In the first period of the Minnesota Wild's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, Tyler Pitlick was ejected for a hit to the head on defenseman Jalen Chatfield.

Wild's Tyler Pitlick Ejected From Carolina Game For Hit To The Head On Hurricanes' Jalen ChatfieldA dangerous head contact from Tyler Pitlick sidelines Jalen Chatfield, igniting a fight and potentially a league suspension.

On Friday, the NHL ruled that there would be no further discipline for Pitlick. They ruled that the hit was direct head contract and more that it was not avoidable.

Chatfield is still injured and Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'amour will provide an update on the defenseman's status soon.

As for Pitlick, he did not play on Friday and was a healthy scratch against the New York Islanders.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Recent Minnesota Wild Stories

'I'm Dumbfounded': Wild Put Together First Winning Streak Of The Season After A Controversial Overtime-WinnerWild snatch elusive victory with a bewildering overtime goal, finally igniting their season after a chaotic, back-and-forth battle.

- Wild's Daemon Hunt To Make Season Debut Tonight.

-'No One Else Is Going To Do It For Us': Wild Searching For Answers.

- Wild's Brock Faber Confronts His Early Season Struggles: 'I'm Better Than This'

- Wild Acquire Former Top Prospect From San Jose In A Trade.

After a productive two-game swing through Montreal and Nashville, the Philadelphia Flyers return to Xfinity Mobile Arena with four points and a little bit of tension released from their shoulders.

They didn’t just collect a road sweep; they rediscovered some rhythm. A shootout win in Montreal showed their persistence, and a 3–1 victory in Nashville demonstrated a more grounded, mature team effort. Now, as they prepare to face the Ottawa Senators, the Flyers will look to translate that steadiness into a consistent home-ice identity.

A Team Settling Into Its Adjustments

What’s been most notable about the Flyers over the past week isn’t any individual performance but how well they’ve adapted to change. Tyson Foerster’s lower-body injury forced head coach Rick Tocchet to shuffle his forward lines, and what began as a necessity has evolved into something that’s genuinely working.

Siobhan Nolan (@SGNolan) on XTocchet had an interesting response about switching up the Flyers’ lines b/c of Tyson Foerster’s injury. Left things up in the air in terms of returning back to the lines they started the year with, even leaving things open on whether the Foerster-Cates-Brink line would return.

Bobby Brink has meshed surprisingly well alongside Matvei Michkov, adding energy and pace that complements Michkov’s creativity. Christian Dvorak’s line with Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett "has been good for us," in the words of head coach Rick Tocchet — a mix of puck possession and defensive responsibility that’s given Tocchet dependable middle-six minutes.

It’s an encouraging sign for a coach who values structure but isn’t afraid to let his players breathe within it. The Flyers aren’t playing “safe” hockey right now — they’re playing informed hockey, where their system dictates their decisions rather than their nerves.

Ersson’s Return Eases the Workload

Between the pipes, there’s more good news. Sam Ersson, who missed a brief stretch with a lower-body injury, is once again available for selection, and will get the start against Ottawa.

Dan Vladar has held his own — and then some — in Ersson’s absence. His performance in Nashville, particularly during a second period where the Predators swarmed the crease with heavy traffic, was calm and composed. He read plays cleanly, held his positioning, and managed rebounds effectively.

Still, asking any goaltender to carry consecutive games on short rest can wear thin over time. Ersson’s availability doesn’t just offer rest; it restores flexibility. Tocchet now has the freedom to manage both goalies based on matchup and rhythm rather than necessity.

Ottawa’s Offensive Push and What the Flyers Must Counter

Ottawa arrives in Philadelphia as a team that can still score in bunches, even if consistency remains an issue. 

Cam York’s recent form, in particular, has been a bright spot. Against Nashville, he looked confident and efficient, breaking up rushes early and managing the puck with poise. If the Flyers can maintain that kind of control in their exits, they can neutralize Ottawa’s quick-strike tendencies.

Discipline will also be key. The Flyers have had their share of testy games, but they can’t afford to give them extended opportunities to find rhythm. Tocchet’s group has leaned on its penalty kill as a foundation all season, but the goal will be to spend less time relying on it.

Continuity, Not Complacency

One of Tocchet’s subtler victories in recent weeks has been instilling patience in how this team approaches progress. The back-to-back wins weren’t always flashy, but they were composed — the kind of hockey that holds up over time.

The Flyers are still a team learning to manage momentum instead of chasing it. Their depth scoring is coming alive again, and their defensive structure looks tighter, but Tocchet has made it clear that the standard doesn’t change based on results.

