Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Friday, October 28:Triple Threat

Forget about the puck. Who needs the puck? It's overrated.As October reaches its conclusion, it's always fun - depending on what your definition of "fun" is, of course - to look at some early season puck-possession numbers. And through almost 10 percent of the schedule, some first-place clubs are winning despite playing without the rubber.Shall we?TeamCorsi ForLeague RankPositionCanadiens49.39%16th1st (Atlantic)Oilers47.51%22nd1st (Pacific)Senators47.35%24th3rd (Atlantic)Canucks47.03%25th3rd (Pacific)Wild46.55%26th1st (Central)Red Wings44.71%29th2nd (Atlantic)(All statistics are at five-on-five and courtesy of Corsica Hockey)Goaltending mattersTo no surprise, goaltending is playing a huge part in the early success of a number of teams. The dudes in the crease can and are stealing games.TeamSave%RankCanadiens.9511stRed Wings.9323rdOilers.9274thWild.9215thCanucks.9186thThe Ottawa Senators are the outliers. They're a poor possession team and are getting zero from their goalies (.888 save percentage as a team, 24th in the NHL).WavesAs in any sport, luck is involved, and teams atop the standings at the moment are riding the PDO wave. For the innocent, PDO is the sum total of a team's five-on-five shooting and save percentages, and most teams ultimately regress to 100.TeamPDORankCanadiens105.762ndWild105.683rdRed Wings105.264thOilers103.485thEnjoy the calm waters. They don't always last.Puck meThe top possession teams, meanwhile, are the usual suspects, and some of the NHL's best.RankTeamCorsi For1Kings58.14%2Sharks55.08%3Hurricanes56.36%4Capitals53.40%5Bruins53.24%6Panthers52.95%7Blues52.90%8Maple Leafs52.62%9Blackhawks52.22%10Penguins52.09%11Lightning52.01%Some takeaways:

Two games is obviously a trend.Nineteen- and 20-year-old Auston Matthews and William Nylander are leading the Maple Leafs in scoring, with 10 and nine points respectively. They've only been held off the scoresheet twice - the only games Toronto's won through seven.The dynamic pair were held pointless Thursday against the Florida Panthers in a 3-2 win, but Mitch Marner, also a rookie, picked up the slack. Another 19-year-old, Marner had the first multi-point game of his career, recording three assists.Marner has points in both Maple Leafs wins, a goal along with the three helpers he picked up Thursday. He's the engine.Matthews had four shots against Florida, while Nylander had two. When they're on the ice, they're making things happen. Along with Marner.PlayerCorsi For (5-on-5)Marner51.05%Matthews55.45%Nylander56.78%(Statistics courtesy: Corsica Hockey)Matthews, Nylander, and Marner are one-two-three in team scoring, while yet another rookie is tied for fourth.Player PointsMatthews10Nylander9Marner6Nikita Zaitsev5Defenseman Nikita Zaitsev has quickly earned the trust of Mike Babcock. He's playing 22:25 a night, second-most on the club, trailing only Morgan Rielly, and two minutes more per game than Jake Gardiner.Zaitsev is tied with Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov for the most points by a rookie d-man in the league.The kids are leading the way, and Toronto's got points in five of seven games. The rebuild's going great, thanks for asking.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Peter Budaj to the rescue.When Jonathan Quick suffered a significant injury in the season opener and Jeff Zatkoff went down 10 days later, the Los Angeles Kings' goaltending situation appeared dire, but it's been stabilized by an unlikely force.On Thursday night, Jeff Carter's overtime winner gave the Kings their fourth straight victory, and Budaj earned his fourth consecutive win since taking over as the starter, after the Kings dropped their first three games to start the season.Budaj hasn't needed to make more than 24 saves in any of the wins, and none of the victories have come in regulation, but he hasn't surrendered more than three goals in a game this season.His .901 save percentage isn't impressive - and it's just below his career mark of .903 - but Budaj has done exactly what the team has asked him to do."He's played really well for us," Kings head coach Darryl Sutter told reporters postgame, according to Fox Sports West's Jon Rosen. "We don't give up much and (we) expect (him to) make - you've got to make some big saves, obviously, in the National Hockey League, but we don't give up a lot of shots."Budaj started the season with the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, before the injuries thrust him into the NHL spotlight again.The 34-year-old played 60 games for the Reign last season, appearing in only one NHL game. He spent four years in the Montreal Canadiens' organization and six seasons with the Colorado Avalanche before signing with the Kings two years ago.Los Angeles general manager Dean Lombardi expects Quick to miss about three months, and Zatkoff was placed on injured reserve after hurting his groin in practice last weekend, so the crease is likely Budaj's for the foreseeable future.He's bound to lose eventually, and would be more convincing with at least one regulation win, but for now the veteran netminder is a welcome savior for a club that wasn't planning to depend on him to this degree.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, will be published every Friday throughout the season. This week, we take a look at a few teams and players that are bound to regress after starting the season red-hot.Trouble Looming in VancouverHagerman: The Vancouver Canucks shouldn't get too acquainted with their current playoff spot because they likely won't remain in it for long.The team got off to a questionable start to say the least, jumping out to a formidable 4-0-0 record, despite never holding a lead in regulation through the first three games. However, the team has begun to show their true colors as of late.The Canucks have lost three straight, including a 3-0 shutout loss to the Ottawa Senators. And while they still sit second in the Pacific Division with nine points, a quick look at a few stats proves just how lucky the team has been.Goals per game (League Rank)Shots per game (LR)PP% (LR)Corsi-for (LR)2 (30th)24.9 (30th)12.5% (23rd)45.2 (27th)Painful days are coming for the Canucks who are more likely to finish with a lottery position than a playoff spot.The New GuyMcLaren: The Montreal Canadiens could not have asked for a better start to the season from Shea Weber.Through eight games, he recorded three goals and six assists for nine points (tied for third in the NHL) with a league-high plus-12 rating, while averaging almost 26 minutes a night. The team as a whole, meanwhile, has yet to lose in regulation, posting a record of 7-0-1.At some point, however, Weber's production is bound to level off.At present, Weber is on pace for 35 goals and 105 points, which is clearly out of the realm of possibility considering the offensively gifted Erik Karlsson has never topped 82 points.For his career, Weber is averaging 18 goals and 48 points per every 82 games, with a shooting percentage of 8.2.Expect numbers closer to that range when all is said and done.Wheelin' in Motor CityO'Leary: After beginning the season with two losses, the Detroit Red Wings have reeled off six consecutive wins, but all that glitters may not be gold in Mo Town.In all but two of Detroit's eight games, they've been out-shot, and are toward the bottom of the league in several key possession stats. The Red Wings are 26th in the NHL in shots allowed per game (33.1), and are bottom-10 in even-strength Corsi-against (59.06), to go with a bottom-three rank in Corsi-for (47.76) per 60 minutes (corsica hockey).Both Petr Mrazek and Jimmy Howard have been fantastic early on in goal, frequently bailing out a struggling defensive corps. Thomas Vanek's eight points have provided most of the offense, but Henrik Zetterberg has yet to score, and Dylan Larkin has only three points. A defensive overhaul and more offense balance are imperative if the Red Wings want to carry their postseason streak to 26 years.Time to Panik?Gold-Smith: Richard Panik has definitely fit in well on the Chicago Blackhawks' top line, benefiting as any player would from playing alongside Jonathan Toews, but there are several reasons to believe his early production is unsustainable.He's in a four-way tie atop the NHL goal-scoring race with six goals in seven games, but they've come on only 11 shots. Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine have the same number of goals in 30 and 23 shots on goal, respectively. There's simply no way Panik keeps scoring at a 54.5 percent clip.The other factor is precedent. The 25-year-old has already equaled his six-goal, eight-point output from a season ago, but he's never put up more than 11 goals and 17 points in any of his four previous NHL campaigns. Panik is bound to post career highs and respectable numbers if he sticks on the top unit all season, but regression is inevitable.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The steady stream of ultra-talented rookies has the game trending toward a more free-flowing, skilled NHL. But there's one member of the freshman class still doing things old school.Arizona Coyotes defender Jakob Chychrun was tossed from Thursday's win over the Philadelphia Flyers after he took exception to a punishing hit Brayden Schenn threw on teammate Michael Stone.In the room afterwards, Chychrun shared his rationale behind initiating a scrap with Schenn with azcentral sports' Sarah McLellan:"I want the guys to know I'm always here to protect them. I didn't like the way (Stone) got hit."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The NHL's leading goal scorer, Auston Matthews, and his winger William Nylander, were held off the scoreboard during another busy Thursday night - but hockey's rookie class still offered the fireworks we've enjoyed all season.Instead, the spotlight shifted, and two other freshmen led teams to wins with their ridiculous offensive talents.LaineThere's the violent torque of Alex Ovechkin, and there's the patience and precision of Patrik Laine.Instantly becoming one of the game's most dominant stationary shooters, Laine scored nearly identical goals - his fifth and sixth of the season - in the Winnipeg Jets' win over the Dallas Stars.Here's Laine's first, fired from a little farther out than his usual spot on the power play:He crept in a bit with his second, but still kept his head up and used little to no wind up to locate the inside of the post.MarnerMitch Marner had his most productive night with the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers, earning an assist on all three goals.We'll jump ahead to his second helper, when he displayed his entire attacking skill set. Marner pounced on a turnover in neutral ice and created a 2-on-1 opportunity after wheeling around the painted crest. After he kicked the puck back onto his stick, it immediately transferred to the blade of James van Riemsdyk, who converted in tight.Marner's third really depends on how much credit you're willing to give him. But regardless, it's some highlight.Turning back to collect the puck on a broken play, Marner swept it around his body and through the crease, somehow evading a maze of sticks and skates to land perfectly on Tyler Bozak's blade at the far post.(Videos courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Johnny Boychuk was not a happy man after losing to the Penguins.The New York Islanders defenseman's point of contention was a hit delivered by Sidney Crosby moments before the Pittsburgh superstar scored the game-winning goal.

