Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 28, 2025

by | Dec 28, 2025

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 28, 2025

The holiday roster freeze has ended, but the rumor mill didn’t sleep during that period. Check out the latest on Auston Matthews and Marc-Andre Fleury, plus updates on the Flames in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE LATEST ON THE MAPLE LEAFS

On Dec. 22, SPORTSNET’s Nick Kypreos said he believed that the Toronto Maple Leafs could talk with Auston Matthews next summer about a possible trade.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Matthews is under contract with the Maple Leafs through 2027-28. Kypreos acknowledged that Matthews’ no-movement clause means it would be a joint effort between the player and management to find a suitable destination if one side or the other believes it’s time for a change. He felt that this would also be a move that occurs in the summer rather than during the season.

Despite the recent drop-off in Matthews’ performance, Kypreos doesn’t think that it’s permanent. He suggested that other clubs could share that view, speculating the Los Angeles Kings could see the Maple Leafs center as a replacement for the retiring Anze Kopitar.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings would undoubtedly be interested in Matthews if he became available next summer, and they have the cap space to absorb his $13.25 million average annual value for the next two seasons.

However, the Kings could lack the assets the Leafs would want in return. They’d want a good young center as part of the deal, meaning they will likely ask for Quinton Byfield. They’ll also want a first-round pick and a couple of other pieces as well.

The Kings wouldn’t be the only club getting into the bidding. Unless they are willing to include Byfield, they might not win a bidding war over other teams that Matthews might consider acceptable trade destinations.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that former NHL head coach Peter DeBoer reached out to Maple Leafs bench boss Craig Berube to address recent rumors suggesting he could replace him.

DeBoer sent a note to Berube telling him to ignore the speculation. He stated that he hasn’t been in discussions with the Maple Leafs and isn’t taking his job.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A classy move by DeBoer, who knows what it’s like to deal with speculation about being fired. He’s currently serving as an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics.

COULD A TEAM TEMPT MARC-ANDRE FLEURY OUT OF RETIREMENT?

BLEACHER REPORT: Frank Seravalli suggested the Edmonton Oilers should try to coax goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury out of retirement.

The 40-year-old netminder hung up his pads at the end of the 2024-25 playoffs following a 21-season NHL career. Seravalli noted that Fleury recently played in an outdoor game in Aspen, CO, with some NHL alumni, and before that, took some shots with some Minnesota Wild extras. He also played one period of a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a way of bringing his long NHL career full circle.

Seravalli isn’t entirely convinced that Fleury is done, but admitted it would take a special circumstance or situation to convince the future Hall of Famer to come out of retirement.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports some teams have checked in with Fleury to see if there’s any chance he’d consider coming out of retirement. LeBrun isn’t surprised that teams with goalie needs would look into Fleury’s availability.

ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reports he’s heard that Fleury is open to the right opportunity for a comeback. He thinks the Oilers could be a team to watch, especially after the Tristan Jarry trade, pointing out that Jarry and Fleury were former teammates in Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It says something about the lack of quality goaltenders in the trade market when teams are checking with a recently retired netminder, especially what that goalie was in a backup role last season.

Fleury was asked about whether he’d reconsider retirement after his brief preseason appearance with the Penguins in September. “I am tired. My hip is sore,” he replied, prompting Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe of The Athletic to proclaim that Fleury’s career is over.

Some clubs with shaky goalie depth could be calling Fleury’s agent to see if his client might consider a comeback. The Oilers could be among them, but they’re likely to stick with backup Calvin Pickard and call-up Connor Ingram until Jarry returns from injury, which could take about the same amount of time that Fleury would need to get up to NHL speed if he were pondering a return.

By the way, Fleury and Jarry weren’t teammates for long in Pittsburgh. The latter played only one game with the Penguins during the former’s final season.

THE LATEST FLAMES SPECULATION

VICTORY PLUS: Before the holiday roster freeze, Frank Servalli reported there’s been “a lot of tire-kicking” on Rasmus Andersson. The 29-year-old Calgary Flames defenseman is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Servalli acknowledged that the Flames received an increase in calls about Andersson following the Quinn Hughes trade earlier this month. He believes the interest in the Flames blueliner is genuine, but teams aren’t ready yet to start making offers, especially when they don’t know if he’s willing to consider a contract extension.

Andersson isn’t the only player on the Flames drawing attention in the trade market. According to Seravalli, his sources claim 20 clubs have expressed interest in Blake Coleman. The 34-year-old winger is signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $4.9 million and a 10-team no-trade clause.

