against the Flyers last season.One of the Flyers' hottest players is Sean Couturier, who scored two goals in the most recent game against the Coyotes. He leads the team with nine goals this season and is on pace to top his season high of 15, which he set during the 2014-15 campaign with Philadelphia.Blackhawks players hope to post a win against the Flyers -- and put punishing practices behind them."Those are never fun," Chicago defenseman Cody Franson said to the Sun-Times. "But you know what, it's great. Losing is not acceptable here."It's amazing to me how calm and level-headed our room has stayed through adversity like this. This is kind of the first time I've experienced something like that. Usually, there's a ton of panic."Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers honored the victims of Tuesday's terror attack with a moment of silence prior to puck drop against the Vegas Golden Knights.

NEW YORK (AP) Mika Zibanejad got the tiebreaking goal with 5:39 left and the New York Rangers scored four in the third period to rally for a 6-4 win over the expansion Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.Jimmy Vesey, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Pavel Buchnevich and Michael Graber scored for the Rangers, and Henrik Lundqvist made 30 saves. Zibanejad also had assists on the first two goals in the third, helping the Rangers win for the third time in seven games (3-2-2).Reilly Smith scored twice, Oscar Lindberg got a goal against his former team and David Perron converted a penalty shot for Vegas, which has lost consecutive games after winning five straight. Maxime Lagace, the fourth goalie used by the Golden Knights this season, stopped 32 shots in his first NHL start.Kreider pulled the Rangers to 4-3 with a power-play goal as he took a pass from Zibanejad and beat Lagace from the left side for his third at 5:31 of the third.Buchnevich tied it nearly four minutes later, taking a pass from Zibanejad on the left side and putting it into the open net with Lagace out of position after moving forward in the crease. It gave Buchnevich a goal for the third straight game.Grabner added an empty-netter with 1:14 left to seal it.Trailing 2-1 after a lackluster first period, the Rangers came out aggressively to start the second and tied the score at 1:29. Kevin Hayes' shot from the left side behind the net went off Rick Nash's skate to Zuccarello, who put it in for his third.The Golden Knights went back ahead 3-2 at 7:06 as Smith scored on a backhand from the right side for his fourth of the season and second of the game.Lundqvist made a pair of sprawling saves on his back with about a minute left in the second, but Perron was hooked by Hayes and awarded a penalty shot. Perron deked and scored five-hole on Lundqvist for his fourth to put Vegas up by two.Vesey put the Rangers up 1-0 just 2:45 into the game as he got a pass from David Desharnais from the left side behind the net and fired it past Lagace. It came on the Rangers' first shot on goal.The Golden Knights tied it as Lindberg scored at 5:22, backhanding the rebound of a shot by Alex Tuch past a sprawled Lundqvist for his fifth.Vegas took a 2-1 lead with 39 seconds left in the first when Colin Miller's point shot was deflected in front by Jonathan Marchessault and put in by Smith.NOTES: Rangers D Brady Skjei played in his 100th regular-season game. ... Zibanejad topped 200 career points and has at least one in four straight games (three goals, four assists). ... The Rangers have won six straight first meetings against expansion teams since losing the initial matchup at home to Anaheim on Oct. 19, 1993. ... Lundqvist earned his 408th win, moving past Glenn Hall for sole possession of ninth place on the NHL's career list. ... The teams conclude their season series Jan. 7 at Las Vegas. ... The Golden Knights, who have been active in trying to help the Las Vegas community heal from the mass shooting at the beginning of the month, were staying at a hotel in Battery Park in lower Manhattan near a terrorist attack earlier in the day. Just blocks away, a 29-year-old man from Uzbekistan drove a rented truck onto a bike path, killing at least eight people and seriously injuring 11 others. The team was delayed a little in leaving the area for Madison Square Garden, but arrived about 75 minutes before the start. ... Vegas placed G Oscar Dansk on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. G Dylan Ferguson was recalled from Kamloops of the Western Hockey League on an emergency basis to serve as Lagace's backup. Top goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion) has not been cleared to resume skating, and backup Malcolm Subban (lower-body injury) is also out.UP NEXTGolden Knights: At Boston on Thursday night in the third of a six-game trip.Rangers: At Tampa Bay on Thursday night to open a two-game trip to Florida.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It appears Vadim Shipachyov will need to pay the piper to get out of Sin City.The Vegas Golden Knights forward, who was suspended by the club Sunday after failing to report to the AHL, is reportedly aiming to return to the KHL, where he had played since 2008.In order to do so, he'll first need to repay the $2-million signing bonus that was part of his two-year, $9-million contract with the Golden Knights, reports Sportsnet's Eric Engels.Once it's repaid, Vegas can place him on unconditional waivers in order to terminate his contract.In three games with the Golden Knights, Shipachyov registered one goal, two penalty minutes, and a plus-three rating.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights are in a pinch.After losing goaltenders Marc-Andre Fleury and Malcolm Subban to injury, the team was dealt another bad hand when recent call-up Oscar Dansk left Monday's contest with an undisclosed ailment.That means Maxime Lagace, who spent last season with the Dallas Stars' farm club, and Dylan Ferguson are the Golden Knights' go-to goalies. Ferguson, 19, was drafted last summer and is on emergency recall from the WHL's Kamloops Blazers.With the team's goaltending depth pushed to its limit, here are five trade options worthy of GM George McPhee's consideration:Curtis McElhinneyThe Golden Knights and Maple Leafs linked up once already in the deal that sent netminder Calvin Pickard to Toronto, and the teams could be prime partners only a few weeks later.It's no secret the Maple Leafs want Pickard with the big club, but he's slotted with the AHL's Marlies until they can clear a roster spot. That means finding a new home for McElhinney. The 34-year-old has appeared in just one game this season, allowing three goals but coming away with the win.Louis DomingueDomingue cleared waivers Monday, and while there were no takers for the Arizona Coyotes netminder, a deal could come to fruition if the team takes back a contract for the struggling goaltender.Interestingly enough, Golden Knights blue-liner Griffin Reinhart passed through waivers the same day as Domingue, and could be the right match in a trade. Carrying an $800,000 cap hit, he's signed to a more affordable deal than Domingue, although he carries an additional year. Domingue, 25, was waived after going winless in seven games - a stretch which saw him post a dreadful .856 save percentage.Michael HutchinsonLike Domingue, Hutchinson cleared waivers earlier this season. The move was the result of the Winnipeg Jets bringing in Steve Mason to pair with Connor Hellebuyck, and Hutchinson's poor performance last year.Hutchinson has appeared in four games with the AHL's Manitoba Moose, and has come up with two wins and a respectable .918 save rate. The 27-year-old is also on an expiring contract that carries a reasonable $1.15-million cap hit.Andrew HammondCould Sin City be the place where Hammond rediscovers his magic? The 29-year-old was a revelation three seasons ago with the Senators, as he put together an outstanding 20-1-2 record and allowed just 42 goals to drag Ottawa into the playoffs.But the good times didn't last, as Hammond now suits up for the Senators' AHL club. At a manageable $1.35-million ticket, he could be a worthwhile gamble for the Golden Knights.Reto BerraBerra, 30, spent last season with the Florida Panthers' organization, but was prepared to return to Switzerland before the Anaheim Ducks came calling.With Ryan Miller on the shelf, a backup spot opened in Anaheim, and Berra appeared in two games. But with Miller now healthy, and the AHL's San Diego Gulls seemingly set with Leland Irving and Kevin Boyle, the Ducks could make Berra available.Honorable mentionsJeff ZatkoffCalled upon last season to fill in for an injured Jonathan Quick - and later losing the gig to Peter Budaj - the Los Angeles Kings' Zatkoff could be an option. The 30-year-old has yet to play this season and appears to be an extra body behind Jack Campbell and Cal Petersen with the AHL's Ontario Reign.Anders LindbackLindback signed with the Nashville Predators - the team that drafted him in 2008 - this offseason after splitting last year between the AHL and Sweden. As the third goalie on Nashville's depth chart, he has posted a 5-1-0 record and .909 save percentage in the AHL. The veteran could come at an affordable price.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Graphic designer Mark Avery-Kenny of AK 47 Studios has put a spooky twist on NHL team logos in celebration of Halloween.Here's a sampling he's dubbed the Hockey Horror Mashup Series, featuring classic characters like Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Michael Myers, Jason Voorhees, Frankenstein's monster, and Leatherface.

The Anaheim Ducks will be without their captain for at least the next three games.Ryan Getzlaf was placed on injured reserve due to swelling from a facial injury suffered Oct. 29 and will be re-evaluated on Nov. 6, the team announced.Getzlaf was injured upon taking a puck to the face early in a game against Carolina.

The goalie carousel continues to spin in Vegas, as the Golden Knights placed netminder Oscar Dansk on injured reserve and recalled Dylan Ferguson from Kamloops of the Western Hockey League on an emergency basis, the team announced.