That’s what will make the Ottawa game a useful barometer. Can the Flyers take the maturity they’ve shown on the road and bring it home? Can they avoid the lulls that sometimes creep in when the adrenaline of travel fades?

Those questions will define whether this recent stretch is a temporary upswing or the start of something more stable.

Projected Lines

Philadelphia Flyers:

Forwards:

Owen Tippett - Christian Dvorak - Trevor Zegras

Matvei Michkov - Sean Couturier - Bobby Brink

Nikita Grebenkin - Noah Cates - Travis Konecny

Carl Grundstrom - Rodrigo Abols - Garnet Hathaway

Defense:

Cam York - Travis Sanheim

Nick Seeler - Jamie Drysdale

Emil Andrae - Noah Juulsen

Goalies:

Sam Ersson

Dan Vladar

Ottawa Senators

Forwards:

Nick Cousins - Tim Stutzle - Drake Batherson

Ridly Greig - Dylan Cozens - David Perron

Michael Amadio - Shane Pinto - Claude Giroux

Kurtis MacDermid - Lars Eller - Fabian Zetterlund 

Defense:

Jake Sanderson - Artem Zub

Thomas Chabot - Nick Jensen

Tyler Kleven - Nikolas Matinpalo

Goalies:

Linus Ullmark

Leevi Merilainen

The Pittsburgh Penguins will face one of the best teams in the NHL to start the season on Saturday.

They'll be in Newark to take on the New Jersey Devils, who have won 10 of their first 14 games and are tied with them for first in the Metropolitan Division. Devils forward Jack Hughes has been lighting the league on fire, compiling 10 goals and 18 points in 14 games. He's a strong contender for the Hart Trophy after the first month of the season.

Jesper Bratt has also been great, racking up five goals and 15 points in 14 games. Dawson Mercer is second on the team in goals with eight and third on the team in points with 14. 

The Devils are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. Bratt scored the overtime winner for the Devils. 

The Penguins are coming off a 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals on Thursday and are now 9-4-2 to start the season. They blew a three-goal lead for a second-straight game, but were able to rally in the third period thanks to a game-winning goal from Bryan Rust. 

Arturs Silovs will start in goal for a second-straight game after he was steady on Thursday. The Penguins are taking it easy with prospect Sergei Murashov and potentially saving his NHL debut for Sunday's home game against the Los Angeles Kings. 

Kevin Hayes, who has missed the first 15 games of the season due to an injury he suffered at the beginning of training camp, will make his season debut for the Penguins. He will slot in for Philip Tomasino, who continues to struggle.

Here were the lines at practice on Friday:

Forwards

Rust-Crosby-Kindel

Novak-Malkin-Mantha

Koppanen-Hayes-Koivunen

Dewar-Lizotte-Heinen

Defense

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Shea-Letang

Graves-Clifton

Dumba-Brunicke

Puck drop for this contest will be at 12:30 p.m. ET on SportsNet Pittsburgh. You can also listen to the game on 105.9 'The X.'

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!     

Nov 6, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen (47) and Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly (90) battle for the puck during the third period at Bridgestone Arena. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Game Day

Who: Dallas Stars (7-4-3) at Nashville Predators (5-7-4)

Where: Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.

When: 2:30 Pm CST

TV: FanDuel Sports Network South

Radio: 102.5 The Game

Betting line (via BetMGM):

Stars

-1.5 (+150)

O 6 (+100)

-160

Predators

+1.5 (-185)

U 6 (-120)

+135

Injury Report

Cole Smith (upper-body injury) is currently on injured reserve and is expected to miss 3-6 weeks.

Adam Wilsby (lower-body injury) is listed as week-to-week.

Captain Roman Josi (upper-body) is on injured reserve.

Preds Fall To Flyers, O’Reilly Expresses Frustration

The Nashville Predators carry a three-game losing streak into Saturday afternoon’s matchup against the Dallas Stars at Bridgestone Arena.

It’s been a particularly tough week for the Preds, losing two consecutive overtime games and managing only one goal in their last outing, a 3-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Preds forward Ryan O’Reilly expressed frustration after the Flyers’ game, not only for his team’s difficult stretch but his own play.

"I know for myself, (I'm) the No. 1 center and I'm turning over the puck," O'Reilly said following the game. "I can't make a 60-foot pass to save my life. You're not going to have much success if I'm playing pathetic like that.”

Forsberg Bobblehead Day

As the Preds play their final home game before heading to Stockholm, Sweden for the 2025 NHL Global Series presented by Fastenal, Saturday’s game is a Swedish send-off of sorts for Filip Forsberg.

