Those Montreal Canadiens, so hot right now.Upon starting the season 8-0-1, the Habs became the second team in NHL history to win eight of its first nine games in consecutive seasons, according to Elias Sports Bureau.The only other team that's accomplished the feat is the original Ottawa Senators, in 1925-26 and 1926-27.The Canadiens sit atop the NHL standings with 17 points, and own a league-leading goal differential of plus-17.Last season, Montreal went 10-2 in October, but an injury to world-class goaltender Carey Price quickly reversed the club's fortunes.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sidney Crosby seems to be doing just fine.Questions and concerns regarding the superstar's health have given way to momentary sighs of relief as the Pittsburgh Penguins captain picks up right where he left off: dominating.Coming off a remarkable playoffs and World Cup performance, the hockey world was back to celebrating its best player, but another concussion diagnosis - with no immediate timetable - seemingly spoiled everything.But after missing the Penguins' first six games, Crosby's returned to the tune of five points in three games - most recently, a two-goal effort Saturday versus the Flyers.Dating back to February, Crosby has recorded a point in 23 of his past 24 regular-season games, accumulating 34 points in that span. Add in 19 postseason points, as well as a tournament-leading 10 points for Team Canada, and it's easy to conclude Crosby is on an absolute tear.His production shouldn't be all that surprising; he is Sidney Crosby, after all. But while the NHL's early-season narrative has been dictated primarily by the kids, Crosby, erasing a cloud of doubt, has served a reminder that he still owns the mantle as the world's best.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It's apparently not too early to think big picture when you go undefeated in regulation throughout the month of October.It's expected the Montreal Canadiens will look to acquire a top-four defenseman via trade to ease the load on veterans Shea Weber and Andrei Markov, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos reported Saturday."(Montreal) is concerned about the ice time and the weight on the shoulders of Shea Weber, who many feel ran out of gas toward the latter part of last season."Montreal has a defenseman they drafted in the first round to fill that top-four role on the active roster, but Kypreos says that it's a "foregone conclusion" Mikhail Sergachev will be sent back to the Ontario Hockey League's Windsor Spitfires, who are set to host this year's Memorial Cup.The ninth overall draft pick and youngest player in the NHL right now, Sergachev has dressed in three games for the Canadiens, but not in their last five.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

MONTREAL - Shea Weber blasted in another power-play goal, Carey Price had another strong start and the Montreal Canadiens kept on winning.Weber broke a tie in the third period and Price made 37 saves, lifting Montreal over the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 on Saturday night for its seventh straight victory.''We struggled early in the game but we just seemed to come up with the timely one again,'' said Weber, who has four goals in his first nine games as a Canadien, three of them by using his booming shot from the point on the power play.''You want to score big goals and tonight we were fortunate to do that.''Alex Galchenyuk also scored for Montreal, which is 8-0-1 and the only NHL club without a regulation loss this season. The Canadiens are one point short of their 9-0-0 start last season, which ended with a 5-1 loss in Vancouver. Their next game is at home Wednesday night against the Canucks.Price has won all five of his starts this season with a 1.40 goals-against average and .954 save percentage.''He is so positionally sound and reads the game so well, he makes it look easy,'' Weber said.Nazem Kadri scored for the Leafs, who were coming off a 3-2 win Thursday over Florida.Frederik Andersen had 29 stops for the Leafs. Montreal has won 11 straight over Toronto, which last beat the Canadiens on Jan. 18, 2014.The Canadiens were on a 4-on-3 power play when Alexander Radulov slid a pass to Weber for a blast from about 35 feet out that went inside the right post.''I didn't like the four-on-three goal,'' Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. ''That's on the coaches. We shouldn't have let Weber hammer away there. But we had good chances. Carey made some good saves. Our goaltender made some good saves. It was a good hockey game.''The Canadiens had the better scoring chances early on and got the first goal 2:06 into the second frame.Radulov collected the puck behind the Toronto defense and fed the trailing Galchenyuk for a high shot into an open side that left no chance for Andersen.Price then had to be at his best as the Leafs poured on pressure. He stopped William Nylander in alone midway through the second and then made two sharp saves in traffic.''Toronto played a good game,'' said Montreal coach Michel Therrien. ''They have a lot of speed.''We played five games in eight nights and we didn't have a lot of energy. But Price was outstanding. He stole the game.''Radulov was off for hooking when Kadri redirected Nylander's shot from the right point along the ice past Price 4:18 into the third period.NOTES: Montreal coach Michel Therrien juggled his lines, moving Radulov onto the top unit with Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher. Radulov had two assists.UP NEXTMaple Leafs: At the New York Islanders on Sunday night to complete a back-to-back.Canadiens: Host Vancouver on Wednesday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Devan Dubnyk made history Saturday night in the State of Hockey.The Minnesota Wild netminder became the first in franchise history to record three consecutive shutouts with his 29-save performance versus the Dallas Stars.Dubnyk stopped all 94 shots he faced in the last week as the Wild picked up wins over the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres in addition to Dallas. Now, he'll be looking to extend a franchise-record shutout streak when he makes his next start.Dubnyk admitted he was thinking about a third consecutive clean sheet in the final seconds."That's probably the first time I got nervous at the end of a 4-0 game," he told Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.The Wild were out-shot almost 2-to-1 in the contest, but remain a perfect 4-0 at home thanks to their netminder.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