We all love a good fright on Oct. 31, and there's no shortage of scary statistics through the first few weeks of the NHL season.Here are four of the most frightening:Boo-urns(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Last season, Brent Burns led all defensemen in goals (29) and points (76), and the Norris Trophy winner ranked first among all players with 320 shots on goal.In 11 games this season, however, the San Jose Sharks standout has fired 51 shots on goal without a single tally to show for his efforts.To put that in perspective, Burns is on pace to obliterate his shot total from last season. He's averaging 4.6 per game, which would amount to 380 over a full season. At that rate, if he were to return to the 9.1 shooting percentage reached in 2016-17, he'd be good for close to 35 goals by season's end.If the pucks starts bouncing his way, this Shark will bite hard.Jackets firing blanksColumbus have jumped out to a respectable record of 8-4-0, a bit of a miracle considering how bad the power play has been.The Blue Jackets have converted on only three of their 35 opportunities, giving them a success rate of 8.6 percent and putting them well at the bottom of the league rankings.The next most futile teams on the man advantage are the Oilers and Ducks, both of whom have made good on 12.1 percent of their power plays. Even last year's woefully bad Avalanche managed to hit 12.6 percent, finishing 30th.In 2016-17, Columbus finished with 108 points and boasted a power-play percentage of 19.9. The Blue Jackets are currently tied for the fourth-best point total despite their poor efforts with an extra man, and will be a force to be reckoned with when this stat begins to correct itself.Porous Penguins(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Much has been made of the holes in the Pittsburgh Penguins' back end this season, and for good reason.Their 50 goals allowed is the second highest among all teams, and only one less than an Arizona team that just won its first game.The reasons for this are many: Injuries on the blue line, a complete and utter lack of backup goaltending, Matt Murray's .903 save percentage, and a vicious schedule that features 19 back-to-back scenarios.There's time to fix some of the above, but in the meantime, any and all talk of a threepeat should be put on hold.Another rough October for AndersenThanks to an offense that can't be stopped, the Toronto Maple Leafs are seen by many as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. For them to be taken truly seriously, though, Frederik Andersen will need to once again shake the October blahs.Much like last year, he's gotten off to a shaky start, but the hope is he'll once again find his form as the season goes on.October Save%Rest of Season Save %2016-17.876.9222017-18.896TBDThe Leafs' sticks have been covering for deficiencies in net and of those directly in front of Andersen, but this treat will turn into a trick real fast if not tidied up.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NEW YORK - Not very often in their inaugural season have the Vegas Golden Knights looked the part of an expansion team, entering the week winners of eight of their first nine games.Then came Monday night against the Islanders, when Golden Knights goaltender Oscar Dansk was injured late in the second period on a play that resulted in Isles star John Tavares’ tying goal.Maxime Lagace made his NHL debut in in relief; the Islanders scored four goals on 11 shots against the 24-year-old, and Vegas took a 6-3 loss. That’s a full 24 percent of the Golden Knights’ all-time goals allowed, all in one night.Goaltending depth has already become a major concern for the Golden Knights. They've seen Marc-Andre Fleury suffer a concussion, lost Malcolm Subban to a lower-body injury, traded expansion draft pick Calvin Pickard to Toronto, and did not immediately know how severely Dansk was hurt.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)It took a journey this far down the goaltending depth chart to unearth a team that looked in need of directions around an NHL rink, the way a first-year club might usually expect to be.“We’re an expansion team,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “And the next goalie up’s gonna play and see what happens.”Whoever is in net, what Vegas cannot do is expose its goalie the way the Golden Knights did against the Islanders, allowing breakaway after breakaway to leave Lagace in an impossible situation. The cause of the mistakes was easy enough to identify - a trailing team gambling to make big plays instead of sticking with its usual formula.“We keep things simple,” said defenseman Brad Hunt. “We’ve got to control the things that we can control - how hard we work, and how smart we work. Everyone is confident and we’ve got everybody believing in each other. That’s what it’s all about, and that’s when you play your best hockey.”It’s beyond a cliche, but the reason for it is clear: When you have an expansion team, players are joining the roster from all over the league.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)To create any kind of on-ice chemistry among what are essentially strangers, there are two options: an exotic system everyone has to learn all at once, or a very basic style of play built on hockey essentials that any NHL player would be able to grasp, no matter where their previous journeys have taken them.The Golden Knights’ choice, wisely, has been the latter.“We play as a team,” Gallant said. “We work hard as a team, and it’s 20 guys working hard, competing hard. We keep it simple and we play the game the right way. (Monday), we made three or four huge mistakes, and they ended up in the back of our net. We weren’t making those mistakes before.”There will be more nights like Monday for the Golden Knights, not because they are an expansion team, but because every team has those kind of performances. Two-time defending Stanley Cup champions the Pittsburgh Penguins already have a nine-goal loss and two six-goal losses this season.(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)Vegas has also benefited from a home-heavy schedule that is about to even out in a big way; Monday's loss kicked off a grueling stretch in which the Golden Knights will play 12 of 16 games on the road. Vegas won't enjoy consecutive home games again until Dec. 3-5.What Vegas has going, though, is simplicity on the ice, self-awareness, and motivation. So far, it’s paid off.“Honestly, with this group of guys, we don’t have any Patrick Kanes, Sidney Crosbys,” said Vegas winger Alex Tuch. “There’s good, high-end talent in here like James Neal and David Perron, but even those guys play a hard-nosed game, play simple, get pucks to the net."Everyone’s bought into the system. Everyone’s here to showcase themselves because a lot of guys have chips on their shoulder. Guys want to go out and prove that they should’ve been protected, or shouldn’t have been traded. That’s the case for pretty much everyone out here.”Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