The patrons were beginning to stir.For at least one night, Frederik Andersen quieted the noise starting to dull the excitement around the Toronto Maple Leafs, anchoring a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers to help snap the club's four-game losing skid."It feels good," Andersen told TSN's Mark Masters. "When you have a bad game, you want to bounce back right away. It was nice to get in again and play well."Allowing at least four goals in all but one start with Toronto entering the contest, the efficient performance had to have been a weight off Andersen's shoulders. But really, it did wonders across the board.Mike Babcock, who worked to deflect from the topic all week, instead was eager to point out that Andersen was "by far" the Maple Leafs' best player on a night Mitch Marner recorded three assists."This would be as many good chances as we've given up all year probably and we turned the puck over as much as we have, period, but the goalie was good. It just goes to show you how important goaltending is. I'm real happy for Freddy."And his team seemed appreciative, too.

Nikita Kucherov was forced to leave Thursday's game in Montreal with an apparent injury, the extent of which is not yet known by Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper.

MONTREAL - Max Pacioretty scored the tie-breaking goal in Montreal's three-goal third period as the Canadiens beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 Thursday night for their sixth straight win.Alex Galchenyuk and Torrey Mitchell also scored to help Montreal improve to 7-0-1. Carey Price made 29 saves to win for the fourth time in four starts this season.Alex Killorn scored the lone goal for the Lightning, who lost against an Eastern-Conference opponent for the first time this season. Ben Bishop stopped 23 shots.With the scored tied 1-1, Pacioretty got the go-ahead goal at 10:23 by beating Bishop glove-side. Blown coverage by the Lightning left the Canadiens' captain all alone on the edge of the face-off circle, and Bishop couldn't see the shot with Andrew Shaw posted firmly in front of goal.Montreal, coming off a 3-2 win at the New York Islanders the previous night, remained the only NHL team still undefeated in regulation.Price beat Tampa Bay for the first time in his last eight starts (1-5-2). His previous win against the Lightning was on Dec. 28, 2013.Price wasn't tested much in the early stages of the game as Tampa Bay didn't get its first shot until 12:14 had elapsed - Killorn from an extremely difficult angle.After just a four-shot first period, the Lightning were more threatening in the second.Killorn beat Price for the game's first goal with 3:52 left in the middle period by deflecting home a slap pass from Victor Hedman. Killorn snuck in behind defenseman Alexei Emelin, put himself in a good position just outside the crease and got enough of the puck for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.The 27-year-old Killorn has scored in six of Tampa's seven games this season.It was just the second time this season Montreal gave up the first goal of the game.Price did his best to keep Montreal in the game at the start of the third period, robbing Ondrej Palat from close range with his toe.Just minutes later, Galchenyuk beat Bishop for his second goal of the season to tie it at 6:12. With the Canadiens on the power play, Andrei Markov fooled the Lightning with a cross-ice pass instead of taking a shot on net. Galchenyuk made no mistake with the one-timer just above Bishop's glove. Jeff Petry got the play started with a spin move at the blue line.Mitchell added the empty-netter in the game's final minute.NOTES: Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov fell awkwardly into the boards in the first period, left the game and did not return. ... Canadiens D Mikhail Sergachev was a healthy scratch for the fourth consecutive game. ... Shea Weber saw his four-game point streak come to an end. ... Montreal leads the league with 25 points from its defensemen.UP NEXTLightning: At New Jersey on Saturday night in the fourth game of a six-game trip.Canadiens: Host Toronto on Saturday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Devan Dubnyk made 38 saves for his second straight shutout and the Minnesota Wild beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-0 on Thursday night.Ryan Suter had a goal and an assist, and Joel Eriksson Ek, Jason Zucker and Mikko Koivu also scored. The Wild went 2-1-1 on a four-game road trip to improve to 5-2-1.Anders Nilsson made 18 saves in his second straight start for the Sabres. They have lost four in a row.Minnesota built a two-goal lead in the first period, but Buffalo controlled the action in the second. Dubnyk made 19 saves, including 15 in the first 6:11 of the period, and the Wild killed two penalties.Suter scored his third goal of the season 2:58 into the third period, sending a wobbly wrist shot from the right circle over Nilsson's glove. Koivu added an empty-net goal with 1:09 left.Eriksson Ek scored at 4:51 of the first period when he played the puck off the right boards to elude defenseman Jake McCabe and snapped a shot over Nillson's left shoulder into the far corner of the net. The 19-year-old rookie has two goals and three assists in his first four games.Zucker scored for the second straight game to make it 2-0 with 4:47 left in the first period. Taking a pass from Chris Stewart at the blue line, Zucker skated between two defenders into a breakaway and slipped a backhand beneath Nillson's left pad.NOTES: Minnesota D Marco Scandella went to the locker room during the first period after getting his right leg tangled up in a scrum in front of the net. ... Wild D Jared Spurgeon (upper body) and F Erik Haula are both close to returning, coach Bruce Boudreau said. Spurgeon skated Thursday morning, while Haula did not. ... Sabres F Evander Kane (cracked ribs) missed his fifth straight game and C Jack Eichel (ankle) remains out indefinitely. ... Sabres D Rasmus Ristolainen played in his 200th NHL game on his 22nd birthday. He is the fourth-youngest player to appear in 200 games for the Sabres, according to Elias Sports Bureau. ... The Wild have gotten a point from every player in the lineup this season after D Nate Prosser, D Christian Folin and Scandella each recorded their first assists.UP NEXTWild: Return home to play Dallas on Saturday.Sabres: Host Florida on Saturday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There's no way Mitch Marner did that on purpose, is there?The Toronto Maple Leafs rookie picked up his third assist of the night in stellar fashion after whipping a no-look, cross-crease pass onto the stick of Tyler Bozak for an easy tap-in past Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo.The assists bring Marner's point tally on the season to six, and gives Maple Leafs further reason to be giddy about the future.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