New York Islanders general manager Garth Snow may have a resolution to the team's three-headed goalie situation.After NHL agent Allan Walsh called out the Islanders for their handling of netminders Jaroslav Halak and Jean-Francois Berube - both represented by Walsh - the team has made it known they're willing to deal Halak, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

PHILADELPHIA - Evgeni Malkin scored twice, including the tiebreaker in the third period, and Sidney Crosby also had two goals to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.Matt Cullen also scored for the Penguins, who scored three times in a 55-second span in the first period while opening a four-game road trip with their fourth win in the last five. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 38 shots while making his ninth straight start (6-2-1).Malkin's game-winner was his 300th career goal.Jakub Voracek scored twice for the Flyers, and Claude Giroux and Wayne Simmonds each had one for Philadelphia. Steve Mason started and gave up three goals on 13 shots in the first period. Michal Neuvirth replaced him to start the second and finished with 12 saves on 14 shots.Matt Murray, who led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup last season, was available as Fleury's backup. Murray, recovering from a broken hand, hasn't played this season.Malkin put the Penguins ahead for good at 8:33 of the third with his milestone goal. Olli Maatta threw the puck toward the net. It bounced off the leg of Philadelphia's Brandon Manning and to the back post, where a wide-open Malkin shot past Neuvirth.Crosby, who missed the first six games due to a concussion, has four goals and five points in three games since returning.Trailing 2-0, the Penguins scored three goals during an electrifying 55 seconds late in the first period.Crosby beat Mason short side from a bad angle with a top shelf wrist shot with 4:16 left in the period. Forty-three seconds later, Crosby netted a power-play goal after one-timing a pass from Patric Hornqvist in the slot that whizzed by Mason. And Cullen ended the onslaught with a wraparound tally with 3:21 remaining.The only other time Philadelphia allowed three goals in 55 seconds or less was Nov. 23, 1991, when the Devils tallied three in 42 seconds in the second period of a 5-5 tie.Pittsburgh capitalized on a turnover by Sean Couturier to take a 4-2 lead on Malkin's goal midway through the second period.The Flyers got back within one goal on Giroux's power-play tally with 6:44 remaining in the period. Radko Gudas made a stellar play to keep the puck in the offensive zone before Wayne Simmonds fed Giroux for a one-timer from the slot that beat Fleury on the glove side.The play was upheld after a lengthy review to determine whether Philadelphia was offside on the play.And the Flyers tied it 2:12 later on Voracek's penalty shot, which was awarded after the Flyers' right wing was pulled down by Brian Dumoulin on a breakaway attempt.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

DETROIT - Tuukka Rask made 23 saves for his 31st career shutout to lead the Boston Bruins to a 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.Tim Schaller scored for the Bruins, who snapped a three-game losing streak and ended Detroit's six-game winning streak.It was Rask's first game back after missing the previous three with a lower-body injury.Jimmy Howard stopped 35 shots for the Red Wings, who lost at home for the first time.Schaller scored with 2:11 left in the second period as his shot from along the goal line in the right corner went in off of Howard's left hip. It was Schaller's first goal of the season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators will carry three goalies on their roster, allowing Craig Anderson the flexibility to be with the team, but more importantly with his wife Nicholle, who was recently diagnosed with cancer.As for the immediate future, Anderson is in the process of rejoining Ottawa. Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night in Canada's "Saturday Headlines" that Nicholle suggested Craig travel for Sunday's game in Edmonton with Andrew Hammond unavailable due to injury.Hammond will be out at least a week with his groin problem. Chris Driedger and Matt O'Connor will be with the Senators until he's fit to return.It's unknown if Anderson will start versus Edmonton.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