Servalli said the Flames aren’t in a rush to move Coleman. He believes it will take “something good” to tempt them into moving the veteran winger.

Coleman is a Dallas native, which had Seravalli musing over the possibility of the Dallas Stars attempting to acquire Coleman and Andersson. However, he doubted they had sufficient trade assets to pull that off, suggesting they would likely target Andersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames clawed their way out of the bottom of the Western Conference standings to within five points of a wildcard playoff berth. If they fail to gain more ground, they’ll likely be sellers by the March trade deadline, or before the Olympic break in February.

However, if they keep rising in the standings, management might be less inclined to sell, preferring instead to keep Andersson as their own rental for the playoffs.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 21, 2025

by | Dec 21, 2025

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 21, 2025

Could the Oilers add another goaltender after the holiday roster freeze is lifted? Could a coaching change be coming for the Maple Leafs? Are the Sabres adding to their front office? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

COULD THE OILERS PURSUE ANOTHER GOALIE?

SPORTSNET: The Edmonton Oilers might have to go shopping for another goaltender when the current NHL holiday roster freeze is lifted on Dec. 28.

Recently-acquired goalie Tristan Jarry was injured during Thursday’s game against the Boston Bruins and was placed on injured reserve. The Oilers called up Connor Ingram from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield to serve as backup to Calvin Pickard.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alex Lyon (NHL Images).

The Buffalo Sabres could become a trade target for the Oilers. Newly-hired Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen stated last week that he wanted to resolve his club’s three-goalie situation. They’re currently carrying Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Alex Lyon, and Colten Ellis.

During Friday’s edition of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said the Oilers looked into signing Lyon last summer before he joined the Sabres. He claimed they called the Sabres a couple of times this season about Lyon before Kekalainen took over as general manager last Monday. Friedman said he wouldn’t be surprised if they called the Sabres again on Friday before the roster freeze was implemented.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres called up Ellis earlier in the season when Luukkonen was injured. None of those three goalies are waiver-exempt, so the Sabres can’t risk demoting any of them because they’ll get plucked off waivers by another team.

Luukkonen is the Sabres’ starter, but he’s struggled at times this season. Ellis showed some promise before being sidelined by a concussion.

Lyon has been on a tear of late with five straight wins as the Sabres moved to within five points of a wild-card berth. It’s doubtful they’ll part with him as they try to claw their way back into contention.

MAPLE LEAFS COACH CRAIG BERUBE COULD BE ON THE HOT SEAT

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan believes the speculation over Craig Berube’s future as head coach of the Maple Leafs will intensify unless the club can pull off an upset win over the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

Koshan believes Berube could lose his job in the not-too-distant future, making him the fourth head coach for the Leafs with the core of Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Morgan Rielly.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Berube seems to have lost the room. Following their 4-0 loss to the Washington Capitals last week, he slammed the players for playing without urgency and passion. When he was asked to explain it, Berube replied, “Ask those guys, not me.”

The fault for this mess lies with the front office. They’re the ones who constructed this team. However, it’s unlikely that general manager Brad Treliving will take the fall. Barring a sudden turnaround, it’ll be Berube who gets the axe, perhaps before the calendar flips to 2026.

MORE FRONT OFFICE CHANGES FOR THE SABRES

DAILY FACEOFF: Multiple reports claim Marc Bergevin is expected to step down from his role as a senior advisor with the Los Angeles Kings to join the Buffalo Sabres as an associate general manager.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Sabres received permission from the Columbus Blue Jackets to speak with assistant general manager Josh Flynn. LeBrun pointed out that Flynn worked for Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen when the latter was GM of the Blue Jackets.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2025

by | Dec 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2025

Recaps of Thursday’s action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid scored a shorthanded goal and picked up an assist in a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also had a goal and an assist for the 17-12-6 Oilers, who have won six of their last eight games. Pavel Zacha replied for the Bruins (20-15-0), who dropped two of their last three contests.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has caught up with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for first place in the scoring race, with each player having 58 points. Calvin Pickard replaced Oilers starting goalie Tristan Jarry as the latter left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update on his status.

The Minnesota Wild extended their win streak to six games by downing the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov each had a goal and two assists, and Jesper Wallstedt made 27 saves as the Wild improved to 21-9-5. Zach Werenski scored both goals for the Blue Jackets (14-14-6), who have lost six of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boldy join Kaprizov with his 20th goal of the season, making the Wild the only team thus far this season to have two 20-goal scorers.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson stopped 22 shots to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0. Jakob Chychrun tallied twice, and John Carlsson had a goal and two assists for the Capitals (19-11-4) as they snapped a three-game losing skid. Dennis Hildeby made 25 saves for the Maple Leafs, who slipped to 15-13-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube pulled no punches about his team’s performance following this game, laying the blame for the loss at the feet of his players. He pointed out that the Capitals played with more passion and urgency. When asked why his players were so flat in this game, Berube replied, “Ask those guys, not me.”