They're bringing back the low bridge.A week or so after Dmitry Orlov sent Matt Duchene somersaulting with a massive hip check in open ice, 6-foot-3 Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier crouched down low enough to send Anthony Duclair of the Arizona Coyotes head over heels.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)Jonathan Marchessault has Frederik Andersen's number on this night.The Florida Panthers winger, who continued his red-hot start with a goal in the first period of Thursday's game in Toronto, got the better of the Maple Leafs goalie once again with wicked snipe from the faceoff circle.The goal gave Marchessault five in seven games to start the season, and didn't do much to quiet criticism that's befallen Andersen early in his Toronto tenure.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Winnipeg's other premiere rookie has finally notched his first.Kyle Connor collected his first career NHL goal on Thursday night, turning on the jets (no pun intended) before finishing off a 2-on-1 break thanks to a neat feed by Nikolaj Ehlers.The goal was just the 2015 first-round pick's second point of the year and gave the Jets a 2-0 lead over the Dallas Stars.(Courtesy: NHL.com)Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Exploration could go beyond Las Vegas next season.The NHL is reportedly looking to stage two regular-season games in Europe next year, Pierre LeBrun wrote in his Rumblings blog Thursday.It might have to wait at least one more season, however, as LeBrun noted the NHL might not have time to work out the details in time.The NHL last held games in Europe five years ago, with visits to Berlin and Helsinki, and two games as well in Stockholm.It's also the league's intent to have preseason games in China down the line, according to LeBrun.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The signing of Hampus Lindholm does not signal Cam Fowler's imminent departure from the Anaheim Ducks.So says general manager Bob Murray, who made it clear that he does not have to make a move following the six-year, $31.5-million contract signed by Lindholm on Thursday."I'm going to do the best I can to give this group one more shot at it," Murray said, per Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. "And I'm going to do everything in my power to keep it that way."Anaheim's tight cap situation was eased by the placement of defenseman Simon Despres on long-term injured reserve, putting the Ducks $791,388 under the cap ceiling, according to Cap Friendly.Teams that were interested in Fowler will now have to turn their attention to Jacob Trouba, the NHL's lone remaining restricted free agent.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There's another fascinating subplot emerging from the NHL's expansion draft process.George McPhee and the Las Vegas brain trust will have a 48-hour window - between the time protected rosters are submitted and the expansion draft itself - to negotiate with free agents of both unrestricted and restricted status, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reported Thursday on Insider Trading.This means any player who's without a contract when protected rosters are submitted - regardless of whether the club still technically has control of the asset - can bolt to Las Vegas on a new negotiated contract.Should Las Vegas strike a deal with an unprotected free agent, the team he came from will not lose a player during the actual expansion draft, per LeBrun.It's clearly another important factor for NHL general managers to consider when formulating their protected rosters, as teams could be forced into making quick decisions on free agents - or risk losing them for nothing.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

While it appears Jacob Trouba and the Winnipeg Jets have drawn a line in the sand, the club is still reportedly hoping to nail down a long-term deal.The Jets are reportedly prepared to offer a six-year contract with an annual average value of $5.5 million, TSN's Darren Dreger reported on Thursday's Insider Trading segment.That being said, Dreger also noted that Trouba's camp is not in a crossroads about money, but rather they don't agree with the player's fit and usage with the Jets.As far as potential trade partners, Dreger insisted that several Canadian teams are reportedly interested, but that Trouba doesn't feel there's a good fit with any of them.Trouba has until Dec. 1 to sign a contract or be traded, or he'll be ineligible to play this season.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Detroit Red Wings will be without one of their top performers for at least one game.Thomas Vanek, who shares the team lead in points, will not play Thursday against the St. Louis Blues and is listed as day to day with a vaguely described injury.