And with that, prepare your satirical write-in votes.Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night in Canada's "Saturday Headlines" segment, that the NHL is not planning "substantive changes" to its All-Star voting process.This means write-in candidates will remain welcome, leaving the potential for the next "John Scott" to play in this year's event in Los Angeles.Scott became a cult hero when the long-time pugilist embraced an online campaign to have him attend last year's event in Nashville. And, sure enough, he was voted as the Pacific Division captain. But his status was cast in doubt - and incited widespread debate in hockey circles - when the Arizona Coyotes shipped him to the Montreal Canadiens, who then promptly buried him in the minor leagues.The NHL made what proved to be the right decision by honoring the vote, as he went on to capture the MVP award for the three-on-three tournament and in the process helped attract attention that wouldn't have existed otherwise. But because it couldn't possibly turn out as well a second time, changes were expected to prevent it from happening again.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Radko Gudas' purpose is apparently greater than keeping the Department of Player Safety on its toes.The Philadelphia Flyers bruiser performed a somewhat-surprising athletic sequence Saturday, preserving the zone three times in three seconds to create this Claude Giroux goal:Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Stone will not be in the lineup Saturday when his team takes on the Colorado Avalanche.Coyotes coach Dave Tippett confirmed Stone suffered an upper-body injury Thursday versus the Philadelphia Flyers. Tippett classified the injury as day to day.Stone missed the first three games of the season with a knee injury that carried over from last season. He underwent knee surgery this offseason to repair a ACL and MCL injury in his left knee.Stone has tallied three points in four games this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It seems a trip to Philadelphia is all Sidney Crosby needs to make up for lost time.Crosby scored 43 seconds apart in the first period Saturday night, collecting the 34th and 35th goals of his career versus the Philadelphia Flyers, his most against any team.Here's his first, scored on a rising snap shot from a difficult angle:And his second, a one-touch rip from the slot on the power play:It's the fifth time Crosby's had a multi-goal performance on the road versus Pittsburgh's in-state rival.The captain's also within two goals of the league lead just seven periods into his season after missing the Penguins' first six games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Minnesota Wild will be without Zach Parise and Marco Scandella on a week to week basis, as the team announced Saturday that both have been sidelined with lower-body injuries.Parise and Scandella suffered the ailments in Thursday's 4-0 shutout victory versus the Buffalo Sabres.It's a tough blow for the Wild, with Parise off to a solid start, having scored six points in eight games. He only trails blue-liner Ryan Suter for the team lead in scoring.Scandella has recorded one assist in seven contests, missing one game earlier this month due to an illness.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jimmy Howard is paying tribute to the former voice of the Detroit Red Wings, Dave Strader, with a portrait of the accomplished play-by-play announcer on the mask he's wearing Saturday to support the NHL's awareness initiative 'Hockey Fights Cancer'.Strader, who's most recently lent his voice to the Dallas Stars, was diagnosed in June with cancer of the bile duct.He's expected to appear on the Red Wings' broadcast during their game versus the Boston Bruins.

The Ottawa Senators believe Binghamton is the perfect place for Curtis Lazar.Senators general manager Pierre Dorion says there is no plan to call up the team's 2013 first-round pick, telling Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen "the best thing for Curtis is to go down there and play and play as well as he can play."The Senators assigned Lazar to their AHL affiliate in Binghamton after he missed training camp with mono, providing him an opportunity to get his game up to speed. It's also a new experience for the 21-year-old who had not played in the AHL prior to this season. He has tallied two points in five games."(He can) play in all situations and I think it's the right thing to do. Let him get confidence and when the time comes we'll call him back up but there's no timetable to call up Curtis," Dorion added. "(It's) for him to work on his skills. We didn't draft Curtis just to be a third- or fourth-line guy, we drafted Curtis to be an impact player for us."Lazar has 143 NHL games to his credit, but has scored just 35 points. That's a far cry from his last year in junior in which he scored 76 points in 58 games with the WHL's Edmonton Oil Kings.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