Speaking of 4-0 wins, Ottawa Senators netminder Linus Ullmark made 24 saves to earn his shutout over the Pittsburgh Penguins, handing the latter their seventh straight loss (0-3-4). Brady Tkachuk netted two goals, and Drake Batherson collected two assists for the 16-13-4 Senators, who have won three of their last four games. Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots for the Penguins as their record dropped to 14-10-9.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators announced that former head coach Jacques Martin will be inducted into their Ring of Honour in a pregame ceremony on Jan. 24, 2026. Martin coached the Senators from 1996 to 2004, following a brief return behind the bench in 2023-24. In 748 games with the Senators, his record was 367-261-96-24.

Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe scored two goals, and Anton Forsberg kicked out 31 shots for a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the win, the Kings (15-10-9) ended a four-game winless streak (0-2-2). Oliver Bjorkstrand replied for the Lightning (18-13-3), who are winless in their last three games (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and defenseman Ryan McDonagh returned to action after missing time with injuries.

An overtime goal by J.T. Miller lifted the New York Rangers over the St. Louis Blues by a score of 2-1. Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves, and Gabe Perreault also scored for the Rangers, who improved to 17-15-4. Jonatan Berggren tallied for the Blues (13-15-8).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger Artemi Panarin missed this game with an illness.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored to extend his goal streak to five games in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Zach Benson and Mattias Samuelsson each had two assists for the Sabres, who won their fourth straight game and improved to 15-14-4. Bobby Brink had two points for the Flyers (17-10-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff picked up his 915th win to move into fourth place on the all-time list. Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring returned to action after missing a month with an injury. However, the Sabres lost defenseman Conor Timmins to a broken leg that will sideline him for six to eight weeks, while forward Tyson Kozak departed with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames got two goals from Mikael Backlund to double up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist for the 14-17-4 Flames. Joey Daccord made 42 saves for the Kraken (12-14-6), who have lost four straight games and have one win in their last 11 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flames announced defenseman Jake Bean will be sidelined indefinitely as he will undergo surgery for an undisclosed injury.

Montreal Canadiens winger Zachary Bolduc tallied twice in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Lane Hutson had three assists for the 18-12-4 Canadiens. Frank Nazar scored, and Spencer Knight had 31 saves for the Blackhawks (13-15-6), who have lost four straight.

Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston had two goals as his club held off the San Jose Sharks by a score of 5-3. Roope Hintz had a goal and an assist, and Jake Oettinger stopped 34 shots for the Stars (23-7-5). Chad Graf scored twice for the 17-15-3 Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2025

by | Nov 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2025

The Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and the Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard jockey for the scoring race lead, the rising Ducks extend their win streak to seven games, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected three assists to take over the lead in the NHL scoring race (29 points) in a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Gavin Brindley scored in overtime and Artturi Lehkonen tallied twice in regulation as the Avalanche (10-1-5) holds first place in the overall standings with 25 points. Linus Karlsson scored his first of the season, and Kiefer Sherwood netted his 10th goal for the 8-8-1 Canucks.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard scored and picked up two assists, and Arvid Soderblom kicked out a career-high 45 shots to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. The Blackhawks have won three straight games, improving to 8-5-3. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings (9-7-0), as they’ve dropped four of their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard briefly led all NHL scorers with 25 points until MacKinnon had his five-point game.

The Anaheim Ducks extended their win streak to seven games with a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Leo Carlsson scored two power-play goals to extend his points streak to 10 games, and Beckett Sennecke also tallied twice for the 11-3-1 Ducks, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 23 points. Kyle Connor scored for the 9-6-0 Jets, who have dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Something special could be brewing in Anaheim. After years of rebuilding, the Ducks’ mix of rising young stars such as Carlsson, Sennecke, Cutter Gauthier, and Mason McTavish, along with veterans like Chris Kreider, Troy Terry, and Jacob Trouba, is turning this team into a potential powerhouse in the Western Conference.

The Ducks activated forward Ryan Strome off injured reserve and placed defenseman Radko Gudas on IR with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Jets forward Cole Perfetti made his season debut after suffering a sprained ankle during a preseason game against the Calgary Flames.

