Every hockey story we have written, newest first, with our take on what it changes.
Linus Ullmark is 7-1-0 with a .945 save percentage this season, and Samuel Ersson is 0-2-0 at .831. On Wednesday night Ullmark went down on an ordinary save with nobody near him and was helped off the ice, TSN and Daily Faceoff reported, and Ottawa host San Jose on Thursday night.
Our take Ottawa's 7-3 start rests on one goalie
With 1:59 gone in overtime, Minnesota were caught with too many men on the ice, and 93 seconds later Evan Bouchard beat Jesper Wallstedt high on the short side from a Connor McDavid pass. Edmonton won 4-3 at Rogers Place on Tuesday, McDavid assisted on all three Oilers power-play goals, and he now has 26 points in nine games, the official NHL game summary shows.
Our take Minnesota lost this game in the penalty box
Before Kirill Marchenko went from Columbus to Toronto, Pittsburgh tried to get him too, and Rickard Rakell was the piece they offered to sweeten the deal. Elliotte Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Penguins want to get younger and named Bryan Rust among the veterans they would part with, Pro Hockey Rumors reported on Tuesday.
Our take Selling forwards won't fix 21 goals against
Nikita Zadorov has taken nine penalties in eight games, more than any player in the NHL, and on Saturday Marco Sturm sat him out of Boston's 4-1 win in Los Angeles. On Monday in Dallas the defenseman told The Boston Globe he felt "disappointed" and "disgusted", while his agent, Dan Milstein, had already answered a fan who said Zadorov "wouldn't be treated like this in Toronto" with four words: "No he would not…"
Our take Boston proved they can win without him
Kirill Kaprizov's power-play shot at 3:06 of the second period beat Columbus 2-1 on Sunday and made him the fastest player to 10 goals in Wild history, three games quicker than Brian Rolston's 12 in 2006-07. On Tuesday he brings the NHL goal lead to Edmonton, where Connor McDavid has 23 points in eight games, NHL.com reported.
Our take Kaprizov's goals will slow. McDavid's assists won't
Alex Laferriere scored 31 seconds into Saturday's game against Boston, and the Kings did not score again: the Bruins won 4-1 at Crypto.com Arena, the last two goals into an empty net. Los Angeles are 0-4-2, the only NHL team without a win, and Frank Seravalli's report that they want Connor Hellebuyck is still not confirmed by either club.
Our take A goalie won't fix four goals in four games
Kings goalies have stopped 112 of the 132 shots they have faced this season, and Los Angeles are still looking for a first win after five games. According to Frank Seravalli of Sportsnet, they are also looking at Connor Hellebuyck, and "the Kings have received affirmation that Hellebuyck apparently would accept a trade to LA".
Our take LA's goalie gap is worth seven goals
With Minnesota 5-2 up and four and a half minutes left, St. Louis goalie Joel Hofer came out from behind his net, ignored the puck and put Kirill Kaprizov, the NHL's leading goalscorer, into the boards. "I think it's a dirty play," Wild goalie Jesper Wallstedt said after the 5-4 win, The Hockey News reports, and Kaprizov left for the dressing room soon after.
Our take This is a Player Safety case, not a footnote
Rick Tocchet counted the moments himself: four or five times in Tuesday's shootout loss, he says, a Flyers defenceman jumped into the play too early and turned a Grade A chance into a blocked shot. That is his explanation for the worst start in franchise history, 0-5-3 and ten goals in eight games, and he takes it to Detroit tonight.
Our take Patience, not panic, is the Flyers' missing skill
Roope Hintz had never dropped the gloves in the NHL until Tuesday night, and when he did, Nathan MacKinnon went to the Colorado locker room for facial repairs. Colorado won 3-2 in Dallas, Hintz is being evaluated after the game, and the two teams play again tonight in Denver.
Our take Dallas need goals tonight, not revenge