First the quality of ice; now the quality of practice.NHL agent Allan Walsh directed his frustration at the New York Islanders on Saturday, voicing his displeasure on Twitter about the club carrying three netminders again this season.Walsh suggested that the three goalies - two of which are his clients - are not receiving the appropriate amount of practice time to "stay sharp."Without mentioning his name, Walsh added that Jaroslav Halak (again, his client), had one quality practice in the five days leading up to the team's loss at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday.His other client, J-F Berube, hasn't made a start this year with Thomas Greiss serving as the club's main backup. However, he would make the same salary - and Walsh the same cut - on assignment in the minor leagues, according to CapFriendly.It's important to note, however, that Berube has to clear waivers in order to be sent down.Halak has a middling .916 save percentage in 41 starts across this season and last.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

No pressure, Tyler Graovac.Speaking with reporters Saturday, Minnesota Wild coach Bruce Boudreau stated what he's looking for from the forward who was recalled from the AHL earlier in the day."He scored two goals last night (with Iowa, the Wild's AHL affiliate). He scored a goal and got in a fight the other night," Boudreau said. "We want to see his competitiveness that maybe we didn't see as much in training camp and how bad he wants to play in the NHL."Play a good game. We're not asking for him to go out and pull an Auston Matthews and get four goals in your first game or anything. We just want him to be a solid contributor and play like he belongs here."Gravoac started the year in the AHL after failing to make the NHL out of training camp. The 23-year-old has four points in six games with Iowa this season.Gravoac has appeared in five NHL games since 2014-15 but has yet to record a point.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The defensive core of the Minnesota Wild will see an upgrade Saturday, as coach Bruce Boudreau confirmed Jared Spurgeon will be in the lineup when the Wild face off against the Stars.Spurgeon missed the last four games with an upper-body injury. The 26-year-old has tallied two points in four games this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Arizona Coyotes still believe in Dylan Strome.Speaking with Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports, general manager John Chayka was quick to dispel any notion that the Coyotes are not satisfied with the progress of Strome, the team's top prospect."The belief out there that we're not happy with Dylan's game, that's just not true," Chayka said. "We're very excited and happy about the progress he's made in the last three weeks to a month."He went from a player who has gotten by on talent for a while to becoming one of our hardest workers in practice and that's a prerequisite to being a top player in the NHL: your work ethic and your level of commitment every day in practice."Strome has been a frequent healthy scratch in the early goings, appearing in just three of the team's seven games. The third overall pick in 2015 has not played in Arizona's last three games and is not slated to be in the lineup Saturday when the Coyotes take on the Colorado Avalanche.Strome recorded an assist in his NHL debut versus the Ottawa Senators earlier this month, his lone point on the season.Strome can play nine games before the Coyotes need to decide whether he sticks with the club or returns to junior with the OHL's Erie Otters, where he scored 111 points in 56 games last season. As a 19-year-old junior, Strome is ineligible to play in the AHL.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Dallas Stars have activated forward Jiri Hudler off injured reserve, the club announced prior to Saturday's game versus the Minnesota Wild.With Hudler's return, the Stars reassigned forward Justin Dowling to the AHL.Hudler's missed the past five games battling an illness, and hasn't recorded a point in two games with the club. However, Dallas will welcome any offensive boost, as they rank 22nd league-wide with only 18 goals for.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson's wife, Nicholle, has been diagnosed with cancer, general manager Pierre Dorion told reporters Saturday.