While the St. Louis Blues continue to turn heads with 10 wins in the month of October, their hottest player has seemingly flown under the radar.After Monday night's convincing 4-2 beat down of the Los Angeles Kings, Blues forward Jaden Schwartz sits third in the NHL in scoring with 17 points (eight goals and nine assists) through 13 games. If not for the insanely hot starts from Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos, Schwartz would be pacing the league.But, for whatever reason, no one is really talking about the unheralded Wilcox, Saskatchewan native, when they really should be.In addition to being the club's leading scorer, Schwartz is also its most versatile forward, playing in almost every scenario for St. Louis head coach Mike Yeo.He plays on the Blues' top power-play unit, kills penalties, and logs heavy minutes (19:30 per game this season) while serving as an offensive catalyst on the top line with Vladimir Tarasenko and Brayden Schenn.(Photo courtesy: Action Images)The newly-formed trio are putting up solid offensive numbers to start the season and Tarasenko is just getting warmed up, having scored just six goals.Schwartz, Schenn, and Tarasenko have accounted for almost 40 percent of St. Louis' goals to this point, displaying a chemistry that should have Blues fans lining up to get No. 17 stitched on their backs.Fans should be especially excited due to the fact that Tarasenko and Schwartz have a history of playing well together, with Tarasenko playing a major role in Schwartz posting back-to-back 25-plus-goal seasons a few years ago.Given the injuries to Robby Fabbri and Patrik Berglund, and the offseason departure of David Perron, Schwartz will be counted on even more this year and will get ample time to continue to prove his worth.Schwartz might be well known in St. Louis hockey circles while currently operating under the radar, but with numbers like his, expect his stock and popularity to rise.Point production, a strong two-way game, and the ability to play in all scenarios make Schwartz a player you need to be paying attention to.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Over the course of the 2017-18 season, theScore will run a series of interviews with former players in which they recall some of the greatest moments of their careers. This edition focuses on defenseman Denis Potvin, who won three Norris Trophies and four Stanley Cup rings over a sensational 15-year Hall of Fame career with the New York Islanders.On what he remembers from his first NHL game:That's quite interesting. We played in Atlanta, and, of course, we had the dark road uniforms. And when we got to Atlanta, I opened up my bag, and I saw only my white helmet. Of course, they wouldn't let me play without a black helmet, and we didn't have an extra helmet at that time.So I played the first period without a helmet, which was the scariest thing I think I've ever done. I always played with a helmet, so it was pretty ironic that my first game in the NHL, I wouldn't have a helmet. Finally, after the first period, they finished putting black tape - you know the kind you put on your blade? - they put black tape all around the helmet.The damned thing was so heavy ... it was really uncomfortable. I don't even remember what happened that game, whether we won or not. All I remember is not playing with a helmet, and then playing with one that felt like I had five pounds on my head.On his first NHL goal:You never forget that. We're playing on home ice, and it was in October, so I probably had a few games under my belt. It was against Eddie Giacomin and the New York Rangers. The importance of that is that, when the Rangers scored, even if they were playing in our building, the whole place exploded.It ended up being a 3-2 victory, I scored two goals ... the second one was a slap shot from the point. The first one, I came up on the side, and it was kind of a snap shot that went right between the legs of Giacomin. So my first two goals happened in my first game against the Rangers.On cutting down on penalties over his first few NHL seasons:It finally came to a point where (head coach) Al Arbour tapped me on the shoulder and he said, "You ever notice that they're challenging you in the third period?" And I thought, "Well, I'm not going to back down." I had had a number of fights. My third year was when I scaled back considerably from fighting, and I ended up winning the Norris Trophy.And Al was pretty smug when he said, "See? I told you. Stay on the ice and you'll get more done." My penalty minutes were up there at the end of my career, but the aspect of fighting like I did in junior, night after night ... by the way, that's not what I prepared for when I prepared for the game. I was thinking about playing the game.So, it easily became secondary, and I was fortunate, because we had plenty of guys who could fill that role. And at that time, there was no rules. The benches emptied, and obviously we had some real brawls with the Bruins, and the Flyers, and even the Rangers. Most players can talk about having at least a couple of fights - whether they wanted to or not. (laughs)On who hit him hardest in his career:I got hurt twice, and one of them was when Bryan Trottier and I were trying to hit the same guy. We both missed him, and he just ran me over. That was probably the hardest hit I ever had. One time, Clark Gillies and I were reaching for the puck in practice and we collided. I think that was about as hard as I've ever been hit. Clark was an awfully big boy.As far as being really rocked in a game, Bobby Plager caught me pretty good in St. Louis. It was a low hip check. I kind of spun up in the air and landed back on my butt, and instead of looking up the ice, I was looking back at Billy Smith. (laughs) I think that was about as solid a check as I ever got as a pro.On the best trash-talker of his era:Phil Esposito was probably the best. Phil was always trying to talk to you; he was friendly and made jokes.Back then, you didn't know guys very much. It's not like today, where a lot of players from a lot of teams know each other from being traded, or free agency, or maybe even playing world championships, or Olympics. We didn't have any of those things. We had the All-Star Game, that's about it.I was not a very big talker on the ice; matter of fact, I hated it. I was totally focused and very rarely got into a verbal confrontation with anyone on the ice.On his favorite referee story:I like to tell the story of (referee) Wally Harris skating by me one time after I had pitchforked somebody in front of our net. He said, "Denis, you do that again, and I'm going to have to give you two minutes." (laughs) That was the way it was back then. They just gave you a warning.On what he felt he did best as a player:I grew up watching J.C. Tremblay and Doug Harvey and Jean Beliveau, who was my idol. I never thought I'd ever play center ice, it was never that kind of thing. But what I practiced probably more than most was my passing.I really felt that I could step out from behind the net and hit somebody at full stride at center ice - and did it many times. That, to me, was the key. I believed, and still believe today, that the guys who can pass the puck really well are going to be effective, and also will be around for a long time. Guys who carry the puck get hit more.The other thing is, I came out of a football background. I really like the contact. So passing and getting a good hit at the beginning of the game really sort of set the tempo and got me going. So there was a part of my game in which I had to be physical. But the passing was what I practiced most, and I wanted it to be key.On who he considers most underrated from his era:John Tonelli was an unbelievable competitor. Tonelli, to me, was huge. He played first, second, and third line. Bob Bourne had incredible speed; if he wasn't the fastest at the time, he was pretty darned close. Ken Morrow joined us in 1980 and became my partner right away. He was the easiest guy to play with. I couldn't believe how we meshed together so quickly.In terms of guys I really didn't like to play against, Gilbert Perreault scared the crap out of me. I played against him in junior, and I was thrilled when he passed the puck. He was a one-on-one machine. So was Marcel Dionne. It was a horrible feeling when you'd see them coming at you at full stride; the possibility of them making you look sick was real.I'd put Perreault and Dionne in the same boat. Scary.On his favorite NHL season:I would have to say that the first Stanley Cup was probably the most trying year of my life, yet the most rewarding.In November 1979, playing a game in Edmonton, I mangled my right thumb. I missed more than 30 games that year; I didn't come back until March 1, 1980. And Ken Morrow had just finished playing the Olympics and winning the gold medal, and he and I started the very first game I came back. It was unbelievable how quickly we meshed, and how good we became as a team.That season, I think we were 15th out of 21 teams at Christmas. And we worked our way into the playoffs, certainly not as a favorite, and then went on to win the Stanley Cup. I think that season, 1979-80 is probably ... when you ask me directly, as to the season that was most emotionally rewarding, that has to be the one.On the Islanders' dynasty:I don't need to be humble about this: We were so good. We never let anybody go seven games. Never happened. We were so fine-tuned. If you look at our series against Minnesota, against Vancouver, the first time against Edmonton in the finals in '83, I mean ... it was unbelievable. We were so focused.We had 16 guys who ended up with four Stanley Cup rings. There wasn't a lot of change in that dressing room. Every year there was one or two guys who might come in and play, but they were players that added to what we had.It was really a phenomenal run. I think back to what we did with the 19 consecutive playoff series (won), and then losing in the finals to Edmonton (in 1984) ... it was quite something. It might never be done again.On what he remembers from his last NHL game:I was injured. In 1988, we won the Patrick Division, and then we played against the New Jersey Devils in the first round. I had all of a sudden developed a sciatic nerve problem, and I never knew that anything could be that painful.I didn't end up playing in Game 6. That was my last game - I'm sitting with Mike Bossy, and we're watching the end of the New York Islander era. The players on the ice were guys like Mikko Makela, and Dale Henry, and Alan Kerr. It was tough, because the whole picture of what we were as an Islander dynasty was fading away and moving on.The very last game I played during the season was in Boston. I had 19 goals my last year, and I wanted 20 - that would have been the 10th year that I scored 20 goals in the NHL. And I had seven shots on goal, and (Bruins netminder Reggie Lemelin) ... I could never get a puck by him. It was amazing. Sometimes some goalies just seem to have your number.Everybody was passing the puck to me, but it never happened. So I ended my last season with 19 goals.On his favorite visiting arena:Montreal. I mean, come on. I grew up French-Canadian on the French side of Ottawa. I was a kid with a pizza and a Pepsi, laying on my tummy and watching Rene Lecavalier on Wednesday nights and Saturday nights. For us, it was all Montreal Canadiens all the time.All the pictures I have as a kid from three, four, five years old, when I started skating, I was always wearing one of those Montreal Canadiens jerseys, the big woolen ones with the turtlenecks because we were playing outside. Growing up a Montreal Canadiens fan was great.So of course playing my first game in Montreal had to be the most nervous thing I can imagine. I'm starting, and I've got my brother (and teammate) Jean on the other side, and I look up, and it's Henri "The Pocket Rocket" Richard facing off, Yvan Cournoyer on the ice, and Jacques Lemaire ... well, Jesus, I nearly crapped my pants right there. (laughs)(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)Other entries in this series:

The Tampa Bay Lightning are well set in net.They officially handed the reins to Andrei Vasilevskiy last season after deciding to part ways with Ben Bishop, and the 23-year-old Russian has been as good as anyone could have hoped in the early stages of 2017-18.In fact, Vasilevskiy's 10 wins in the month of October matched a single-season NHL record.

Patrick Marleau was the man of the hour in San Jose Monday night, but his longtime former teammate made some history.Joe Thornton moved past Jari Kurri for 20th on the NHL's all-time points list with a secondary assist on Joe Pavelski's game-tying goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period.It was the 1,399th point of Thornton's career.The 38-year-old forward originally tied Kurri with an assist Oct. 23, but the helper was later taken away. He tied him again with a goal against the Boston Bruins on Thursday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) Charles Hudon scored his first two career goals and had an assist, helping the Montreal Canadiens roll to an 8-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Monday night.Artturi Lehkonen also scored twice for the Canadiens (4-7-1), and Shea Weber had three assists. Al Montoya stopped 25 shots in his first victory of the season.Max Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec also scored as Montreal won back-to-back games for the first time this season.Ottawa (5-2-5) got goals from Tom Pyatt, Ryan Dzingel and Chris DiDomenico. Craig Anderson made just nine saves on 15 shots through two periods before being replaced by Mike Condon, who allowed two goals on 14 shots.Senators captain Erik Karlsson, one of the NHL's best defensemen, was on the ice for seven Montreal goals.Hudon got off to a fast start during a wild six-goal first period. The Canadiens entered the game as the lowest scoring team in the Eastern Conference.Pyatt opened the scoring just 21 seconds in, but Montreal replied at 4:27 when Hudon stepped around Karlsson to beat Anderson short side.The Canadiens made it 2-1 when Pacioretty stole the puck from Anderson behind the net and scored a short-handed goal into an empty net. After Mike Hoffman's shot went in off Dzingel, tying it at 2, Lehkonen and Hudon scored to make it 4-2 after one.The second was a more quiet period until the halfway mark when DiDomenico scored his second in as many games with a power-play goal. But Jordie Benn fed a beautiful pass to Galchenyuk for a breakaway goal and Gallagher made it 6-3 with less than a minute remaining in the period with his fourth of the season.NOTES: The Senators were without D Mark Borowiecki, who was a late scratch because he wasn't feeling well. C Kyle Turris (Viral infection, day-to-day) and Bobby Ryan (broken finger, three weeks) also were held out.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) Andrei Vasilevskiy won his ninth straight start and Steven Stamkos scored twice to lift the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers 8-5 on Monday night.Vasilevskiy made 18 saves and shares the longest win streak by a goalie in franchise history with John Grahame, who won nine in a row from Nov. 14 to Dec. 10, 2005.Ondrej Palat scored the go-ahead goal and had an assist. Nikita Kucherov added his NHL-leading 13th goal and an assist, while Brayden Point and Yanni Gourde each had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay. Vladislav Namestnikov and Anton Stralman also scored.Aleksander Barkov had a goal and three assists to lead the Panthers. Evgeni Dadanov, Jamie McGinn, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad also scored for Florida.James Reimer allowed five goals on 19 shots before being replaced by Antti Niemi at 10:22 of the second. Niemi stopped 16 shots.Tampa Bay took a 4-3 lead on Palat's shot from the left of the crease at 7:17 of the second period, then stretched it to 5-3 when Gourde tipped in the puck during a power play at 9:38. Namestnikov made it 6-3 with 4:19 left in the second.McGinn's goal cut it to 6-4 at 5:32 of the third, but Stamkos' second goal at 9:02 stretched the Lightning lead to 7-4.Dadanov made it 7-5 with 8:31 left in the third, and Stralman added an empty-net goal with 19 seconds left.Huberdeau tied the score 3-all at 5:32 of the second.The Panthers closed to 2-1 on Ekblad's goal at 10:31 of the first period.Stamkos' first goal gave the Lightning a 3-1 advantage on a power play when he one-timed a shot past Reimer with 5:20 left in the first.Florida trimmed it to 3-2 on Barkov's backhand from in front with 53 seconds left in the first.The Lightning took a 2-0 lead within the first five minutes. Point put them in front 2:48 in when he redirected the puck past Reimer. Kucherov picked off a pass and put the puck over Reimer's shoulder at 4:55.NOTES: Panthers LW Connor Brickley missed the game with an upper-body injury sustained Saturday against Detroit. ... Dadanov has eight points (four goals, four assists) in the past five games. ... Lightning C Cedric Paquette missed his sixth consecutive game with a lower-body injury. ... Point has six points in three games against the Panthers.UP NEXTLightning: Host the New York Rangers on Thursday.Panthers: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sharks fans were on their feet for nearly two minutes, cheering on Patrick Marleau in his return to San Jose.

