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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar comes off a strong performance with two goals and an assist against Calgary as the team prepares to face the Toronto Maple Leafs. Makar has 10 points in 12 career games against Toronto. Teammates Jaden Schwartz has six points in four games, and Nathan MacKinnon has eight points through four games, bolstering Colorado's high-scoring offensive attack for Saturday's matchup at Ball Arena.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar received a two-game suspension from NHL Player Safety for an illegal check to the head of New York Islanders captain Bo Horvat. The hit occurred late in Thursday's 4-1 Islanders victory. Nazar was issued a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct on the play after Horvat went down the tunnel for concussion protocol evaluations following the dangerous open-ice hit.
New York Islanders captain Bo Horvat is good to go for Saturday's game against Tampa Bay after clearing concussion protocol. He was evaluated following a dangerous hit to the head by Chicago's Frank Nazar at 18:27 of the third period on Thursday. Horvat felt the right side of his head was sore but otherwise fine. He leads the team with four goals and five points through four games.
Jordan Binnington will get the start in net for the St. Louis Blues on Saturday as they host the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 33-year-old netminder is looking to rebound after surrendering six goals on 36 shots against Colorado in his lone start of the season. Currently sitting behind Joel Hofer on the depth chart, Binnington will aim for a strong performance against a Blue Jackets squad averaging exactly three goals per game through their early slate.
Veteran forward Sam Lafferty will make his Florida Panthers debut as the fourth-line center against the Minnesota Wild, playing alongside Boko Immana and Garnet Hathaway. The 31-year-old journeyman joins the lineup with Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand sidelined for about two months due to injuries. Lafferty brings 378 career games of experience, 41 goals, and 92 points to his sixth NHL franchise.
Dan Vladar will take the crease for the Philadelphia Flyers in Saturday's road game against the Boston Bruins. Vladar is seeking his first win of the 2026-27 season after allowing 10 goals on 73 shots across two regulation losses, though he showed improvement in Monday's start against Tampa Bay. He faces a tough task against a Bruins team that has tallied 15 goals through five games to start the campaign with a 3-2-0 record.
Jacob Markstrom will start in goal for the Florida Panthers in Saturday's home matchup against the Minnesota Wild. Markstrom has been impressive through three starts this season, posting a 2-0-1 record with just four goals allowed on 55 shots. He comes into Saturday's game following a strong 19-save performance in Tuesday's 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. He faces a Minnesota squad that has scored 11 goals across four games.
Following a shoulder injury to veteran Mats Zuccarello, the Los Angeles Kings recalled forward Jared Wright from the AHL's Ontario Reign. Wright played 23 games for the Kings last season with four assists, 18 blocked shots, and 27 hits. He has carried strong AHL momentum into the new campaign with two goals and three points in two games, giving him a prime opportunity to contribute to the NHL depth forward group while Zuccarello recovers over the next few weeks.
New Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Cam Talbot beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in a shootout for his first win in Union Blue, setting two NHL records. He became the first goalie to play for and win a game with nine different NHL franchises, including Edmonton, NYR, Detroit, Minnesota, LA, Ottawa, Calgary, Philadelphia, and Columbus. He also surpassed Fredrik Norrena as the oldest goalie in franchise history to record a win, lifting his career record to 279-204-53.
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Nick Blankenburg could make his season debut against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at Ball Arena. Blankenburg has missed Toronto's first five games after signing a one-year, $1.4 million contract on September 27 following a professional tryout. He previously played 12 regular-season games and five playoff contests for Colorado last season, recording career highs with eight goals and 16 assists across the Predators and Avalanche.
Isaiah George will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after sustaining an apparent upper-body injury during a 5-4 shootout loss to the Toronto Marlies. Head coach Jay McKee confirmed postgame that George will miss time. This latest setback further depletes the Islanders' left-side defensive depth, compounding ongoing injury struggles for the 22-year-old defenseman who is currently in the final season of his three-year entry-level deal.
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal bounced back strongly after his previous loss, stopping 15 of 16 shots to lead the Ducks to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. The 26-year-old netminder secured his fourth consecutive start to open the season, anchoring a tight-checking, efficient defensive effort by the Ducks that limited Winnipeg to virtually no inside looks and cleared all second-chance opportunities as Anaheim claimed their first road win of the season.
Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Cam Talbot stopped 20 shots and denied all three shootout attempts in Friday's 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Making his regular-season debut with Columbus, the 39-year-old veteran became the first goalkeeper in NHL history to win a game with nine different franchises. Talbot's previous victories came with the Rangers, Oilers, Flyers, Flames, Wild, Senators, Red Wings, and Kings.
Washington Capitals forward Boone Jenner scored the game-winning goal to lead his team to a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Friday night. Jenner broke a 1-1 tie with 2:22 remaining in the second period, beating the Rangers with a wrist shot. The goal proved to be the winner as Washington erased an early deficit to secure the victory, which also saw Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin leave with an injury.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin suffered a right leg injury and was helped off the ice without putting weight on his leg during a 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. The 30-year-old jammed his right knee and skate into the net post while scrambling back into his crease during the second period. Shesterkin stopped 13 of 14 shots before exiting, finishing a strong start to the season with a 3-1 record. Dylan Garand replaced him in goal as the team awaits updates.
Anaheim Ducks forward Tim Washe recorded a goal and an assist to lead Anaheim to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. Washe's multi-point performance was part of a five-goal eruption by Anaheim that handed the Jets their first regulation loss of the season. The win improved the Ducks to 3-1-0 overall as they prepare to visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday night for their second game in two nights.
Anaheim Ducks forward Sam Colangelo scored a goal in Friday night's 5-1 road victory against the Winnipeg Jets. Colangelo contributed to a balanced Anaheim offense that featured five different goal scorers, handing Winnipeg its first regulation loss of the season. With the win, Anaheim improved its record to 3-1-0 as the team continues its road trip on Saturday night in Calgary against the Flames.
Anaheim Ducks rookie forward Judd Caulfield scored his first career NHL goal and added an assist to propel Anaheim to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. Caulfield's multi-point effort helped hand Winnipeg its first regulation loss of the season. His breakout performance pushed the Ducks to a 3-1-0 record on the year, as the team now prepares for their next matchup on the road against Calgary on Saturday night.
Anaheim Ducks forward Nikita Nesterenko scored a goal to help propel Anaheim to a commanding 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. Nesterenko was one of five different goal scorers for the Ducks, who handed the Jets their first regulation loss of the season. The victory improved Anaheim's record to 3-1-0 on the year as the team heads to Calgary for the second leg of a back-to-back set on Saturday night.
Anaheim Ducks forward Mikael Granlund posted a goal and an assist in Friday night's 5-1 victory against the Winnipeg Jets. Granlund effectively put the game out of reach by scoring with 5:54 remaining in the third period, extinguishing Winnipeg's momentum after they had cut the deficit to 3-1. His strong two-point performance helped Anaheim hand Winnipeg its first regulation loss of the season and move to 3-1-0 overall.