The Boston Bruins are expected to welcome Tuukka Rask back to the crease Saturday night.Rask has only appeared in three of Boston's games thus far, after being sidelined with "general soreness," but head coach Claude Julien said the 29-year-old should be ready when the Bruins take on the Detroit Red Wings.Rask's absence sparked chaos in the Bruins' net, as they started four different goalies in four games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Connor McDavid isn't going to stop scoring goals and piling up points, but the Edmonton Oilers need Cam Talbot to keep playing at an elite level if they hope to sustain their scorching start.Talbot and the Oilers won their fifth straight game and improved to 7-1-0 with a victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night, continuing the franchise's best opening run since 1985.The Edmonton goaltender has two shutouts in his last three contests, leads the NHL with seven victories, has a 2.17 GAA and .934 save percentage, and has started each of the Oilers' five consecutive wins.However, Edmonton has several reasons for concern that make Talbot's strong play critical to its hopes of remaining at or near the top of the Western Conference standings.Firstly, Edmonton is allowing 32.5 shots on goal per game, the sixth-worst average in the NHL through seven games.The Oilers are losing the possession game as well. They're the sixth-worst team in the league in terms of Corsi For percentage at even strength (47.22), according to Corsica.Hockey.They also have the fifth-highest PDO (103.48) - a combination of shooting percentage and save percentage that typically regresses over time if it's more than 100.McDavid is leading the league in points and is tied for second in goals, and he's not the only one fueling Edmonton's offense. His linemate, Milan Lucic, is second on the team with four goals and seven points, while Jordan Eberle and Leon Draisaitl have six points apiece. But the Oilers could be in for a reality check if they continue playing without the puck as much as they have, and if they don't give Talbot a rest.Talbot's started every game for Edmonton so far, and was merely average last season when given the heaviest workload of his career. Prior to that 56-game campaign, the 29-year-old had played more than 36 games in a season only once at any level, posting similarly pedestrian figures with the AHL's Connecticut Whale in 55 contests.The Oilers have won four of five at home and all three on the road so far, but their November schedule includes 10 road games, or twice as many as they'll play at Rogers Place next month.All of these factors put additional pressure on Talbot to maintain his stellar early-season play, and the soaring Oilers might be headed back down to Earth if he's unable to keep it up.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Matt O'Connor is NHL-bound again.The Ottawa Senators have summoned the 24-year-old goaltender from their AHL affiliate in Binghamton, the club announced Saturday. He's expected to meet the team in Edmonton, where they're preparing to face the Oilers on Sunday.O'Connor and Chris Driedger are now the options in goal for the Senators. Starter Craig Anderson left for personal reasons Thursday and backup Andrew Hammond was hurt in Friday night's loss to the Calgary Flames.Driedger allowed four goals in the 5-2 defeat after replacing Hammond for the second period.O'Connor has allowed seven goals in three AHL games this season. He appeared in one NHL game and 34 contests for Binghamton in 2015-16, posting a 3.31 GAA and .895 save percentage in the latter stint.The Senators signed him out of Boston University in the spring of 2015.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With quality goaltending at a premium around the NHL, some teams in need are reportedly eyeing the Winnipeg Jets.Injuries in the crease have ravaged several clubs early on, and the Jets have received multiple inquiries, according to TSN's Gary Lawless.The Jets sent Ondrej Pavelec - and his $2.95-million cap hit - to the AHL prior to the season, opting to roll with Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson.Pavelec is the primary discussion point, reports Lawless, but teams are asking about all three netminders.During his stint with the Manitoba Moose, Pavelec, 29, has posted a 3.25 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage in three games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Connor McDavid scored on a breakaway in the second period and Cam Talbot made 26 saves for his 13th career shutout to lead the Edmonton Oilers to their fifth straight win, 2-0 over the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night.Milan Lucic added an empty-netter to help Western Conference-leading Edmonton, off to its best start since 1985, improve to 7-1-0.Talbot, who has started all eight games this season, recorded his second shutout in three games.Ryan Miller had 25 saves for Vancouver, which was shut out for the second straight game and has lost four straight (0-3-1) after starting the season with four wins. The Canucks haven't scored since the third period against Anaheim on Sunday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators' goaltending took another hit Friday.Andrew Hammond was forced from a 5-2 loss to the Calgary Flames with what Senators head coach Guy Boucher is calling a lower-body injury.Boucher noted Hammond will be re-evaluated Saturday, but with the team in action against the Edmonton Oilers, something - such as recalling goaltender Matt O'Connor from the AHL - will have to be done.Calling on O'Connor is a necessary evil for the Senators, who announced Thursday that starting netminder Craig Anderson will miss time for personal reasons.Hammond has allowed six goals on 29 shots in two appearances this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

CALGARY, Alberta - Dougie Hamilton scored his first two goals and added an assist to lead the Calgary Flames to a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Friday night for their third straight win.Sam Bennett, Sean Monahan and Michael Frolik also scored for Calgary, and Brian Elliott stopped 31 shots.Erik Karlsson and Kyle Turris scored for Ottawa. Andrew Hammond started in goal and had three saves on four shots before leaving with a lower-body injury after one period. Chris Dreidger replaced him and gave up four goals on 15 shots.With the score tied 2-2 halfway through the second, Hamilton retrieved the puck from the sideboards, spun and whipped a shot from a bad angle over the Dreidger's shoulder.Calgary put the game away on goals by Monahan and Frolik 2:46 apart midway through the third.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