The Vegas Golden Knights' misfortune in the crease continued Monday night, as goaltender Oscar Dansk left the expansion team's game against the New York Islanders with an undisclosed injury.Dansk skated off gingerly under his own power after John Tavares scored a power-play goal to tie the game late in the second period.(Video courtesy: NHL.com)He was replaced by 24-year-old undrafted netminder Maxime Lagace, who allowed four goals on 11 shots in his NHL debut.The Golden Knights later announced Dansk would not return to Monday's game.Vegas is already without Marc-Andre Fleury, who remains sidelined with a concussion, and Malcolm Subban, who was ruled out for at least a month back on Oct. 22 with an injury of his own.Dansk won all three games he played for the Golden Knights before Monday's contest, including a shutout of the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. He stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced before getting hurt.As for who might replace Dansk if he's forced to miss any additional time, Golden Knights assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon told NHL.com's Dan Rosen that depending on the injury, the first option for any emergency recall before Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers is Dylan Ferguson of the WHL's Kamloops Blazers.Ferguson was acquired by Vegas in the Marc Methot trade with the Dallas Stars back in June.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Desperate to halt their skid, the Edmonton Oilers are reportedly willing to deal forward Jussi Jokinen.With the team off to a 3-6-1 record to begin the year, Edmonton has reached out to fellow clubs to "gauge interest" for the 34-year-old, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.Unfortunately, the chances the Oilers are able to acquire anything of significant value for Jokinen is unlikely. He has tallied just one assist in nine games, while averaging 12:14 of ice time per night - the 11th most among the team's forwards.Jokinen signed a one-year, $1.1-million deal with the Oilers this offseason after posting 11 goals and 28 points in 69 games with the Florida Panthers last season.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vadim Shipachyov's time as a Golden Knight was short-lived, as he is reportedly heading back to Russia. His contract will be terminated after the unconditional waiver process, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.Shipachyov signed a two-year, $9-million contract with the Golden Knights on May 4, and was expected to be one of their key offensive producers after finishing third in KHL scoring with 76 points a year ago.It didn't materialize, as Shipachyov played in just three games for the Knights, averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time.After starting the year with AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, he was sent back down after three games, placed on the trade block, and then suspended by the team for failing to report back to the AHL.Vegas is the talk of the NHL with an 8-1 record, but the failed experiment with Shipachyov has to sting a bit.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping the third time's the charm in their search for a reliable backup goaltender.Tristan Jarry will replace Casey DeSmith as Pittsburgh's No. 2 netminder after being recalled from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Monday.DeSmith was reassigned to the AHL affiliate in a corresponding move. He gave up three goals on 15 shots after Matt Murray was pulled in Pittsburgh's 7-1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday night.Jarry has allowed 16 goals in five appearances with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this fall, but he fared a bit better in a larger sample size over the two previous campaigns.Jarry (AHL)GPRecordSV %GAASO2015-163317-3-3.9052.6952016-174528-15-1.9252.153The Penguins selected Jarry 44th overall in 2013.Antti Niemi began the season as the backup goalie for the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, but he was waived and claimed by the Florida Panthers after three terrible appearances in which he gave up 16 goals over 129 minutes for a save percentage of .797.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It happens in the NHL every month: A player gets traded to a new team in a different city that he's - usually - never played in before.Sometimes, it's a perfect fit; other times, not so much.In honor of former Shark and current Maple Leaf Patrick Marleau's return to San Jose, we take a quick look at four players experiencing stellar starts to the season in newfound homes.Mike Smith, Calgary FlamesThe much-maligned Smith joined the Flames in the offseason to very little fanfare. But, after a well-rounded start, supporters in Cow Town are quickly changing their tune.That's mostly because Smith has posted solid numbers, registering a 2.31 goals-against average and .931 save percentage to go along with a 6-5-0 record. But also because he has been a workhorse, starting in 11 of the Flames' first 12 contests.Calgary may be waiting to hit its stride, but Smith is already in fine midseason form. Brayden Schenn, St. Louis BluesOne of the more overlooked deals of this past offseason was Schenn's move to the Blues from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Jori Lehtera and draft picks.It was a steep price for Blues GM Doug Armstrong to pay for a guy who has never topped the 26-goal plateau.However, Schenn is already silencing his critics, and his hot start in his new town - 10 points, plus-7 rating - is a big reason why the Blues find themselves at the top of the NHL's standings.Patrick Marleau, Toronto Maple Leafs Marleau came out of the gates blazing, tallying three goals and two assists across his first five games in blue and white. Not bad for a 38-year-old who was supposed to have his best campaigns behind him.That may still be true, as there's plenty of games this season and years on his contract left to be played. But at this point, on the heels of his strong start, Marleau and his three-year, $18.75-million contract are proving to be steals.James Neal, Vegas Golden KnightsFrom steal to real deal, Neal has been exactly that for the upstart Knights, as the Nashville castoff is quickly proving Predators GM David Poile should have considered hanging on to the forward a little bit longer.In addition to being Vegas' off-ice leader, Neal is posting solid offensive numbers, leading the team in goals (7) and points (10) across his first 10 games on the Strip.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Be it from fans, media, coaches, or themselves, every NHL player enters a given campaign with a certain level of expectations surrounding their performance.Some exceed their perceived limits to silence critics, while others fail to live up to the hype. For now, let's take a look at the former, and analyze three players who have stepped up early in the 2017-18 season.Connor HellebuyckIt appears some internal competition has done wonders for Hellebuyck, as he's become the early answer to the Winnipeg Jets' much-publicized goaltending issues.In six starts, the 24-year-old is 5-0-1, stopping pucks at a .937 clip, along with a 2.05 goals-against average, while offseason signee Steve Mason looks on from the bench.It'll be interesting to monitor whether Hellebuyck can prolong his success as the season carries on. If he does, Winnipeg's biggest problem suddenly has a solution.Claude Giroux(Photo Courtesy: Action Images)A position change for any team's captain and highest-paid player is definitely not an ordinary course of action, but bumping Giroux to the wing has paid major dividends for the Philadelphia Flyers out of the gate.Flanking regular linemate Jakub Voracek and new No. 1 pivot Sean Couturier, Giroux once again looks like his former self, producing six goals and six assists in 11 games. The trio has been one of the most formidable across the NHL, registering a Corsi-for percentage of 55.5 at five-on-five as a unit. (Corsica)It should be noted Giroux said offseason hip surgery played a big role in his subpar 58-point output in 2016-17, but now that he's healthy and thriving in a new role, he's put an end to those questioning his place with the Flyers.Anze KopitarSimilar to Giroux, Kopitar found himself under the microscope after managing just 52 points a season ago, his lowest full-season total since 2008-09. His struggles last year left many wondering if his eight-year, $80-million contract extension was worth it, but he's done his best to prove last season was an anomaly.Kopitar leads the first-place Kings with 13 points through 11 games, and seems to be getting breaks and bounces that eluded him in 2016-17, helping accelerate the success of an improved offensive-driven game plan by new head coach John Stevens.The most pressing dilemma the newly run Kings faced was finding a way to spark a dreadful attack, but if Kopitar is leading the charge on offense once again, Los Angeles could be in good shape to find its way back into the playoffs.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

John Tavares' assault on the scoresheet has earned him No. 1 star status, as the NHL named the New York Islanders captain the top player of the week after netting two hat tricks in three games. Tavares also added an assist to his gaudy totals.Elsewhere, emergency starting netminder Oscar Dansk earned second star honors, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to two more wins - one of which was a shutout - while posting a .968 save percentage.Finally, Ottawa Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau was named third star after registering one goal and five assists across three games.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

So much for that three-peat, right?Lots of puck is left to be played, but after the Antti Niemi band-aid solution was a disaster, and without a capable backup netminder in Pittsburgh to support No. 1 stud Matt Murray, the Penguins are in serious trouble, putting a third Stanley Cup in three years in doubt.And that's especially true when you consider the following factors:Tough schedule aheadThe Penguins have shown over the first month of the season that they don't play well on the second night of back-to-backs, losing all four games in that scenario by a combined score of 29-7.Making matters worse, Pittsburgh plays on back-to-back nights a total of 19 times this campaign - tied for the most of any team - so the schedule isn't doing it any favors. And with another 15 still left to go, the need for a quality backup will become that much more crucial, as most clubs use their No. 2 netminder when they play on consecutive nights.If the Pens want to start winning some of these second legs, they'd better start looking for an answer in the crease to support Murray before the rest of the East passes them by.Murray needs his rest In addition to cementing himself as a bona fide starter over the past two seasons, Murray has demonstrated that he gets injured a lot. Broken bones, pulled hamstrings, concussions - you name it - he's already dealt with plenty of ailments across just 73 career regular-season games.That's not to say Murray can't be a stellar No. 1 guy, because he obviously can, but he'll need a goalie behind him who's able to play at least 10-to-15 games and allow him time to lick his wounds.Sunday's lopsided loss to the Winnipeg Jets was a perfect example. Murray looked gassed after the first period, allowing four goals on nine shots after playing the previous night against Minnesota.There's still plenty of games to go, so the remaining workload will need to be split between two capable 'tenders. But right now, Pittsburgh only employs one.Patchwork blue line can't be relied onWith all due respect to the Penguins' D-men, this group just doesn't look ready to propel the team to a third Cup in three years.Left Defenseman Right DefensemanBrian DumoulinKris LetangOlli MaattaChad RuhwedelIan ColeZach TrotmanSure, lots of these guys got the job done last season, but that was in front of a well-rested Murray and with an ace in the hole on the bench in Marc-Andre Fleury; they currently have neither of those luxuries.Factor in that Kris Letang is off to one of the worst starts of his career defensively - registering a league-worst minus-14 rating and a crooked amount of giveaways - and the need for an answer behind Murray grows exponentially.Rearguard Justin Schultz's eventual return will obviously help, but general manager Jim Rutherford better start working the phones looking for a quality No. 2 goaltender, or else the Penguins are in for one scary-looking season.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