The first 10,000 fans inside Bridgestone Arena will receive a Filip Forsberg bobblehead to commemorate the Preds forward and the trip to his home country that starts on Nov. 14.

The Preds will face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a two-game series in Stockholm. Forsberg was born in Leksand, so this series will be a dream come true for him.

Team Leaders

Speaking of Forsberg, he currently leads the team in scoring with six goals and 12 points. O’Reilly has tallied six goals and 10 points. Michael Bunting is right behind (4g-5a) with nine points, while Erik Haula (3g-5a) and Luke Evangelista (1g-7a) are tied with eight points apiece.

Juuse Saros, who was on the receiving end of the tough loss against Philadelphia on Thursday, comes into Saturday with a 5-5-3 record, 2.88 goals-against average and .902 save percentage. Justus Annunen is 0-2-1, 3.70, .872.

The Preds’ power play comes into Saturday’s matchup 7-of-49 (14.3%), 28th in the NHL. On the penalty kill, the Preds rank 14th at 82.0% (9-for-50).

Milestone Watch

The next goal Michael Bunting scores will be the 100th of his NHL career.

Scouting The Stars

The Preds have already faced Dallas once this season, falling 3-2 in an Oct. 26 meeting at Bridgestone Arena.

Jonathan Marchessault and Spencer Stastney tallied goals for the Preds, who were playing the second night of a back-to-back.

After falling behind 2-0, the Stars clawed back to score three unanswered goals for the comeback win. Saturday will be the second of three matchups between the two clubs this season.

Dallas is in a bit of a slump themselves. They’ve dropped three of their last four outings, the latest being a 7-5 loss to the Anaheim Ducks Thursday night.

Mikko Rantanen paces the team with 20 points (8g-12a), followed by Wyatt Johnston (9g-8a) with 17 points and Jason Robertson (3g-10a) with 13 points.

Jake Oettinger is 5-3-2 in goal for the Stars with a 2.89 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. Casey DeSmith is 2-1-1 with a 3.15 GAA and .876 SP.

The Stars’ power play is third in the NHL (17-of-50, 34.0%). The penalty kill is 28th at 70.5% (13-of-44).

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.

FREE GIFT ISSUE + 12 ISSUES + FREE DIGITAL ARCHIVE + FREE SHIPPING*** Canada Post Strike update - as of October 15, 2025 -  Please be aware that Canada Post is now in a rolling strike.  While they are accepting mail, delivery times could be longer than expected.  US orders are not impacted. WHAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR PRINT & DIGITAL ARCHIVE SUBSCRIPTION > FREE GIFT ISSUE* of your

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to face the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena tonight.   

The Vancouver Canucks come into this game 6th in the Pacific Division, 12th in the West, and 28th in the league. They've gone 4-6-0 in the last 10 and have lost 2 of their last 3 games. 

But much like every team in the league, just because they've lost a few games doesn't make them any less dangerous. Couple that with the fact that Rogers Arena is a factory of sadness for the Blue Jackets, and tonight might be a long night for the CBJ. Columbus is 11-17-0-6, all-time in Vancouver. 

Columbus has lost two straight games since their four-game winning streak and will be looking to pick up two points. Expect lineup changes for tonight, as Denton Mateychuk should return from missing the game against Calgary. 

Blue Jackets Stats

• Power Play - 16.1% - 25th in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 68.4% - 30th in NHL
• Goals For - 40 - 25th in NHL
• Goals Against - 41 - 13th in NHL

Canucks Stats

• Power Play - 19.2% - 19th in NHL
• Penalty Kill - 68.0% - 31st in NHL
• Goals For - 40 - 23rd in NHL
• Goals Against - 50 - 26th in NHL

Series History vs. Canucks

• Columbus is 26-32-2-9 all-time, and 11-17-0-6 on the road vs. Vancouver.
• The Jackets are 7-3-1 in the last 11 games against the Canucks.
• The CBJ went 1-1 vs. the Canucks last season.

Who To Watch For The Canucks

• Columbus native Kiefer Sherwood leads the Canucks with 9 goals.
• Conor Garland leads Vancouver with 8 assists and 11 points.
• Thatcher Demko is 5-4-0 with a .912 SV%. He last played on November 3rd against Nashville and won.
• Kevin Lankinen is 2-4-0 with a SV% of .880. He last played on November 5th, a loss against Chicago.

CBJ Player Notes vs. Canucks

• Zach Werenski has 8 points in 14 games against the Canucks.
• Sean Monahan has 29 points in 48 games.
• Kirill Marchenko has 6 points in 5 games vs. Vancouver.
• Elvis Merzlikins is 5-2-1 with an .892 SV% against Vancouver.