As the recently-named captain, Mike Fisher is having to answer for an underwhelming start to the season for the Nashville Predators.Pegged as a club with Stanley Cup aspirations after the acquisitions of Ryan Johansen and P.K. Subban over the past year, the Predators sit in a tie for last in the Central Division with four points in six games (2-4-0), and, from Fisher's point of view, it's because the team isn't living up to its nickname."We're not physical enough, and we're easy to play against ... but that's up to us," Fisher said Thursday, per the team's website. "It's not about huge hits or fighting, it's about winning battles and playing smart, playing hard as a team, as a line, and we just haven't had that consistency."We've seen it, we know we're capable of it, it's just finding that right now has been a struggle and something that we need to be better at."The Predators have also been victims of a touch of bad luck early on, scoring at a success rate of 4.14 percent in 5-on-5 play, good for 29th in the NHL. Not helping matters are Nashville's poor possession numbers, meaning it's allowing more shot attempts on goal than the Predators are recording on the opposition.What Nashville really needs, then, is to fire the puck on net with more regularity, with the shooting percentage eventually set to regress to the mean.Fisher, for his part, is preaching the basics."Just working and being ready for the game; it seems like when we're playing desperate, our backs are against the wall a little bit, but it's just too hard to not bring your A-game," he said."We need everyone to do that to be successful. We know we're going to find it, we're just in a little bit of a downturn, but we're going to find it … This is where you learn, you learn about your group, you learn how to be successful as a group, and we're going to find it."Nashville's next game is set for Thursday in Los Angeles.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The goaltenders' union blurs allegiances.After Boston Bruins prospect Malcolm Subban's second career start mirrored his disastrous first, his counterpart that night, Minnesota Wild netminder Devan Dubnyk, sought him out afterwards to lend support."I know what that feels like," Dubnyk told Dan Myers of Wild.com. "It just feels like the world is going to end. It's hard to describe, but it's not a good feeling. It's something that I've experienced."The pat on the back came after Subban allowed three goals on 16 shots in his first appearance in an NHL crease since allowing three goals on six shots in his debut last season versus the St. Louis Blues.And when they met, Dubnyk didn't offer perspective from 200 feet. Rather, he provided encouragement through recounting his nightmarish beginnings in the NHL when he broke in with the Edmonton Oilers back in 2009."I gave him the rundown of the start to my career, which was a whole lot worse than his start," Dubnyk said. "Not that it would make him feel better, but more to just let him know that he has a long career ahead of him and to keep working. It probably didn't help. But I've been through that exact same situation at the start of my career and it wasn't fun."It seems like that is going to be such a big deal, but at the end of the day, it's two half games. Those two games, as much as they feel (bad) right now, they're going to be such a small blip in his career. It'll be a story to tell. Maybe he can talk to somebody one day, too."He's right: Dubnyk allowed 14 goals on 79 shots in his first three starts, and didn't win his first game until his 14th appearance.Last summer, Dubnyk signed $26-million contract.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Dougie Hamilton did a very good thing off the ice Thursday in Calgary.The Flames defenseman gathered some teammates and visited the Alberta Children's Hospital in full Star Wars gear.

While his New Jersey Devils currently see themselves in a playoff spot, Taylor Hall can't help but notice just how impressive his former club has been early on.The Edmonton Oilers have been red-hot out of the gate this season, amassing a league-high 12 points. The team's latest victory came Wednesday against the former Presidents' Trophy-winning Washington Capitals, taking the game by a score of 4-1. And even though he now calls the Prudential Center home, Hall is well aware of Edmonton's early-season success."They won last night. It’s kind of a weird feeling," Hall said, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli. "I'd be lying if I said it's not hard to see them get off to such a hot start. But I'm happy for the guys there, for sure."Nearly four months since the trade that saw the 24-year-old swapped for defenseman Adam Larsson, Hall admits he is still getting used to life as a Devil."It's still weird wearing the red and black," Hall said. "Seeing the logo, I get taken (aback). Playing games now, I'd say it's pretty much getting normal now."It was a whirlwind summer for Hall, who has not shied away admitting he never wanted to be traded.Hall, however, also can't ignore the fact that the emergence of Connor McDavid as a truly game-changing player may have influenced the Oilers' decision to deal him away."It's tough,” Hall said. "I put a lot into my time there. I didn't want to get traded. But they had to do what they had to do. I don't think I felt like a scapegoat. I just felt like I was shortchanged in the fact that I had been there for so long and now that they had Connor they were finally making that step and I'm the one that gets let go?"All this aside, Hall has jumped out to a blistering start of his own with five goals and six points through six games. He's beginning to turn a new leaf, which he insists will have little to do with trying to stick it to his former club."As the summer went on, I started realizing it's not about proving Edmonton wrong. It's about proving your teammates and the organization here in New Jersey right," Hall said. "We're over .500. We're a team that is going to fight for a playoff spot. That's going to be a lot of fun."I'm just hungry to be in a playoff race, to have games at the end of the season that mean a lot."Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The New York Rangers have placed Dylan McIlrath on waivers, but not because they don't want him.Head coach Alain Vigneault took some time Thursday to explain the decision, saying McIlrath - who was drafted 10th overall in 2010 - is simply too far down the depth chart to justify keeping around."(General manager Jeff Gorton) and I and our staff had a long talk last night, and we just felt that at this time, Dylan needed to play," Vigneault said Thursday. "We all appreciate him as a person, he’s done everything that has been expected of him, and more. But on our team right now, he’s our eighth defenseman, and keeping him here and not having him play and the money going against the cap…"Selfishly, I hope he clears waivers and goes to Hartford (AHL) and plays, Vigneault added. But if somebody would pick him up and give him an opportunity, I’d be very happy for him."McIlrath is in the midst of a one-year, $800,000 contract, and could be a bargain for a team in need of a big, right-hand shot on the blue line.He carries only 38 games of NHL experience with him, however, with two goals, two assists, and 84 penalty minutes to his credit.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