In this season's first edition of the player power rankings, theScore hockey editors Josh Gold-Smith, Flip Livingstone, and Ian McLaren evaluate some of the NHL's biggest names based on their star power and how they've performed so far.10. Sergei BobrovskyGPSV%GAAWSOSASV8.9381.8661243228Other goaltenders like Jonathan Quick, Pekka Rinne, and Andrei Vasilevskiy have been stellar so far, but the Columbus Blue Jackets netminder is the only perennial Vezina Trophy candidate playing at an elite level in the early going.While Carey Price and Braden Holtby haven't been their typically dominant selves, Bobrovsky is once again proving to be a model of consistency.

Patrick Marleau was the quiet and unassuming cornerstone of the San Jose Sharks for nearly two decades.On Monday night, Marleau may feel somewhat awkward when he hits the SAP Center ice for the first time in a visitor's uniform.Marleau looks to help the Toronto Maple Leafs pick up a rare win in northern California when they meet the Sharks in the opener of a four-game road trip.After being selected second overall in the 1997 draft, Marleau was the face of the franchise. His stats speak for themselves and will likely result in his No. 12 being the first to be raised to the rafters in San Jose. The Saskatchewan native is the Sharks' all-time leader in goals (508), assists (574), points (1,082), power-play goals (160), short-handed goals (17) and game-winners (98).Marleau, who turned 38 on Sept. 15, left the Bay Area for a three-year, $18.75 million deal with the Maple Leafs, who feature budding superstar Auston Matthews. It's hoped that Marleau's skill and veteran leadership is the key piece to help Toronto secure its first Stanley Cup since 1967."We had some really good teams (in San Jose) and still fell short and didn't win the Cup. It goes to show how hard it is to win. Everything has to align for you -- it still gives me something to strive for," he told the Toronto Sun.Marleau is currently tied for third on the Maple Leafs with four goals and has chipped in three assists in 10 games. He recently reached a milestone by playing in his 1,500th NHL game, and is 11 points shy of 1,100 for his career. And he remains as diligent and focused as ever."He's a real good pro," Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock told the Sun. "He works every single day, comes in takes it seriously, enjoys himself, and doesn't say very much and does it right every day. You don't play 1,500 games by accident."Marleau has long been on the other end of the winning side in the head-to-head matchup. San Jose has won nine straight and 13 of 14 from Toronto dating back to December 2005, outscoring the Maple Leafs by nearly a 2-to-1 margin.Since losing at home to Toronto nearly seven years ago, the Sharks have outscored the Leafs 19-4 in a four-game home winning streak in the series.San Jose (5-5-0) returns home after capping a five-game road trip with a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday."To get six points is huge for us but we have to be ready coming home," Sharks forward Tomas Hertl said. "We've got tough teams waiting for us."One player who broke out of an early-season slump was Logan Couture. The 28-year-old center recorded five goals and an assist to help San Jose post a 3-2-0 record on the trip.Couture is the Sharks' leader with eight goals and 11 points. The Guelph, Ontario, native has one assist in five career home matchups with Toronto.Martin Jones is 6-0-0 with a 1.31 goals-against average, a .953 save percentage and two career shutouts versus the Leafs. Four of those victories and one shutout have come with the Sharks.Toronto begins its swing looking to avoid its fourth loss in five games after falling 4-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday."We have all the confidence in the world," center Nazem Kadri told the Toronto Star after scoring twice. "We're going to lose a couple in a row here and there. But we have to get back on track."Kadri has four goals and two assists in his last six games. Toronto is 3-0-0 on the road this season when Kadri notches a point, however, the ninth-year NHL veteran has yet to register a point and has a minus-6 rating in four career games in San Jose.Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen is 6-4-0 this season, but sports a 3.61 GAA and .890 save percentage. He's 0-5-0 with a 3.44 GAA and .900 save percentage over five career starts at San Jose.In his only start and appearance of the season, backup Curtis McElhinney stopped 30 shots in Toronto's 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 18. The 34-year-old is 0-3-0 with a 5.10 GAA and .873 save percentage in his career at San Jose. He last took the ice there on Oct. 30, 2010, with Anaheim.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Blake Wheeler scored three of Winnipeg's five goals in the first period and the Jets routed the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1 on Sunday night.Brendan Lemieux scored his first career goal for Winnipeg on a slap shot from the point at 12:20 of the third. The son of Claude Lemieux made his NHL debut Oct. 20.Andrew Copp, Joel Armia and Mark Scheifele also scored for the Jets, who chased Matt Murray early. Connor Hellebuyck made 31 saves.Winnipeg (5-3-2) scored three times in a span of 34 seconds late in the first to break it open against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.The Penguins (7-5-1), playing back-to-back road games after losing 2-1 in Minnesota on Saturday, were on their heels from the start and didn't score until Evgeni Malkin's fifth of the season late in the second period.Pittsburgh has been outscored 21-10 in the opening 20 minutes this season.The Jets have played their best hockey this season in the opening period, outscoring their opponents 16-8.Copp opened the scoring with his first of the season on a short pass in the slot from linemate Sean Matthias at 1:20.The Jets remained on the attack but Murray stymied them until 13:58, when Scheifele fed Wheeler at the side of the net for his second goal of the season.He added another at 17:44 and Murray barely had time to take his stance again before Armia made it 4-0 at 18:07. Murray was pulled and lost in regulation for the second time this season.The hats rained down 11 seconds after that when Wheeler made it 5-0 at 18:18 with a goal against Murray's replacement, Casey DeSmith.The Jets lost 2-1 in overtime Thursday at Pittsburgh, one of two overtime losses for them this week following a win at Minnesota.Winnipeg returned to Hellebuyck's hot hand in goal. He has all five Jets wins this season.Pittsburgh tried to regroup in the second period and outshot the Jets 15-4, thanks partly to a string of minor penalties on Winnipeg. But the Penguins not get one past Hellebuyck until Malkin scored his power-play goal at 17:02.Scheifele scored in the third when he one-timed a pass from Wheeler during a 4-on-3 power play at 10:28 to make it 6-1. Lemieux's goal about two minutes later completed the scoring.UP NEXTPenguins: At the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.Jets: At the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.---More AP NHL: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights are without question one of the best stories around the NHL in the early going, winning eight of their first nine games.Even Sidney Crosby thinks so after crunching some numbers and declaring the expansion franchise to be no fluke. But is there validity to the Pittsburgh Penguins superstar center's apparent findings?The answer appears to be no, and here are a few reasons why the Golden Knights are very unlikely to maintain their hot start.Taking shotsIn 5-on-5 play, Vegas boasts a Corsi For rating of 46.9 - good for 23rd, according to Corsica Hockey. What this means is the opposition is regularly recording more shot attempts than the Golden Knights.For those who rely more on actual shots on goal, there's a disparity here as well, making the situation look even more ominous:Shots/GPShots Allowed/GPAmount28.933.6Rank317These numbers don't necessarily spell doom, as evidenced by the success achieved to date. However, being on the wrong end of the majority of shots and attempts isn't typically viewed as a recipe for success.Puck luck(Photo courtesy: Action Images)Here's what is going Vegas' way: The Golden Knights rank first in PDO at even strength, which is calculated by adding a team's shooting percentage and save percentage.Vegas sits at 106.55, ranking first in shooting percentage (11.93) and second in save percentage (94.62). The latter stat is staggering considering both starter Marc-Andre Fleury and backup Malcolm Subban are out due to injury, leaving Oscar Dansk as the man in net.In all situations, Vegas maintains its first-place ranking, with their PDO dropping ever so slightly to 106.45 thanks to a very successful penalty kill and an average power play.It's believed that most teams will eventually land close to 100, with a higher or lower number suggesting luck - positive or negative, respectively - is playing a significant role.The Golden Knights are on a lucky streak that should eventually cool off.Home cookingFinally, we come to the schedule.Seven of Vegas' nine games have been played at home, where the team has posted a record of 6-1-0.While both road games have been wins, only one - an opening-night victory in Dallas - carries much weight, seeing as the other came at the expense of winless Arizona.So what does this all mean?Calling Vegas a fluke is perhaps too strong, but undoubtedly a lot has gone right for the expansion club. The Golden Knights have been able to roll on despite injuries to Fleury and Subban, and they've been shooting the lights out.Again, the high shooting and save percentages suggest they've been rather lucky, and it definitely helps to play within the friendly, state-of-the-art confines of T-Mobile Arena.With 12 of the next 16 games on the road - and no back-to-back home games during that stretch - the schedule between now and Dec. 1 will better demonstrate that the Golden Knights' hot start is unsustainable.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Leo Komarov reportedly will not be punished for his big hit on Shayne Gostisbehere.No supplemental discipline will be levied against the Toronto Maple Leafs forward for checking the Philadelphia Flyers defenseman in the numbers from behind Saturday night, according to the Courier-Post's Dave Isaac.Komarov drove Gostisbehere headfirst into the glass midway through the second period of the Flyers' 4-2 victory over the Maple Leafs.No penalty was assessed on the play.Gostisbehere initially stayed in the game and assisted on Valtteri Filppula's decisive goal, but the blue-liner didn't emerge for the third period.After the game, Flyers head coach Dave Hakstol implored the Department of Player Safety to review the hit, according to Isaac.Komarov didn't appear to believe he did anything wrong.

