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Combined summaries and individual breaking-news reports, all in one recency-first feed.

Saturday, October 3

Simon Holmstrom Sparks Islanders Offense With Opening Goal

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New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom scored the opening goal five minutes into the second period of Saturday's 6-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Set up by Jean-Gabriel Pageau sliding the puck past Jonas Siegenthaler, Holmstrom broke a scoreless deadlock and ignited a three-goal second frame for New York as they earned their first victory of the regular season in front of their home fans.

Bo Horvat Nets Power-Play Goal in Islanders Home Opener Win

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New York Islanders captain Bo Horvat scored a power-play goal in the second period of Saturday's 6-0 shutout against the New Jersey Devils. Named the 16th captain in franchise history on Sept. 14, Horvat capped off a three-goal second-period surge by converting a pass from rookie assistant captain Matthew Schaefer. The goal helped propel the Islanders to their first victory of the new season.

Ondrej Palat Scores Fifth Goal in Islanders Shutout Victory

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New York Islanders forward Ondrej Palat contributed to a 6-0 home-opening win against the New Jersey Devils by scoring midway through the third period. Palat finished a pass from teammate Casey Cizikas just 42 seconds after Viktor Eklund's tally to extend New York's lead to 5-0. The goal formed part of a four-goal third-period surge that put the game completely out of reach for New Jersey.

Casey Cizikas Posts Goal and Assist in Islanders 6-0 Rout

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New York Islanders forward Casey Cizikas recorded a multi-point night with a goal and an assist during Saturday's 6-0 home-opening blowout against the New Jersey Devils. Cizikas first assisted on Ondrej Palat's third-period tally before capping off the scoring himself with a short-handed goal. His efforts contributed to an explosive offensive night where six different Islanders found the back of the net.

Jake Sanderson Departs Opener Early With Lower-Body Injury

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Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson exited Saturday's season opener against Toronto during the first period after taking just six shifts due to a lower-body injury. Sanderson awkwardly extended his leg along the boards during a battle with Nick Paul and slammed the bench in frustration before being ruled out. Set for further evaluation Sunday, this marks the first time Ottawa labeled the issue after a preseason plagued by injury. His status for Monday's game at Boston remains uncertain.

Evgeni Malkin Moves to 22nd All-Time in Points in OT Victory

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Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored a power-play goal and added two assists in a 6-5 overtime win against the Montreal Canadiens. With three points on the night, Malkin reached 1,411 career points, passing Dale Hawerchuk for 22nd place on the NHL's all-time scoring list. Malkin set up Tommy Novak's game-winning 2-on-1 goal at 1:33 of overtime after Pittsburgh surrendered an early four-goal lead.

Joseph Woll Turns Aside 37 Shots in OT Loss to Hurricanes

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Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Joseph Woll turned in a strong 37-save performance despite falling 3-2 in overtime against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night. Woll withstood heavy offensive pressure as Carolina outshot Philadelphia 40-18 throughout the contest. Despite his efforts in keeping the Flyers competitive late, Woll was ultimately beaten by Shayne Gostisbehere's slap shot on a power play in the extra session.

Sebastian Aho Scores Twice and Sets Up OT Winner vs Flyers

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Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho delivered a dominant three-point performance, scoring two goals and assisting on Shayne Gostisbehere's overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Aho opened the scoring just 10 seconds into the game off a pass from William Carrier and tied the contest 2-2 in the third period with a power-play one-timer from Nikolai Ehlers before setting up the game-winner.

Shayne Gostisbehere Scores OT Power-Play Winner Against Flyers

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere scored the game-winning goal on the power play 2:51 into overtime to seal a 3-2 victory against his former team, the Philadelphia Flyers. Gostisbehere blasted a slap shot past Joseph Woll following an assist from Sebastian Aho. The clutch goal secured Carolina's first win of the season and marked the franchise's ninth consecutive road opener victory.

Andrei Vasilevskiy Stops 19 Shots in Home-Opener Win

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Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 19 of 20 shots faced to lead his team to a 3-1 home-opening victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. Vasilevskiy kept Washington at bay through key stretches, allowing only a second-period deflection goal by Justin Sourdif. The bounce-back performance helped Tampa Bay secure its first win of the season following a tough opening loss.