James Wisniewski's hockey career isn't over yet.The longtime NHL defenseman has signed a contract with the KHL's Vladivostok Admirals that includes an NHL opt-out clause, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.The Tampa Bay Lightning invited him to training camp on a pro tryout agreement, but released him before the start of the season.Wisniewski suffered a torn ACL less than a minute into the 2015-16 season opener with the Carolina Hurricanes.During his 10-year NHL career, Wisniewski also suited up for the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, and Chicago Blackhawks, who made him a fifth-round pick in 2002. He recorded a career-high 44 assists and 51 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2013-14.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Another group is throwing its hat in the ring to bring a world-class sporting venue capable of hosting the NBA and NHL to the city of Seattle.Oak View Group, a Los Angeles-based firm founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, are interested in renovating KeyArena, sources told Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times.The $285-million project entails a full-scale remodeling of the former home of the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics that would enable it to host NBA and NHL events should a team become available.It's expected that the mayor's office will issue a request for proposals to renovate the facility by December.Oak View's latest push comes on the heels of venture capitalist Chris Hansen's announcement of plans to use private funds to build a new arena in the Sodo neighborhood of Seattle.Hansen and the city have a memorandum of understanding that prevented bids from being placed on KeyArena. However, Hansen's all-private proposal would invalidate the MOU, and therefore open up bids to suitors like Oak View Group.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks placed Simon Despres on injured reserve Sunday, and it doesn't appear as though he'll be making it back into the lineup any time soon.Despres, who's appeared in one game this season, is sidelined with what the Ducks are calling an upper-body injury.The 25-year-old may have been moved to IR partly to create salary space for Hampus Lindholm's new contract, but general manager Bob Murray was heartfelt, though not informative, when addressing Despres' circumstances."The Despres situation is one that's a very sensitive issue and it's one that my whole goal is to hopefully make it so Simon in the end of all this lives a happy, healthy, normal life and it's going to take some time before we get to that point," Murray said, according to Yahoo's Joshua Cooper. "Really that's all I want to say on this time on that because it is sensitive and I feel real bad for Simon."Despres was drafted 30th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009, but has dealt with a slew of injuries through his career, including a 42-game absence last season because of a concussion.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Vine is dead.Well, not yet, but it will be soon. Twitter, which owns the short-form video app, announced Thursday that Vine will be discontinued in the coming months.For the sports world, it's the end of an era. Here are some of the best hockey Vines over the past three years. Never forget.Bernier's loogieWithout a doubt, Jonathan Bernier's finest Toronto Maple Leafs moment.On second thought ...Whatever, Gary.Hip checkIt's beautiful, even more so in slow motion.Never saw it comingThe referee drills Drake Caggiula and still calls the goal. What a pro.Hate when that happensPainful to watch every time."Good one, Randy!"Randy Carlyle is not funny.Giroux's geniusHenrik Lundqvist is still looking for Claude Giroux.RobberyJeff Lerg is a legend in Toledo, home of the ECHL's Walleye, and rightfully so. Remember: He made this save in overtime.GOATThe greatest goal in the history of the shootout:Stick save ...And a beauty, as they say.McKinnon's mittsNever forget the World Cup of Hockey.Multiple movesThis one is remarkable. You can't say the German league did nothing for you.FeelingsThe kids, they're going to be all right.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson will miss an undetermined amount of time to tend to a personal matter, and in turn, the club has recalled netminder Chris Driedger from the AHL, the team announced Thursday."With the support of the entire organization, we've provided Craig with a leave of absence so that he can attend to a personal matter at home," general manager Pierre Dorion said. "While we are uncertain of how long Craig may be away, he will continue to have our support for as much time as is needed."Driedger, 22, started two games for the Binghamton Senators this season, posting a 0.96 goals-against average and .961 save percentage.Ottawa plays the Calgary Flames on Friday.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Winnipeg Jets will remain without Bryan Little for another month or so.The forward's on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, and head coach Paul Maurice said Thursday the club is "shooting for the end of November" for his return to the lineup.Little was hurt 2:48 into the Jets' first game of the season. He had already recorded an assist.Winnipeg's opened the season with two wins in six games.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The St. Louis Blues officially activated forward Jori Lehtera from injured reserve Thursday, the club announced.The 28-year-old missed the club's last four games due to an upper-body injury.St. Louis waived forward Magnus Paajarvi in a corresponding move.In three games this season, Lehtera hasn't recorded a point, but he collected 34 points in 79 games in 2015-16, and will be a welcome addition to the St. Louis forward corps.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Each week, theScore looks at the teams, players, and other hockey figures trending upward and taking a step back.â–² The OilersWe knew they'd be better this season, but few saw it happening this quickly.More than 90 percent of the schedule has yet to be played, but through seven games, the Edmonton Oilers sit atop the Western Conference at 6-1-0.They're riding a four-game win streak after spoiling Winnipeg's Heritage Classic party over the weekend and stunning last season's Presidents' Trophy winners, the Washington Capitals, on Wednesday night. It's amazing what a healthy Connor McDavid and a locked-in goaltender can do.Regression is inevitable, but Edmonton fans can't be blamed for having fun with the club's hot start.