After last season's 103-point performance, the Edmonton Oilers entered the 2017-18 campaign as one of the heavy favorites to compete for the Stanley Cup come June. But, after 10 games, the Oil look like a shell of its former self.While there's still plenty of time to turn the season around, Edmonton sits dead last in the NHL in goal scoring with an embarrassing 22, and would own sole possession of last place in the Western Conference if it weren't for the winless Arizona Coyotes.The Oilers boast two of the game's most dynamic scorers in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but they need help.Here are three moves Edmonton can make to help its forward group put the puck in the net with more frequency:Sign UFA Jarome IginlaThis may not be the most popular option with Oilers fans, and Iginla has undergone a recent cleanup procedure on his hip, but he's one of the best pure scoring right wingers of this generation and Edmonton is looking for help on the right side.Iginla hasn't suited up for an NHL contest since last season, but he's proven he still has a nose for the net, notching 65 goals and 68 assists over the last three years while playing 244 of a possible 246 games.Factor in that Iginla's price tag should be similar to that of the $1-million incentive-laden contract Jaromir Jagr recently received from the Calgary Flames, and signing the 40-year-old doesn't seem like that bad of an idea.McJesus and Iggy? Could be a nice combination.Swing a deal for a winger Trades are obviously easier said than done, and there's been no indication from Edmonton general manager Peter Chiarelli that the club is looking to make a move.But with offseason additions Ryan Strome and Jussi Jokinen struggling mightily, and the rest of the supporting cast firing blanks, Chiarelli would be wise to bring in some reinforcements up front.A team like the Toronto Maple Leafs have a plethora of talented forwards and could be a willing trade partner if a player like defenseman Darnell Nurse were to go the other way, as the Leafs look to fix some issues of their own.Toronto forward James van Riemsdyk's name has been heavily involved in trade rumors and would slot nicely into Edmonton's top-six forward group.Promote from within Kailer Yamamoto may have beaten Jesse Puljujarvi to earn a roster spot coming out of training camp, but Yamamoto has seemingly worn out his welcome, notching only three assists in seven games.It's hardly fair to place any blame on a 19-year-old rookie who's played seven NHL games, but maybe it's time to give Puljujarvi - a former fourth overall pick - another kick at the can.Puljujarvi has only three points through seven games this season for Edmonton's AHL affiliate and might still need some developing before he becomes the scoring answer for which the Oilers are looking.However, his hulking frame (6-foot-4, 211 lbs) and offensive upside could provide the team with the shot in the arm it so desperately needs, and would be the cheapest option of the three.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights have suspended Vadim Shipachyov for leaving AHL affiliate Chicago Wolves, according to Sportsnet's Eric Engels.If Shipachyov isn't traded "as early as (Monday)," contract termination and a return to Russia could happen in short order, Engels adds.The 30-year-old forward reported to the Wolves on Friday upon being assigned there, but apparently skipped Saturday's game and returned to Vegas to be with family.Wolves general manager Wendell Young expected Shipachyov to play Saturday night, but the club didn't know where he was and only found out he wouldn't suit up about two hours before the game, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Brian Sandalow.Earlier this week, Engels reported that Shipachyov was willing to accept the demotion while his agent sought a trade. That came after the Golden Knights gave his representative permission to pursue a deal.It's the second time this month Shipachyov has refused to play for the AHL club. He was first demoted shortly after the NHL season began, after which Golden Knights GM George McPhee said the player's agent was reassured the move wasn't performance-related.Vegas signed Shipachyov to a two-year, $9-million contract in May. He spent nine seasons in the KHL, posting a career-high 26 goals and 76 points in 2016-17.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