DENVER - Shawn Matthias scored in the second period against his former team, Michael Hutchinson stopped 37 shots for his third career NHL shutout and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 on Friday night.The Jets were more energetic despite playing their third game in four days, including a 4-1 win over Dallas the night before. Colorado looked a bit rusty after a week off and couldn't to solve Hutchinson. It was Hutchinson's first shutout since Jan. 15, 2015, against Columbus.The Avalanche pulled Semyon Varlamov with around 1:22 remaining, but the Avalanche couldn't capitalize.Varlamov stopped 20 shots, his only mistake not sliding over in time to stop Matthias' wrist shot.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Justin Faulk's choice of pizza is buffalo chicken, guys.Caught indulging in a slice after the Carolina Hurricanes' victory over the New York Rangers on Friday night, Faulk made sure to correct a local Fox affiliate that assumed he'd reached for the pepperoni.

Brandon Saad shows bunt.The Columbus Blue Jackets forward showed great hand-eye coordination on Friday, batting in his second goal of the game past John Gibson to give his club a 3-0 lead over the Anaheim Ducks in the first period.While Saad's second goal was quite nifty, his first wasn't so bad either.(Videos courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Artem Anisimov doesn't binge in the offensive zone too often, so let's savor this scoring surge.The structurally sound centerman - limited to 42 points on a line with Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin last year - has produced almost a quarter of his output from a season ago on a current six-game scoring streak.He has five goals and 10 points during this career-best streak, prolonged by the overtime winner he deposited versus the New Jersey Devils on Friday night:

On his very own bobblehead night, Ryan Getzlaf will return to the Anaheim Ducks' lineup Friday night versus the Columbus Blue Jackets.The captain missed the club's mid-week win over the Nashville Predators while nursing an upper-body injury.Getzlaf was back between Corey Perry and Nick Ritchie in warmups - a trio that has accounted for 17 points so far this season.

Thousands of hats were handed out at the Carolina Hurricanes' home opener on Friday, but few will be pinned to the heads of fans who'll exit through the same turnstiles.Only they should be.Jeff Skinner beat the buzzer with what appeared to be his hat-trick goal versus the New York Rangers, prompting fans to litter the ice with their gifts. But closer inspection revealed the puck took a touch off Bryan Bickell on the way in.

With a .932 team save percentage, the Detroit Red Wings' goalies have been the driving force behind an unexpected 6-2 start to the season.Now this stat - not unlike anything else we measure - tends to revert closer to the league average as the season progresses. But that can't erase the progress Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard have keyed for the Red Wings over the season's two-plus weeks.So, what's been the difference for the tandem that hasn't allowed more than three goals since opening night? Is it as simple as Mrazek no longer looking over his shoulder, and Howard no longer pressing when he receives opportunities?General manager Ken Holland seemingly buys into that theory."I think Jimmy (Howard) is coming in understanding that Petr Mrazek is the No. 1 goaltender. He's the backup," Holland told ESPN's Craig Custance. "I think you have to practice different. You have a different mental outlook."But while at $5 million-plus, Howard is far too expensive for a clear and defined backup role - especially on a cap-strapped team - Holland still sees value in keeping the veteran in the support role he's embraced."We were hoping, believing, the one-two punch we had in goal was going to be a strength," Holland said. "In the early going, it has been."Howard, who's allowed just one goal across two starts against formidable opponents in the New York Rangers and San Jose Sharks, will get his third start this weekend when the Red Wings host Boston and Florida on back-to-back nights.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The injury that forced Tampa Bay Lighting forward Nikita Kucherov from Thursday's contest against the Montreal Canadiens was of the upper-body variety, and he's currently listed day to day, the team announced.Kucherov appeared to suffer the injury after falling awkwardly into the boards during the first period. Luckily, it appears the 23-year-old avoided serious injury.In the meantime, while Kucherov's status for Saturday's game against New Jersey is not yet known, the team recalled forward Cory Conacher from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League.Through seven games, Kucherov has tallied just one goal to go along with six assists.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