Injuries - Gudbranson on IR

• Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 4 games - IR
• Denton Mateychuk - Undisclosed - Missed 1 game

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 15

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FanDuel Sports Network. Steve Mears will be on the play-by-play. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News and never miss a story.  

Let us know what you think below.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

OTTAWA SENATORS (6-5-3) at PHILADELPHIA FLYERS (8-5-1)
Faceoff: 1 pm, TSN5, RDS2

The Senators go another round with the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday afternoon. The two clubs met in Ottawa back on October 23rd with the Senators winning a defensive struggle, 2-1. Former Flyer Olle Lycksell scored the winner early in the second period before the two clubs completely shut each other down the rest of the way.

The State of Sens Nation

That win over the Flyers was the start of better things for the Senators. With the inclusion of that victory, the Sens have only lost once in regulation (4-1-2) since, though they have dropped their last two in overtime, falling 3-2 to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night and 4-3 to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

Much of the dialogue in Sens Nation has centred on goaltending. With Linus Ullmark just 12 games into his four-year, $33 million contract, he hasn't come close to living up to the expectations that come with being the Senators' second-highest paid player. Ullmark stats so far are among the worst in the NHL, with an .863 save percentage and a 3.36 goals against.

While official lineups aren't out until closer to game time, backup Leevi Merilainen will get a look either Saturday or Sunday. He's only started in two games so far this season.

It's been a slow start for three Senators who are all just starting their new contracts. Along with Ullmark, Ridly Greig (4 years at $3.25 million per) and Fabian Zetterlund (3 years at $4.275 million per) are scuffling. In 14 games, Greig has 1 goal and 3 assists, while Zetterlund has 1 goal and 2 assists.

The Senators are on their Dad's trip so they made a father-son visit to Lincoln Financial Field to tour the Eagles' facility, dressing room, and even got to pose with the two Vince Lombardi Trophies the Eagles have won. Sens fans would love to see some of that championship aura rub off on the fellas.

They also whipped across the street to Citizens Bank Park to tour the Phillies' building and even take some swings in their batting cages. That was a special treat for centre Shane Pinto, who's apparently a big Philies fan.

This will end a stretch of three road games before the Sens open a four-game homestand on Sunday night versus the Utah Mammoth.

The Opponent

In their preseason NHL forecasts, not many of the experts saw the Philadelphia Flyers logo pop up in their playoff crystal balls, but the Flyers currently hold down a wild card with a record of 8-5-1 so far this season. That said, the Eastern Conference parity borders on the bizarre. Only six points separate first from 16th, and everyone in the conference is above .500 (points percentage).

The Flyers have gone 5-2-0 over their last seven games, and they've been relatively stingy, allowing just 2.6 goals per game. But when it comes to these routine-destroying 1 pm starts, a lot of trends tend to go out the window.

This may be the year that Trevor Zegras' point production catches up with his sublime skill level. Zegras leads all Flyers in scoring with 15 points in 14 games, so the change of address this season after five years in Anaheim appears to have served him well.

Former Ottawa 67's captain Travis Konecny is on a six-game point streak after a goal and an assist in the Flyers' 3-1 victory in Nashville on Thursday.

Senators projected lineup (subject to change)

Nick Cousins -- Tim Stutzle -- Drake Batherson
Ridly Greig -- Dylan Cozens -- David Perron
Michael Amadio -- Shane Pinto -- Claude Giroux
Kurtis MacDermid -- Lars Eller -- Fabian Zetterlund

Jake Sanderson -- Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot -- Nick Jensen
Tyler Kleven -- Nikolas Matinpalo

Linus Ullmark
Leevi Merilainen

Flyers projected lineup (subject to change)

Owen Tippett -- Christian Dvorak -- Trevor Zegras
Matvei Michkov -- Sean Couturier -- Bobby Brink
Nikita Grebenkin -- Noah Cates -- Travis Konecny
Nicolas Deslauriers -- Rodrigo Abols -- Garnet Hathaway

Cam York -- Travis Sanheim
Nick Seeler -- Jamie Drysdale
Emil Andrae -- Noah Juulsen

Samuel Ersson
Dan Vladar

Steve Warne
This article was originally published at The Hockey News/Ottawa

Related: Analytics: Can Linus Ullmark Replace Another Slow Start With Another November Heater?

Analytics: Can Senators Goalie Linus Ullmark Replace Another Slow Start With Another November Heater?An analyst recently questioned Ullmark's intensity, and Ullmark questioned some aspects of his own offseason prep. Between that and his current numbers, there are goaltending concerns again in Ottawa.