We're nearly a month into the NHL season and while there remains a large chunk of hockey to be played, a handful of stars are struggling off the hop.A number of the game's upper echelon players are struggling to put the puck in the net. Whether it be due to bad luck or bad performance, some players have simply been snake-bitten.Here are eight players still searching for their first goal of the season:Brent BurnsLast season, Burns paced the league with 320 shots on goal, setting career-highs with 29 goals and 76 points.To begin this campaign, however, Burns has been limited to just six assists in 10 games. That being said, he has still thrown 43 shots at the opposition - good enough for a share of 11th in the NHL so far. It should be just a matter of time before he gets into the goal column.Erik KarlssonThe fact Karlsson has yet to collect his first goal of the season is not a slight, but simply an observation.The Ottawa Senators captain has played just six games - missing the beginning of the season as he nursed a foot injury - and while he has picked up nine assists, he is still searching for his first goal.Karlsson's averaging just under three shots per contest and already has three multi-point games. Goal No.1 is coming sooner than later.Dustin ByfuglienByfuglien continues to log insane minutes for the Winnipeg Jets, but doesn't have a goal to show for his time on ice.The 32-year-old has five assists in seven games, but no goals to his credit. What's more surprising is that Byfuglien has taken just 18 shots so far, an average of 2.57 per game. Last season, he finished 22nd in the league with 241 shots on goal, an average of over three per contest.The case here seems simple: shoot the puck.Jason SpezzaSpezza might be the victim of opportunity.To begin the 2017-18 campaign, the 34-year-old is logging an average of just 13:07 minutes of ice time per game, nearly three minutes fewer than last season. He's also been moved to the wing from his native center, tallying just five assists in 11 games.He might need to score more goals to earn the ice time, but might need more ice time to score goals. It's a tricky situation.Henrik SedinHenrik has never been known as a goal scorer and the Vancouver Canucks are transitioning into a younger squad, but still, the fact he's gone goalless is a bit surprising.Sedin has just three assists through 10 games, but what's more shocking is he's logging the eighth-most ice time among the team's forwards - even Derek Dorsett is seeing the ice more.The Sedins are getting older and their careers are surely winding down, but no one expected their production to drop so drastically.Sebastian AhoThe Carolina Hurricanes are struggling to find offense to begin the season and subsequently Sebastian Aho is without his first goal.After tallying 24 in his rookie campaign, Aho could be falling victim to the infamous sophomore slump. That being said, he is still playing on the team's top line and is logging the third most ice time on the club among forwards. He should break the goose egg in time.Kyle OkposoBehind a struggling club, you're sure to find struggling players.Look no further than the Buffalo Sabres and Kyle Okposo. The team has gone 3-7-2 to begin the year and Okposo has just two assists in 10 games to boot. He's averaged just over 23 goals per 82 games over the last three seasons so it's unlikely he goes too long without a goal. Both he and the Sabres could really use some.Ryan JohansenJohansen's knack for scoring goals has really dropped off over the last two seasons. He's posted back-to-back 14-goal campaigns, yet, has still topped the 60-point plateau each time.Despite being goalless, he still centers the Predators' top line and his linemate, Filip Forsberg, has already tallied eight goals through 11 games. Johansen's glaring issue appears to be the fact he has mustered just 16 shots through 11 games.He mans the top line and the team's top power-play unit, the theme here seems clear: shoot the puck and good things might happen.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Montreal Canadiens held on to top the New York Rangers 5-4 on Saturday night, giving the lowly club two victories in their last three games. After it strung together a seven-game losing streak, it was certainly a step in the right direction.There were a lot of takeaways from the victory. First and foremost, the Canadiens once again proved they can produce offense. For the second time in three games, the team punched five goals past the opposing netminder, after crushing the Florida Panthers 5-1 on Tuesday night.On the other end, however, Carey Price continued to struggle to keep pucks out of the net. While he picked up his third victory, he still conceded four goals on 26 shots.It was the sixth time in 10 games and the fifth time in his last six outings that he has given up at least four goals. Early on, Price is rocking a 3.64 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage.His poor play is even more surprising given that October has historically been the month he's played his best hockey, especially over the past four seasons.YearRecordGoals-against averageSave percentage2016-175-0-01.40.9542015-167-2-02.01.9362014-157-1-12.48.9202013-146-5-02.02.939Sure, the players in front of him certainly deserve some of the blame, but the Canadiens have also - through their 3-7-1 start - allowed the fourth-fewest shots per game (28.8) and have been among the league's best possession teams, ranking third in Corsi For with a 54.4 mark.Further to that, Price has the 32nd-ranked low-danger save percentage and high-danger save percentage (at all strengths) among all 33 goalies who have played at least five games this season.Going forward, the Canadiens will need to prove they can still score at a more consistent clip. Though they scored five goals on both Tuesday and Saturday, they were shut out 4-0 by the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday. And prior to their five-goal outing against Florida, they only scored 13 goals in their previous eight games.Price is unlikely to remain as poor as he has been to kick off the year. There's a reason he's a Hart and Vezina Trophy winner. But if he doesn't get things sorted out soon, it might not matter how much the offense improves.(Advanced stats courtesy: First Line Stats and Corsica)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) John Tavares scored a natural hat trick in the third period, leading the New York Islanders to a 6-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.Jordan Eberle scored twice and Ryan Pulock had a goal for New York. Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and Anthony Beauvillier each had two assists to help the Islanders win for the fourth time in five games. Jaroslav Halak made 28 saves.Filip Forsberg and Craig Smith scored for the Predators, who have lost three of four.With the Islanders on a power play in the first period, Eberle's shot from the left faceoff circle beat goalie Juuse Saros between the pads for his first goal of the season.Forsberg tied it at 3:55 of the second. Kevin Fiala drove the right side and his shot from in tight was stopped by Halak. Skating through the slot, Forsberg grabbed the rebound and drifted to the right before lifting a wrist shot under the crossbar for his eighth of the season.The Islanders regained the lead at 9:55 of the second on a power-play goal from Pulock.From above the right circle, Beauvillier sent a pass to Pulock in the center of the blue line, where he beat Saros with a one-timer low to the stick side.Eberle struck again at 19:30 of the second with a wrist shot from the low slot.Tavares scored his seventh of the season just 12 seconds into the third. Behind the Nashville net, Tavares disrupted a clearing attempt by Saros, with the puck going to Lee in the low slot. Lee threw the puck toward the net, where Tavares tipped it by Saros.Tavares scored 2:40 later when he redirected Eberle's shot from the left circle. He completed the hat trick and scored New York's third power-play goal of the night at 7:26.Smith concluded the scoring with a power-play goal at 13:57.Making his third start of the season, Saros finished with 17 saves.NOTES: Forsberg's eighth goal set a franchise record for the season's first month. ... All three of Saros' starts this season have come against Eastern Conference opponents. ... Lee has points in four straight games. ... New York RW Josh Bailey had an assist to extend his point streak to six games.UP NEXTIslanders: Host the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.Predators: At the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday.---More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Jesper Bratt's tiebreaking goal on a power play with 4:13 left sent the New Jersey Devils to a 4-3 victory Saturday night over the winless Arizona Coyotes, who became the second NHL team to start a season with 11 consecutive losses.Taylor Hall scored twice and Bratt also had an assist as New Jersey improved to 8-2-0 with its fifth win in six games. Brian Gibbons added a goal on a short-handed penalty shot for the Devils.Cory Schneider made 33 saves after missing two games due to a lower-body injury and the birth of his daughter.Arizona fell to 0-10-1 and joined the 1943-44 New York Rangers (0-11) as the only clubs in NHL history to open a season with 11 straight defeats.Christian Fischer, Brendan Perlini and Clayton Keller scored for Arizona. Louis Domingue finished with 21 saves.The Coyotes scored the first goal for the eighth time this season when Fischer connected on the power play 10:37 into the game. Fischer drove down the left wing and whipped Christian Dvorak's rebound past Schneider before colliding with the New Jersey goalie in the crease, which sparked a mini wrestling match between Coyotes and Devils players.The Coyotes had a lead. And it lasted a full 1:18 before Gibbons tied it with the Devils down a man at 11:55. Gibbons drew a hooking call on Oliver Ekman-Larsson on a breakaway, leading to the penalty shot. New Jersey's leading goal scorer broke in on Domingue and faked a shot before using a forehand-backhand move to slide the puck under Domingue.As they did in the first period, the teams traded goals in the second.Hall broke the deadlock with his second of the season at 11:09 with a wrist shot from the slot set up by Bratt's forecheck, but Perlini pulled Arizona even 48 seconds after Hall's goal.New Jersey nearly went ahead with 5:37 left in the period, but Domingue stopped Drew Stafford's stuff-in attempt. Keller stripped top draft pick Nick Hischier in the offensive zone before snapping in his team-leading eighth goal of the season 50 seconds later to give the Coyotes a 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission.New Jersey tied it 3-all on Hall's second power-play goal from the left faceoff circle 4:30 into the third to set the stage for Bratt. With the Devils on a power play following Fischer's roughing penalty, Bratt slammed in Hall's feed from the right circle.New Jersey was 2 for 2 on the power play, while Arizona went 1 for 5.NOTES: Before the game, Arizona and New Jersey announced a trade in which the Devils received a 2018 fifth-round draft pick from the Coyotes for goalie Scott Wedgewood, who dressed for Arizona and wore No. 40 as he served as the backup to Domingue. After acquiring the pick, New Jersey has eight selections in next June's draft. . During his pregame media availability, New Jersey coach John Hynes announced defenseman Andy Greene would miss the game after his wife, Rachel, gave birth to the couple's second child, Maddox David. . Devils right wing Kyle Palmieri missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. According to Hynes, Palmieri's status is day to day. ... New Jersey dressed right wing Stefan Noesen in place of left wing Marcus Johansson. On its Twitter feed, the team announced Johansson sustained a lower-body injury during warmups. . Arizona scratched defenseman Adam Clendening and center Nick Cousins. Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta missed his seventh straight game with a lower-body injury, and goalie Adin Hill was sent down to Tucson of the AHL. . The first of two regular-season meetings between the Coyotes and Devils also was the second of two professional hockey games Saturday at Prudential Center. Earlier in the day, the Metropolitan Riveters beat the Boston Pride 4-1 in a National Women's Hockey League matchup. The Devils have a partnership with the Riveters.UP NEXTCoyotes: Continue their five-game road trip Monday at Philadelphia.Devils: Begin a three-game road trip to Western Canada on Wednesday in Vancouver.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Rickard Rakell and Brandon Montour had rare power-play goals, John Gibson made 31 saves and the Anaheim Ducks rebounded from a one-sided loss by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 Saturday night.Anaheim entered with the NHL's second-worst power play, going 2 for 31 over their first nine games. The Ducks went 2 for 2 with the man advantage, while Tampa Bay's second-best unit in the NHL failed to score on four chances.Rakell got his second goal midway through the third and Hampus Lindholm also scored for the Ducks, who were beat 8-3 Thursday night at Florida. Ryan Getzlaf had three assistsTampa Bay, which lost for just the second time in regulation (9-2-1), got a goal from Chris Kunitz. Backup goalie Peter Budaj stopped 17 shots in his second game of the season.Lightning stars Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov both snapped franchise record-tying 11-game point streaks to start the season. Martin St. Louis also accomplished the feat in 2009-10.Rakell opened the scoring at 10:13 of the second on the Ducks' first power play.After Montour, on the power play, and Kunitz traded goals 57 seconds apart late in the second, Lindholm made it 3-1 from the high slot with 0.1 second left in the period.Gibson made a lunging stop on Yanni Gourde's wraparound and Stamkos' left circle power-play shot in the second.NOTES: Both Anaheim D Sami Vatanen (shoulder surgery) and backup G Ryan Miller (upper body) were in the lineup for the first time this season. ... Anaheim RW Patrick Eaves (Guillain-Barre syndrome) has been released from the hospital. ... Ducks D Cam Fowler, who hurt his knee Oct. 20, will be out another three to seven weeks. ... Anaheim D Kevin Bieksa (left hand) should get timetable for his return after being re-evaluated Monday. ... Lightning D Dan Girardi played in his 800th NHL game. ... The Ducks reassigned D Steve Oleksy and LW Kalie Kossila to San Diego of the AHL.UP NEXTDucks: Complete a four-game trip Sunday at Carolina.Lightning: Play Monday night at Florida.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Stanley Cup hasn't been north of the border since 1993, but a monument resembling the iconic trophy was unveiled in Ottawa on Saturday.The Lord Stanley Gift Monument, situated next to a series of posters detailing how the trophy was gifted to the NHL, was revealed before a series of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau."(The Stanley Cup) has a weight of symbolism and strength of binding our country together that very few material symbols do," Trudeau said at the unveiling, according to The Canadian Press.In 1892, Canadian governor general Frederick Arthur Stanley, also known as the Lord Stanley of Preston, donated the Cup with the intention that it be rewarded to Canada's top amateur hockey team.The Montreal Hockey Club of the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada became the first team to win the Stanley Cup in 1893.In 1947, the NHL was granted control of the Stanley Cup.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner is a believer in the Vegas Golden Knights.Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is apparently a bit of a stickler when it comes to analytics, and after breaking down their performances, believes the Golden Knights' 8-1-0 record is not a fluke, he told The Athletic's Josh Yohe.The club is enjoying the best start ever for an expansion team and currently leads the league in point percentage (.889).Related - Poll: Will the Golden Knights make the playoffs?Vegas currently boasts a PDO (five-on-five save percentage plus shooting percentage) of 106.55, according to Corsica, the highest mark in the league, suggesting regression is likely to follow. The club has also played just two of its opening nine games on the road, but will now embark on a six-game road trip, which should provide a stern test of its mettle.The outcome of the road trip could go a long way in assessing the accuracy of Crosby's hypothesis.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Ovechkin: Great hockey player, better human being.A report surfaced Friday that Ovechkin gave his winter jacket and hat to a homeless man he passed by outside an Edmonton cafe.