PHILADELPHIA - Pittsburgh won three of its four games without defenseman Kris Letang in the lineup and there is a chance the Norris Trophy candidate could be back in uniform when the Penguins renew their rivalry with the Flyers in Philadelphia on Saturday night.Sidelined by an upper-body injury suffered on Oct. 18 in Montreal, Letang was examined by a doctor on Friday before boarding the team's flight to Philadelphia."He's getting closer for sure," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told the team's website. "Obviously, he's a big part of our team and we're a better team when he's a part of our lineup."The same can be said of captain Sidney Crosby, who has two goals and one assist in two games since returning from his third concussion in six years.Pittsburgh is 2-0 with its captain in the lineup and if history is any indication, Crosby will get an earful when he steps on the ice at the Wells Fargo Center. Crosby has scored more goals against the Flyers (33 in 55 games) than he has against any other NHL team.While the Penguins (5-2-1) are coming off Tuesday night's 4-2 home win over the New York Islanders, the Flyers (3-4-1) are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Arizona Coyotes, whose only two wins of the season have come against Philadelphia.Slow starts have been an Achilles' heel for the Flyers, who surrendered the first goal in each of their four home games and have been outscored 8-1 in first periods this season, including 2-0 against Arizona on Tuesday."The first period was not pretty and we know that," Flyers captain Claude Giroux said. "We need to find a way to come out stronger.""We did some good things sporadically," Flyers coach Dave Hakstol said. "But you don't win games by doing a few good things sporadically throughout the game. You have to be good from start to finish, individually, collectively and that's how you win games."Giroux is still seeking his first goal of the season but leads the NHL with nine assists. He is on a seven-game point streak, which ties the second-longest of his career. He also recorded a seven-game streak from Jan.14-25, 2011 and posted a nine-game streak from Dec. 11-30, 2013.Flyers right wing Jake Voracek leads the team and ranks third in the NHL with 33 shots this season. He has three goals.Philadelphia defenseman Andrew MacDonald (1 goal, 1 assist, minus-3) could be a healthy scratch for the first time this season in favor of Nick Schultz on Saturday.Sullivan said Marc-Andre Fleury (5-2-1, 2.97 GAA) will be between the pipes for the Penguins on Saturday.Flyers coach Dave Hakstol has a tougher decision. Both Steve Mason (2-4-1, 3.15 GAA) and 1-0-0, 4.47) have struggled. Neuvirth was pulled from each of his first two starts.Penguins forward Carl Hagelin, who is struggling with one goal in eight games, was checked into the boards from behind against the Islanders but practiced on Friday and is expected to play, despite sporting stitches and a black left eye.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The United States and Canada will take their long-standing junior rivalry outdoors for the first time at the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo.USA Hockey confirmed Friday afternoon that the rivals' preliminary-round matchup - on Dec. 29, 2017 - will be staged at New Era Field, home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills.The Orchard Park, NY., venue is easily accessible to fans of both countries on either side of the border, ostensibly making it the ideal spot to host the first-ever outdoor game for a top-level IIHF-sanctioned event."The U.S.-Canada rivalry is as good as it gets in sport," USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean said in a press release. "And to have an outdoor game between the two countries as part of the World Juniors in hockey-rich Western New York will be spectacular."KeyBank Center and HarborCenter - both also based in Buffalo - will host the other games throughout the tournament.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

No St. Louis Blues player will ever wear No. 5 again.Bob Plager's number will be retired in a pregame ceremony before the Blues host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 2, the club announced Friday.The 73-year-old has been with the franchise since its inception in 1967; first as a player until 1975-76, and then in various other roles, including head coach, director of pro scouting, and director of player development.His number was previously raised to the rafters when the Blues honored him for his franchise-long commitment and service, but it was never officially retired, and was worn most recently by defenseman Barret Jackman.

