The good news for the Detroit Red Wings is that their 2-1 setback at Little Caesars Arena against the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins is that it won't count against them in the standings, as it was the fifth pre-season game of their schedule.

The bad news is that they looked sluggish and uncrisp against a Penguins roster mostly comprised of minor league players. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's passes were sharper all game long and they enjoyed more quality scoring opportunities.

The Penguins scored on their first shot of the contest against goaltender John Gibson thanks to a blown defensive coverage on Ben Kindel, which was followed by a second period goal from Tommy Novak.

While Grand Rapids Griffins forward Dominik Shine halved Pittsburgh's lead with 3:40 left in the contest, the Red Wings were unable to secure the equalizing goal with Gibson pulled for a sixth attacker and instead fell to 2-3 in pre-season play. 

The @DetroitRedWings press late, but can’t get the equalizer in what was an overall choppy game. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/VxX9Z3pVwa

— Michael Whitaker (@mwhitaker_89) September 30, 2025

Gibson stopped 18 of 20 shots, while his Penguins counterpart Tristan Jarry made 21 saves. 

Following the game, the frustration with how his team played was evident for head coach Todd McLellan. 

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"I wasn't really impressed with our team, to be quite honest," McLellan said. "I thought we looked slow and sloppy. I don't know which caused what."

Among the roster regulars that the Red Wings skated included Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, Marco Kasper, Moritz Seider, J.T. Compher, and Erik Gustafsson. Justin Holl and Jonatan Berggren also suited up for Detroit. 

Without listing any names, McLellan made it clear that complacency among Detroit's more veteran players isn't an option, even if these games don't count in the standings. 

"Some of the older players have to get their games going quickly. Almost a week from today or tomorrow we're playing against really, really good teams," he said. "Some guys, in my opinion after watching them tonight, some have only played a couple of games and aren't ready to play yet."

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Just as he has done throughout training camp, Noah Laba stole the show in the New York Rangers’ 3-2 preseason win over the New York Islanders on Monday night, capping the game off with an overtime-winning goal. 

Coming into training camp, nobody expected Laba to crack the Rangers’ opening-night roster, but here he is, making it extremely difficult for the Rangers to deny him a spot. 

Laba has continued to impress Mike Sullivan, and as a result, Sullivan is putting the Laba in positions to thrive and showcase his skills. 

It’s safe to say that he hasn’t disappointed. 

Laba’s hard-nosed style of play helps transform him into a reliable two-way forward, which has set him apart from the rest of the young prospects. 

Monday night’s preseason game was a big test for Laba, who was going up against some of the Islanders’ top veteran players. 

The 22-year-old forward showed that he belongs in this NHL environment, as he thrived in this competitive environment. 

Laba had no fear when scoring his overtime goal, going straight to the net, a valuable attribute in an impactful NHL forward.

Over the course of training camp and the preseason, Sullivan has grown more and more fond of Laba’s offensive game. 

“I think Noah has a 200-foot game. I think his offense is evolving,” Sullivan said. “With each game that he plays, you could see more of the playmaking and just his vision, whether it be with the puck or without the puck on the offensive side, just his instincts.”

Rangers' Lines Combinations, Defensive Pairings And Goaltenders For Preseason Game Against Islanders The New York Rangers are set to play in the New York Islanders on Monday in what will be their fourth preseason game. 

The Rangers have thrown more challenges onto Laba’s shoulders throughout the past few weeks, and that has only helped him grow his confidence. 

“From the first game till now, just slowly kind of gaining more and more confidence,” Laba said. “Obviously, that was the first time I kind of played an all-NHL lineup, so definitely a bit nerve-wracking there, but felt like as the game went on, I gained a little more confidence.”

That third-line center role is up for grabs, and Laba continues to gain momentum in his pursuit of securing the role. 

Whether Laba ultimately makes the Rangers’ opening-night roster or not, he’s put the entire organization on notice, and he’ll eventually make his way to The Big Apple.

The Carolina Hurricanes made their second round of cuts just before their penultimate preseason game.

The Hurricanes reassigned a trio of defensemen — Dominik Badinka, Domenick Fensore and Aleksi Heimosalmi — to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

The team also reassigned center Skyler Brind'Amour and defenseman Ronan Seeley to Chicago as well, but the two will need to pass through waivers first before they can officially reassigned.

The team had already sent goaltenders Amir Miftakhov and Ruslan Khazheyev to the Wolves a day prior and there will be a whole litany of players right behind these seven as well now that the Hurricanes have just one preseason game remaining.