Conor Geekie Extends Lightning Lead With First-Period Goal

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Geekie netted his team's second goal late in the first period of Saturday's 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Situated on the right wing side, Geekie received a pass from Brandon Hagel and beat netminder Charlie Lindgren to the inside post with 3:30 left in the frame. The goal provided Tampa Bay a crucial two-goal cushion entering the second period of their home opener.

Charle-Edouard D'Astous Scores Opening Goal in Win Over Capitals

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Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Charle-Edouard D'Astous opened the scoring just 2:26 into Saturday's home opener against the Washington Capitals. D'Astous pinched down from the point into the middle slot, collected a crisp pass from Brandon Hagel, and zipped a wrist shot past Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren. The early goal set the pace for Tampa Bay's 3-1 victory, securing their first win of the season.

Jake Guentzel Tallies Goal and Assist in Victory Over Capitals

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Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Guentzel recorded a multi-point performance with an empty-net goal and an assist in a 3-1 home-opening win against the Washington Capitals on Saturday night. Guentzel sealed the victory with 2:05 left in the third period by sliding the puck into the empty net. His efforts helped Tampa Bay bounce back effectively following a 5-1 season-opening loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday.

Brandon Hagel Dishes Two Assists in Lightning Home Opener Win

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Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel registered his first two points of the season with a pair of assists in Saturday's 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Hagel set up Charle-Edouard D'Astous early in the first period before assisting Conor Geekie's late opening-frame tally, while also logging a game-high six shots on goal. Skate-and-pass dynamic with top-line unit partner Nikita Kucherov helped spark the offense after Tampa Bay opened the year with a 5-1 defeat.

Cale Makar Nets First Goal of Season in Avalanche Victory

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Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar opened his 2026-27 goal-scoring account 4:10 into the first period of Saturday's matchup against the St. Louis Blues. Makar converted a doorstep pass from Martin Necas to give Colorado an early 1-0 lead. He also made a major defensive impact later in the period by tying up Blues forward Jonatan Berggren in the slot to prevent a wide-open scoring attempt, helping secure momentum during Colorado's fast start.

Braeden Cootes Scores First-Career AHL Goal for Abbotsford

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Vancouver Canucks prospect Braeden Cootes scored his first-career AHL goal during his second official game with the Abbotsford Canucks in a 4-2 loss to the Calgary Wranglers. Cootes tallied the goal at 16:16 of the third period while playing on a line alongside Ben Berard and Bennett Schimek. Drafted 15th overall in 2025, Cootes spent last season in the WHL where he recorded 63 points in 45 games before being reassigned to Abbotsford prior to the Canucks' final preseason game.

Steven Stamkos Ties Iginla and Sakic for 17th on NHL All-Time Goals List

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Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos scored his first goal of the season against the Dallas Stars, marking his 625th career goal and tying Hockey Hall of Famers Jarome Iginla and Joe Sakic for 17th on the NHL's all-time list. Stamkos capitalized on a first-period power play off a cross-slot pass from Ryan O'Reilly. The strike was his 70th goal with Nashville. He now sits 15 goals behind Dave Andreychuk for 16th place in league history.

Justus Annunen Ruled Out Saturday with Undisclosed Injury

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Justus Annunen will miss Saturday's game against Dallas due to an undisclosed injury. With Annunen sidelined, Matt Murray was recalled from AHL Milwaukee to serve as the backup netminder behind starter Juuse Saros. Annunen has yet to make an appearance this season. In 2025-26 with Nashville, he posted a 10-12-2 record, a 2.68 GAA, and a .906 save percentage across 28 regular-season games.

Michael DiPietro Set to Make First Start of Season Against Wild

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Michael DiPietro will guard the road goal versus the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, marking his first start of the season. DiPietro gets the nod for the second half of a back-to-back set after Jeremy Swayman started Friday against the Jets. This will be DiPietro's fifth career NHL game and just his second since the start of the 2025-26 campaign. He enters the year slotted as the primary backup behind Swayman.

Jet Greaves Confirmed as Home Starter Against Utah Mammoth

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Jet Greaves is expected to start at home against Utah on Saturday. Greaves opened his season by turning aside 23 of 26 shots in a 6-3 victory over Buffalo on Thursday. Coming off a 2025-26 campaign where he logged a 26-19-9 record, 2.60 GAA, and .908 save percentage in 55 games, Greaves is projected to handle the majority of the starts for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season while Cam Talbot serves as his backup.