The Arizona Coyotes have bolstered their goaltending depth, acquiring Scott Wedgewood from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2018, the team announced Saturday.Wedgewood, 25, has played in just four NHL games (all coming in 2015-16), but he owns a 1.25 goals-against average and a .957 save percentage in that small sample.In 110 career AHL games, Wedgewood is is 51-36-9-8 with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage.The Coyotes have already gone through three goaltenders this season. Starter Antti Raanta has battled a lower-body injury, making only three starts. In his place, both Louis Domingue and Adin Hill have struggled.The two clubs are set to square off Saturday night in New Jersey, so Wedgewood will simply have to make the trip across the hallway of the Prudential Center to get acquainted with his new teammates.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New Jersey Devils recently became the first NHL club to announce a formal partnership with a team from the National Women's Hockey League.The Devils will support the Metropolitan Riveters by allowing them to play the majority of their home games at their practice facility in Newark, assist with marketing and promotion of the team, and host a Riveters/Devils doubleheader at the Prudential Center on Saturday, Oct. 28."They are marketing us like a real sister team - everything from the website, social media, to the broadcast and in arena," NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan told Melissa Murphy of The Associated Press. "You name it, they’re going to be helping us market the Riveters."The NWHL played its inaugural season in 2015-16, and currently has three teams in addition to the Riveters: the Boston Pride, the Buffalo Beauts, and the Connecticut Whale. Their 16-game season spans from October to March.Their biggest competitor is the Canadian Women's Hockey League, which has been around since 2007, and has seven teams, including two based in China.- With h/t to The Associated PressCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights are 8-1-0 after defeating the Colorado Avalanche 7-0 on Friday. They sit fourth in the NHL with 16 points, and first in the league with an .889 points percentage.Though there's still plenty of hockey left to be played, do you think the Golden Knights will make the playoffs in their inaugural season?Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ahead of Saturday's jam-packed NHL slate, theScore's Flip Livingstone predicts the winners for all 12 games.Well, let's not mince words: last week was a bona fide mess. But, luckily for us, there's another stacked 12-game slate on tap for Saturday. Here's a quick look at all dozen games and theScore's pick for each:Last Week's Record: 3-9

Peter Karmanos is ready to sell.The Carolina Hurricanes owner is prepared to make a deal for his hockey team, but there is just one problem: he doubts interested buyer Chuck Greenberg has the wherewithal to complete the sale.Greenberg, a former co-owner of the Texas Rangers, approached Karmanos about purchasing the club after Karmanos made it known he'd be willing to sell the team if the price is right and on the condition it remains in Raleigh.The asking price is believed to be in the neighborhood of $500 million, and recent negotiations between the two sides appear to have hit a snag."The sale of the team is just sitting there, waiting for Chuck to say, 'Geez, I can't raise the money,'" Karmanos told Chip Alexander of The News & Observer. "We have a commitment to Chuck, and we're going to see it through."And quite frankly I wish he would pick up the phone and say, 'Geez, you know what, I can't get it done.' Because it looks like he can't get it done. ... I'm telling you, he can't raise the money."Karmanos left open the possibility of selling the franchise to another buyer if Greenberg can't close the deal."I have umpteen million people who have figured out Raleigh is a pretty good area, and it's a pretty good team and pretty good market," Karmanos said. "So if Chuck can't deliver and I still want to sell the team, the price keeps going up."Karmanos bought the franchise in 1994 - then known as the Hartford Whalers - before relocating it to Raleigh three years later. He witnessed the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006.This season, Carolina has put together a 4-4-1 record, but only one win has come on home ice. In four games at PNC Arena, the Hurricanes have averaged just 11,784 in attendance - dead last in the NHL, according to ESPN.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

LAS VEGAS (AP) Oscar Dansk got his third win in his third career game, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Colorado Avalanche 7-0 Friday night to extend the best start ever by an NHL expansion team.The Golden Knights improved to 8-1-0. They've won five straight, matching the longest winning streak ever by a team in its inaugural season, joining the New York Rangers (1926-27) and Edmonton Oilers (1979-80), according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Dansk stopped 32 shots in his second career start. The 23-year-old has been thrust into action after injuries to starter Marc-Andre Fleury and backup Malcolm Subban and has allowed three goals on 74 shots - a .960 save percentage.James Neal got his seventh goal, and David Perron, Oscar Lindberg, Cody Eakin, Jonathan Marchessault, Erik Haula and William Carrier also scored. Nate Schmidt had two assists.Semyon Varlamov allowed all seven goals on 21 shots.After a scoreless first period, Colorado outshot Vegas 10-1 during the first eight minutes of the second. The Golden Knights then scored four goals over the final 11:10 of the period.Perron began the barrage after intercepting Nail Yakupov's pass and using a nifty deke to backhand the puck over Varlamov's stick.Three minutes later, Lindberg made it 2-0 when he stole the puck in the neutral zone, beat three Avalanche defenders and then bested Varlamov.Eakin notched his first goal of the season after Neal drilled a pass off the end boards. Neal later tipped in Collin Miller's wrist shot from the right point, extending Vegas' lead to 4-0.In just his second game off the injured reserve list, Marchessault poked home a loose puck five minutes into the third to make it 5-0. In his first game off IR, Haula smacked a one-timer from Marchessault for a power-play goal to make it 6-0.Carrier took a pass from Brad Hunt and went stick side past Varlamov to finish the scoring.NOTES: The Golden Knights will play eight of their next nine games - and 14 of their next 20 - on the road. ... After a 4-1-0 start, the Avalanche are in a 1-4-0 skid. ... Colorado played 11 back-to-back games last year, finishing 4-7 on the back end. It is now 0-2-0 in the second game of the first two of the 11 it will play this season. ... Colorado defenseman Tyson Barrie had a six-game point streak snapped.UP NEXTColorado: Hosts the Blackhawks on Saturday night.Vegas: Plays the Islanders in Brooklyn on Monday night.---More AP hockey: https://apnews.com/tag/NHLhockeyCopyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

This is not the sort of record-setting season Arizona Coyotes fans had hoped for.After yet another defeat Thursday to the New York Rangers, Arizona's record dropped to 0-9-1 on the season, a 10-game winless stretch which has seen the team drop eight straight in regulation, with its lone point coming in an overtime loss to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights.Here's how Arizona's historically bad start to the season compares to the all-time flag bearers of futility.2005-06 Pittsburgh PenguinsIt's easy to forget that Sidney Crosby's first season in the NHL didn't start off on a high note.After lottery luck granted the Penguins the right to select Crosby with the top pick in the 2005 draft, the team appeared to be on the ascendancy after years of losing. That hope intensified as a handful of big-name free agents flocked to Pittsburgh to play alongside the budding superstar.However, the Penguins' first win in the Crosby era didn't come until their 10th game into the 2005-06 season. Carrying an 0-4-5 record into that contest, the Penguins finally found the win column as they took down the Atlanta Thrashers in a 7-5 win. The Penguins finished the season in second-last league-wide with 58 points.2002-03 Atlanta ThrashersIt's never good when you're compared to the Thrashers. The since-relocated team, which uprooted for Winnipeg in 2011, joined the NHL in 1999, and amassed a putrid 39 points in its inaugural season.Another ugly mark came three years later, when Atlanta failed to find a win through its first 10 games, as it struggled to an 0-8-2 showing. The Thrashers' first victory that season came in their 11th game, as they defeated the Florida Panthers by a 3-1 score. Atlanta finished the year with 74 points.1943-44 New York RangersDuring the 1943-44 season, it took 12 games before the Broadway Blueshirts could finally avoid a loss - a tie against the Montreal Canadiens.The Rangers then followed up that performance with three more losses, before their first victory finally came in game No. 16, a 6-4 win over the Boston Bruins that improved New York's record to 1-14-1. The Rangers would then win three of their next four, but the luck didn't last, as New York concluded the 50-game season with just six wins.(Photos courtesy: Action Images)Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Vegas Golden Knights will have to continue trekking on without their No. 1 goalie for at least the near future.The Golden Knights embark on a six-game road trip following their duel against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury - who remains sidelined with a concussion - will not be accompanying the club, head coach Gerard Gallant announced.With backup Malcolm Subban also out with a lower-body injury, the majority of the work load should fall to No. 3, Oscar Dansk. Luckily, the 23-year-old has been steady in relief, going 2-0-0 while posting a 2.43 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.The road trip will keep Vegas away from the T-Mobile Arena until Nov. 10 when they take on the Winnipeg Jets.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The early portion of the season can offer some ridiculous stats and trends, as each team sees its numbers reach incredible highs or lows due to a small sample size.Since we're nearly a month into this season's schedule, let's take a look at some of the worst stats to come about so far.Islanders' power playHead coach Doug Weight might want to consider his options next time his club gets a man advantage, as the Islanders appear better suited to playing at even strength.In 33 power-play opportunities, the Isles have converted only twice for a success rate of six percent (!). That stat is even more damning considering they've already allowed five shorthanded goals.With a No. 1 unit that features John Tavares, Jordan Eberle, and Anders Lee, a negative goal differential on the power play is simply dumbfounding.Sabres' blue line (Photo Courtesy: Action Images)So, how about that new and improved Sabres defensive corps?Buffalo's No. 1 priority in the offseason was to upgrade its woeful blue line, and so far, the multiple additions they made, along with the pre-existing core, haven't produced a single goal from the back end.The Sabres generally have trouble scoring, but for an entire defensive unit to be blanked through 11 games doesn't make a lick of sense. Add in the fact that Hall of Fame defenseman Phil Housley - who scored 338 goals himself - was brought in as head coach, and Buffalo's production issues become even more difficult to comprehend.Coyotes' save percentageIt's difficult to find a place to start when dissecting the beleaguered 0-9-1 Coyotes' stats page, but perhaps the most heinous numbers come from between the pipes.Through 10 games, Arizona goaltenders have combined for a save percentage of .863 in all situations, according to Corsica, which is easily the worst mark in the league.It certainly doesn't help that starter Antti Raanta hit the shelf, but replacements Louis Domingue and Adin Hill have only mustered save percentages of .858 and .880, respectively, in his absence. Woof.Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.