The Detroit Red Wings allowed 10 goals in their first two games of the season, both losses. They've allowed eight in six games since - all wins.The streak continued Thursday in St. Louis, a 2-1 win over the Blues in a shootout. And goaltenders Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard shouldn't be paying for any meals at team dinners.No puckDetroit's been outshot in four of six games on their current run, and six of eight games overall, including by 16 in game two and 15 in game four. The Red Wings aren't a positive possession team - their 44.71 percent rate is second last in the league - and likely won't be this season.In other words, goaltending will continue to determine Detroit's fate.Mrazek has a .925 save percentage in six games, while Howard's at an unsustainable .984 in two games. The Red Wings' .923 save percentage as a team ranks third in the NHL.Middle of the packLast season, Detroit finished 15th in the league with a .910 save percentage. Not bad, but not elite. It was good enough to get the club in the playoffs, and continue the club's streak, but barely. The Red Wings' post-All-Star break .898 save percentage was fourth-worst in the NHL.Mrazek and Howard need to sustain their play all season for Detroit to make some noise, but that's not exactly a recipe for success. Eventually, the goalies are going to need some help.Eventually, that ghastly possession number has to go up. Otherwise the Red Wings will be going down.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Jonathan Marchessault is doing everything right these days.He's among the NHL's league leaders in goals (five) and points (10), surrounded by heavy hitters: Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Brad Marchand, Steven Stamkos, Joe Pavelski, Shea Weber, Brent Burns, and Claude Giroux. In addition to producing, Marchessault, officially second in league scoring, is saying the right things, too."It don't mean anything if you don't win at the end," the 25-year-old said after his first career multi-goal game in a 3-2 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, according to Sports Illustrated's Joshua Kloke.Here are three things you need to know about Marchessault, who you probably hadn't heard of until about a week ago:1. UndraftedMarchessault's name wasn't called during the 2011 NHL Draft, despite leading the Quebec Ramparts in scoring in 2010-11, with 40 goals and 95 points in 68 games. He added 11 goals and a league-leading 33 points in 18 playoff games.After signing an AHL deal with the Connecticut Whale, Marchessault quickly proved he could score at the minor-league level, with 24 goals in 76 games in 2011-12. And his impressive maiden season led to an entry-level contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.Marchessault scored another 21 goals in 2012-13, finishing with a career-high 67 points in the minors. He played two pointless games with the Blue Jackets.He was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning at the 2014 trade deadline, eventually scoring his first NHL goal with the club. He played 45 games with the Lightning last season, scoring seven goals and adding 11 assists.The Panthers signed Marchessault as a free agent on July 1, to a two-year, $1.5-million deal, which is looking like one of the best of the offseason. It's fair to say Florida probably didn't expect this kind of production, but the Panthers will certainly accept it.2. Small and skilledMarchessault is listed at 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds. For comparison's sake, his former teammate Tyler Johnson is 5-foot-8 and 183 pounds. In other words, Marchessault is part of the transition the league is making toward smaller and more skilled forwards. Today's game is all about speed and pace, and if you can't keep up, you're no good.Early on this season, it appears Marchessault has something to offer.The kid's proven his chops when it comes to production. He ripped up the QMJHL as he got older, and finished as his team's leading scorer as soon as he arrived in the AHL. He finished sixth in the league in assists in 2014-15, racking up 43. He's got the vision, and the offensive talent."Every year I was a surprise," Marchessault told Sportsnet's Luke Fox this week. "I fuel off people that don't believe."Doubted every step of the way, Marchessault is clearly reveling in proving people wrong. As he should be."It wasn't the easiest path I had, but it was a different one," he said. "I made it here."3. Opportunity knockedMarchessault answered.Jonathan Huberdeau's ankle injury meant a vacancy on the Panthers' top line with Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. And Marchessault has done more than simply run with it."In life you make your chances," he said. "If you work hard, good things can happen to you. It's a process."One Marchessault clearly trusts. And as he learns to play with Barkov and Jagr, and they learn to play with him, the process will continue to bear fruit."It's going to go better," he said.At this point, Jonathan Marchessault deserves the benefit of the doubt.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak will miss two games after being suspended for an illegal check to the head of New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Friday.An unsuspecting Girardi was leveled by the Bruins winger Wednesday at center ice, as the defender tried to grab a puck that was in mid-air.Pastrnak's had a very productive start to the season, with five goals and three assists in seven games. He'll sit out Saturday's game against the Detroit Red Wings, Tuesday's against the Florida Panthers, and will forfeit $10,277.78 in salary.It's Pastrnak's first suspension.Girardi, meanwhile, left Wednesday's game after the hit, passed concussion tests, and was able to return. He should be in New York's lineup Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.The veteran has a goal and an assist in four games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Teemu Pulkkinen could be on the move once again.Just over two weeks after the Minnesota Wild claimed him from the Detroit Red Wings, the club announced Friday that the 24-year-old has been placed on waivers.Pulkkinen appeared in eight games for the Central-leading Wild this season, scoring one goal.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.