The Washington Capitals are in unfamiliar territory.Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the first-place Edmonton Oilers marked the first time in 19 months the Capitals have lost back-to-back games in regulation, and the club is aiming to quickly rebound."Hockey is testing us right now a bit, which is good," netminder Braden Holtby told Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post. "I think a little bit of adversity never hurts to build a team."Washington hardly struggled last season, coasting to the Presidents' Trophy before a second-round elimination at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins.The Capitals didn't play particularly badly versus the Oilers, outshooting Edmonton 35-29, but the loss created a peculiar feeling among the team nonetheless as Washington sits 3-2-1 on the season."Guys need to do their jobs," defenseman Matt Niskanen said. "It was a little uncomfortable in here tonight after the game. So, we'll regroup."Washington continues its western road trip Saturday against Vancouver.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Follow theScore's fantasy feed on Twitter (@theScoreFantasy) for the latest news, features and more. And download Squad Up, theScore's free-to-win-money sports game.Here is a look at the Squad Up daily NHL fantasy picture for Thursday, October 27:Triple Threat

Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak will have a hearing Friday for a headshot on New York Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced.Here's the hit, which took place Wednesday night:Girardi went through concussion protocol after the incident but returned to action.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Hampus Lindholm's holdout is over.The Anaheim Ducks agreed to a six-year contract extension with the defenseman, the club announced Thursday.The deal will carry an annual cap hit of $5.25 million, TSN's Bob McKenzie reports.Lindholm reportedly needs to obtain a work visa, which could take as long as two weeks. He's now signed through 2021-22, but the Ducks need to make a move to get under the salary cap.Here's how the contract breaks down, according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register:Season Cap Hit ($M)2016-1732017-1862018-196.752019-205.252020-213.752021-226.75The 22-year-old became a restricted free agent this summer and hasn't played a game this season.McKenzie reported earlier in October that the club wanted to sign Lindholm to a six-year deal at less than $5.4 million per season (Rasmus Ristolainen's deal with the Buffalo Sabres) and the blue-liner wanted more.In his third season with Anaheim, Lindholm ranked second behind Cam Fowler among Ducks skaters in average time on ice, collecting 28 points in 80 games.The Ducks selected Lindholm sixth overall in 2012.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Ottawa Senators' dream of hosting an outdoor game on Parliament Hill in 2017 has some opposition.While the imagery of the country's national sport being showcased at the iconic setting, with snowflakes gently falling as a multitude of joyous fans brave the cold winter elements to watch a good ol' hockey game paints a pretty picture, NDP MP Peter Julian has concerns over the logistics of it all."The idea, on the surface, is interesting, but there are some real broad concerns and those concerns need to be addressed, I think, before the idea could move forward," Julian said, according to Joanne Chianello of CBC News."The public may have some concerns about the possibility of taxpayers' money going to subsidize an event, where ticket prices are $300 or $400 a pop, which is certainly not accessible to most Canadian families," Julian added.The Senators are pushing hard for the event, stating it would be a perfect celebration of the club's 25th anniversary, as well as the 150th anniversary of Canada itself.However, Julian believes, one way or another, the spectacle would eventually cost the taxpayers."An event of this nature involves so many moving pieces, that it's quite likely that there will be some money coming from the taxpayer. So it would be helpful to know what exactly that amount is," Julian said."How much will taxpayers be paying for this symbolism?"As it turns out, the Senators may face an uphill battle turning this concept into a reality.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Alex Ovechkin made a young fan's night Tuesday in Edmonton.Prior to a 4-1 loss to the Oilers - in which he scored the Washington Capitals' lone goal - the great goal scorer offered one of his sticks after it came to his attention that a kid in the stands was wearing his jersey.A friendly exchange that won't soon be forgotten by the new stick bearer.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A power-play goal against Nashville has pushed Corey Perry up the Anaheim Ducks' all-time scoring list.

So far, so good.Finally.Powered by teenage captain Connor McDavid and backstopped by goaltender Cam Talbot, the Edmonton Oilers have the look of a team capable of making serious noise in the Western Conference, or at least challenging for their first playoff spot in a decade.This new reality was on full display Wednesday, as the Oilers took it to the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners on home ice, beating the Washington Capitals by a score of 4-1.McDavid's magicMcDavid did not score and recorded a single shot on goal, but his fingerprints were all over this one.In almost 21 minutes of ice time, he recorded two assists, anchored a line with Milan Lucic and Jordan Eberle that dominated the possession game, and even saw time on the penalty kill.In short, without McDavid, there's no way the Oilers out-attempt a team like the Capitals.The pair of assists give McDavid 11 points in seven games, propelling him atop the NHL's scoring leader board, a position he's not likely to relinquish anytime soon.Talbot in controlAfter mixed results in his first season with the club, Talbot has shone in net for the Oilers so far this season, with 34 saves in the win over Washington just the latest example.Over his last four starts, Talbot has allowed only four goals, stopping 130 of 134 shots for a save percentage of .970.While he will most likely be unable maintain that level of success, his .924 career mark would put him among the NHL's top 10 at his position, providing the kind of goaltending needed to complement what should be an explosive offense as well as cover for what remains an incomplete blue line.Success within small sample sizeYes, it's still early. Very early. But the win over the Capitals legitimizes what was already an impressive start.Heading into Wednesday's action, Edmonton had posted a record of 5-1-0 - its best start in 31 years - albeit at the expense of a bevy of subpar teams. Case in point, the Oilers earned wins over Calgary, Carolina, Winnipeg and, most impressively, St. Louis to go along with a loss to Buffalo.Not since the glory days have the Oilers started a season with such success.