Three unanswered goals by the Carolina Hurricanes lifted them to a 5-4 comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Logan Stankoven, Nikolaj Ehlers, and K’Andre Miller each had two points for the 11-4-0 Hurricanes, who have won four straight to take over first place in the Metropolitan Division with 22 points. William Nylander scored two goals and Dennis Hildeby made 42 saves for the 8-7-1 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube wasn’t pleased with his club blowing a 4-2 lead, blasting their poor defensive play. “It’s a mindset,” Berube said. “If you want to be a good defensive team, you gotta check, you gotta have good sticks, you gotta be hard, you gotta win battles, and you’ve gotta have good structure. We don’t have any of that right now.”

The Los Angeles Kings nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Kevin Fiala scored the game-winning goal and collected an assist, while Corey Perry also had a goal and an assist for the 7-5-4 Kings. Penguins rookie Sergei Murashov made 24 saves in his NHL debut as his club slipped to 9-5-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins are cooling off from their hot start to the season. After going 6-2-0 in their first eight games, they’re 3-3-3 in their last nine, with one win in their last five contests. Meanwhile, the 40-year-old Perry is off to a hot start with the Kings, tallying seven goals and 11 points in 10 games after his return from offseason knee surgery.

A 36-save shutout performance by Jesper Wallstedt carried the Minnesota Wild over the Calgary Flames by a score of 2-0. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov scored, and Marcus Johansson collected an assist in his 1,000th regular-season NHL game as the Wild improved to 7-7-3. Devin Cooley turned aside 17 shots for the 4-11-2 Flames.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen made 29 saves as his club doubled up the Utah Mammoth 4-2. Jordan Spence and Ridly Greig each had a goal and an assist as the 8-5-3 Senators extended their points streak to five games (3-0-2). Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz replied for the slumping Mammoth (9-7-0), who have lost five of their last six contests.

The Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 2-1. Casey DeSmith made 20 saves while Wyatt Johnston and Tyler Seguin scored for the 9-4-3 Stars. Jaden Schwartz scored for the 7-4-4 Kraken.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Washington Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois is expected to miss three to four months after undergoing surgery to address issues with his abdominal and adductor muscles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That leaves a big gap at center for the Capitals during that period. They’ve been using Connor McMichael in Dubois’ spot on the second line. They could attempt to find a short-term replacement in the trade market, but the pickings are slim, and there are several other clubs also believed to be seeking a reliable second-line center.

THE ATHLETIC: The New York Rangers called up top prospect Gabe Perreault from their AHL affiliate in Hartford. Perreault, 20, is known for his offensive abilities and has 10 points with Hartford this season. This move is intended to spark the Rangers’ struggling offense.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 19, 2025

by | May 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 19, 2025

The Panthers eliminate the Maple Leafs and advance to the Eastern Conference Final. Check out the recap and the fallout in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final by thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 in Game 7 of their second-round series.

Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen each had a goal and two assists, Seth Jones and Aleksander Barkov each collected two points, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves for the win. Max Domi scored the lone Leafs goal.

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

Marchand became the first player in NHL history to defeat the same team in five Game 7 appearances. He also has the most points (10 in 13 games) in Game 7s among active players.

Panthers winger Evan Rodrigues returned to action after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury. Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies also played after leaving Game 6 in the first period with an injury.

Referee Chris Rooney left the game early in the second period after being accidentally clipped in the face by the stick of Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola. He received a cut above the eye that required stitches and missed the rest of this contest. Standby official Garrett Rank replace him.

The Panthers will appear in their third straight Eastern Conference Final. They face off against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, May 20, in Raleigh at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers reminded everyone in this game why they’re the defending Stanley Cup champions. They weren’t rattled by losing Game 6, came out strong to start this game and were relentless as this contest progressed. They set the tempo early and never let up, squeezing away what little will to win the Leafs had.

Florida coach Paul Maurice tried to downplay his club’s dominance, claiming the puck just went their way. He’s just being kind toward an opponent that has consistently shown since 2018 that they can’t rise to the occasion when it matters most.

Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who appeared to be hampered by an injury in this postseason, felt there were “too many passengers” among his teammates in this game. He believes they came out strong and had a good start, but struggled after falling behind 2-0 and couldn’t get back into the game.

Toronto coach Craig Berube believes the memory of previous failures hurt his club in this series. “For me, it’s all between the ears. It’s a mindset,” he said. Berube wasn’t part of those previous failures, but he has a lot of work ahead to help his mentally fragile team.

As expected, there are plenty of opinions in the Toronto media over what’s next for the Maple Leafs after another disappointing playoff exit. I’ll have the highlights in today’s Rumor Mill.

IN OTHER NEWS…

ROTOWIRE: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey required further evaluation after suffering a knee injury during Game 6 of his club’s second-round series against the Dallas Stars. Jets coach Scott Arniel said the injury “wasn’t good.” The Jets were eliminated in that game.

SPORTSNET: Hockey fans donated over $46K to the Jets’ charitable foundation to support Mark Scheifele, whose father died suddenly hours before Game 6 against the Stars. Many fans made $55 donations in honor of Scheifele’s jersey number.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The hockey community rallied around Scheifele, with a number of donations from Dallas fans.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2024

by | Nov 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2024

The Panthers sweep the Stars in the 2024 Global Series, more multipoint performances for Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar keep their point streaks alive, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Third-period goals by A.J. Greer and Sam Reinhart lifted the Florida Panthers over the Dallas Stars 4-2 to sweep their two-game NHL 2024 Global Series in Tampere, Finland. Reinhart finished with two points and Spencer Knight made 23 saves as the Panthers picked up their fifth straight win. Evgenii Dadonov and Matt Duchene replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Tyler Seguin missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had his third straight multipoint game with a goal and two assists in a 7-2 thrashing of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dylan Strome also had a goal and two assists while Connor McMichael tallied twice for the Capitals, who moved into first place in the Metropolitan Division with 16 points (8-2-0). Damon Severson and Kevin Labanc scored for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin now has 859 career regular-season goals and needs 36 to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals announced before this game that defenseman Jakob Chychrun (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals for the second straight game to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1. Alex Nedeljkovic got the win with 25 saves. Christian Dvorak scored the only goal for the Canadiens, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby needs three more goals to reach the 600-goal plateau. Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky left the game late in the third period after being elbowed in the head by Penguins forward Noel Acciari. There was no immediate update regarding Slafkovsky’s injury.

The Canadiens’ charter flight home was grounded when a tanker truck collided with the wing of the aircraft as it sat on the tarmac. The accident took place during the game and no injuries were reported.

The Nashville Predators got a goal and an assist each from Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist as they downed the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar also each had a goal and an assist, extending their season-opening point streaks to 12 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have lost three straight despite the efforts of MacKinnon and Makar. Goaltending remains their Achilles’ heel, giving up a league-leading 4.25 goals-against per game.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko scored two goals and collected an assist in a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jordan Binnington kicked out 35 shots for the Blues. Mitch Marner and Steven Lorentz scored for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the first for Leafs coach Craig Berube against his former club in St. Louis. The Blues honored him with a video tribute while the fans gave him a standing ovation. Blues defenseman Philip Broberg left the game in the second period after injuring his right leg following a collision with Marner. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 20 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Matthew Poitras, Justin Brazeau and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins. Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. The club didn’t provide a postgame update.

The Ottawa Senators got a 22-save shutout performance from Anton Forsberg in a 3-0 win over the Seattle Kraken. Adam Gaudette, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle tallied for the Senators. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer turned aside 20 shots.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored both of his club’s goals in a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, snapping a three-game losing skid. Red Wings netminder Cam Talbot stopped 31 shots. Alex Tuch scored for the Sabres as they’ve dropped three straight.

A shootout goal by Ryan Donato lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Blackhawks forward Tyler Bertuzzi scored the tying goal that sent the game into overtime and the shootout rounds while Hawks goalie Petr Mrazek made 37 saves in regulation and OT. Alex Laferriere scored twice for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laferriere is on track for a breakout sophomore campaign. After netting 12 goals and 23 points in 81 games last season, he has eight goals and 11 points in 12 games thus far.

The Vegas Golden Knights nipped the Utah Hockey Club 4-3 on an overtime goal by Brett Howden. Noah Hanifin had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights. Utah’s Logan Cooley had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights called up Akira Schmid to back up starter Adin Hill for this game.

Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter scored twice, including the game-winner with 26 seconds left in the third period, to give his team a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Jake DeBrusk scored his first of the season for the Canucks. Nico Sturm and Mikael Granlund replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks placed forward Nils Aman on waivers Saturday.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: The Islanders got bad news on Saturday as they learned forward Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech will be sidelined for four to six weeks with upper-body injuries. Barzal was placed on long-term injury reserve while Pelech was placed on IR.

The Islanders also announced defensemen Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov are day-to-day with upper-body injuries. They called up blueliners Grant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc from their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey will make his season debut after recovering from a suspected shoulder injury suffered during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on May 24. The Rangers have returned forward Matt Rempe to their AHL affiliate in Hartford.