The Montreal Canadiens have yet to lose in regulation this season, and a second consecutive strong start to the regular season has put them in good company.With a win over the New York Islanders on Wednesday, the Canadiens became only the fifth team in NHL history to start consecutive seasons with at least a point in each of their first seven games.The other four are listed below.

NEW YORK - Brandon Pirri scored twice to help the New York Rangers beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 on Wednesday night.Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes and Jimmy Vesey also scored for New York, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 27 shots. The Rangers won their third straight game, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to improve to 5-2-0.David Pastrnak and Austin Czarnik scored for Boston. The Bruins have lost three straight to drop to 3-4-0.Zane McIntyre made 26 saves in his first NHL start. He was called up prior to Boston's 5-0 home loss to Minnesota on Tuesday night to back up Malcolm Subban due to injuries to Tuukka Rask and Anton Khudobin.Down 2-0 after the first, the Rangers scored three times in the final 10:44 of the second.Nash began the comeback with a power-play goal at 9:16. He curled to the net before corralling a rebound of Derek Stepan's point shot and flipping it over goalie Zane McIntyre for his third of the season.Hayes tied it with 3:25 left in the second, banking a shot from behind the net off of McIntyre's pants.Pirri's power-play goal with 36 seconds left made it 3-2. The free-agent signee ripped a shot from the right circle that was in the net before McIntrye could get his glove up. New York finished the game 2 for 6 on the man advantage, while the Bruins were 0 for 1.It was not all positive for the Rangers in the second, with Dan Girardi missing two shifts following a hit from Pastrnak, who was assessed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head. Girardi leaped in the air to play a loose puck in the neutral zone and, as he came down, Pastrnak drove his shoulder into the upper body of the New York defenseman.Pirri made it 4-2 2:23 into the third with his fourth of the season. Vesey scored on a tap-in 43 seconds late.The Bruins opened the scoring Pastrnak's fifth of the season 10 seconds into the game. The lead grew to 2-0 14:34 later when Czarnik scored his first goal in the NHL. Czarnik fired a shot from inside the blue line that New York defenseman Brady Skjei blocked, but Henrik Lundqvist appeared to lose track of the puck and it bounced across the goal line.Lundqvist had 27 saves.NOTES: Prior to the game, the Bruins announced Czarnik had been called up from Providence of the AHL. Czarnik had a goal and two assists in two games with Providence this season. Czarnik, 23, did play in two NHL games earlier this season with the Bruins. ... Boston also announced RW David Backes had his olecranon bursa removed from his elbow on Monday. The Bruins also scratched D Joe Morrow and C Danton Heinen. ... New York LW Chris Kreider missed his second straight game with neck spasms. ... The Rangers scratched D Adam Clendening and D Dylan McIlrath. ... New York lost fourth-line RW Josh Jooris for the game with what the team called an ''upper-body injury.''UP NEXT:BRUINS: Play at Detroit Saturday night.RANGERS: Play at Carolina Friday night.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

With this thundering (and for Travis Hamonic, potentially life-changing) blast, Shea Weber propelled the Montreal Canadiens to another win Wednesday night versus the New York Islanders.For his preferred style and capabilities, Weber will continue to represent the divide between many progressive thinkers and old-school hockey minds, but there's really no denying just how incredible his first seven games have been with the Habs.First and foremost, Montreal has six regulation wins in seven outings with Weber logging 26 minutes a night. And in their only defeat, the Canadiens picked up a point in the shootout.Montreal is outscoring the opponent 26-12 overall, and 18-7 at even strength, to average two goals more than the opposition each night. And with Weber on the ice, having a direct impact, Montreal has 15 goals to three against in all situations and conceded one at even strength.Beyond that seal-tight defense is what's come largely unexpected - a prolific scoring pace.He has three goals (two of which count as game winners) and six assists in seven games. His nine points are two more than Erik Karlsson (who does have a game in hand) and one behind Auston Matthews for the league lead.Many predicted it would be P.K. Subban carrying the chip on his shoulder, and to his credit, he's producing at a very strong clip with five points in his first five games while having the time of his life with the Nashville Predators.Maybe it's just their personalities (or so they've said), but Weber certainly has the look of the one out for revenge.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The Anaheim Ducks will be without top center Ryan Getzlaf for at least one game.Getzlaf is day to day with an upper body injury and will not play Wednesday against the Nashville Predators, the team announced.Getzlaf briefly left Tuesday's game against San Jose with an apparent injury but was able to return.In seven games this season, Getzlaf has recorded one goal and seven assists.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Shea Weber continues to do what he does best.The Montreal Canadiens defenseman fired an absolute cannon past New York Islanders goaltender Thomas Greiss with under three minutes left in regulation to give his new club a 3-2 victory on Wednesday.The goal was his third of the season and - with an assist on Phillip Danault's third-period goal - gives him nine points on the season, just one shy of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews for the league lead.Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.