Rod Brind'Amour had been pretty upfront about wanting to keep his main NHL guys off the ice throughout the preseason to avoid injuries, but he did say that he'd like to have most of them play the final preseason game.

"We'll decide when we get a little bit closer, but yeah, I'd like to see more of our guys play that have only played one game," Brind'Amour said.

More cuts are coming, but it'll also be interesting to see if anyone has earned the chance to stick around a little bit longer.

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The Carolina Hurricanes made their second round of cuts just before their penultimate preseason game.

The Hurricanes reassigned a trio of defensemen — Dominik Badinka, Domenick Fensore and Aleksi Heimosalmi — to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

The team also reassigned center Skyler Brind'Amour and defenseman Ronan Seeley to Chicago as well, but the two will need to pass through waivers first before they can officially reassigned.

The team had already sent goaltenders Amir Miftakhov and Ruslan Khazheyev to the Wolves a day prior and there will be a whole litany of players right behind these seven as well now that the Hurricanes have just one preseason game remaining.

Rod Brind'Amour had been pretty upfront about wanting to keep his main NHL guys off the ice throughout the preseason to avoid injuries, but he did say that he'd like to have most of them play the final preseason game.

"We'll decide when we get a little bit closer, but yeah, I'd like to see more of our guys play that have only played one game," Brind'Amour said.

More cuts are coming, but it'll also be interesting to see if anyone has earned the chance to stick around a little bit longer.

---

Recent Articles

Logan Stankoven Starting At Center To Open Hurricanes Training Camp

Bradly Nadeau Better Prepared, More Confident In Second Training Camp As He Aims To Make Hurricanes Roster

Cayden Primeau Excited About New Opportunity With Father's Former Team In Carolina

Olympic Aspirations, New Teammates and Rising Stardom: A Q&A With Seth Jarvis

Mike Reilly Provides Hurricanes With The Veteran Blueline Depth They Lacked Last Season

'He's Getting By Now On Just Pure Talent': Communication Still Area Of Concern For Hurricanes Coaching Staff, Rookie Blueliner Alexander Nikishin

---

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

The Florida Panthers returned home to Sunrise for the first time since hoisting the Stanley Cup back on June 17th. It was the debut of their new scoreboard, and a lineup with a mix of veterans and young guys, the Panthers fought off the Hurricanes comeback as they won it in overtime by a final of 4-3.

It did not take long for the first goal to be scored. After battling for the puck at the end boards, Mackie Samoskevich set up Jack Studnicka, who beat Frederick Andersen with a backhand shot through the legs to make it 1-0 Florida.

Each team got a power play in the first period, but neither team lit the lamp on special teams.

Florida added on to their lead in the second period. Their active sticks in the neutral zone paid off. Nolan Foote created the turnover and a quick entry into the Carolina’s zone, was able to hit the trailer Sandis Vilmanis who got the puck through the short side with a back hand at 9:48 of the second.

Shortly after the second television timeout, 6’8” goaltender Cooper Black stepped into the crease to play the remainder of the game.

Carolina’s Bradly Nadeau looked to have scored to make it 2-1, but a challenge for offside by the Panthers was successful to keep it at a two-goal lead.

Minutes later, Carolina did find the back of the net off the draw. Former Panther Givani Smith got behind the Panthers defense and beat Cooper Black past the blocker at 14:40 of the second frame.

Carolina had two shots through most of the second, yet were opportunistic a second time in the period. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin’s shot from the right circle and a screen made it past Black to tie it at two at 17:02.

After 40 minutes, Anderson was taken out for 2021 6th round German goaltender Nikita Quapp to play the remaining 20 minutes.

The Panthers continued to tilt the ice in their direction, and it paid off.

Catching the Hurricanes on a line change, Brett Chorskie was able to skate in a straight line after Ben Harpur’s chipped it to him off the boards in the neutral zone, and then got the puck past the glove of Quapp as the Panthers retook the lead at 8:36 of the third.

The back-and-forth continued as Cooper Black was once again beat on the blocker side, this time it was Justin Robidas less than 4 minutes later to tie it at three.

This game wouldn’t be set in regulation, but the Cats would start overtime on the power play as Carolina was called for delay of game with 23 seconds left in regulation.

Studnicka already had one goal on the night, and he added another in overtime with a chance off the rebound while parked at the net front on the man advantage.

Florida wins both games of the home-and-home against Carolina, and take their record to 2-2 for the preseason.

No time to waste as the Panthers will travel 250 miles to Central Florida to play a game in less than 24 hours. Florida will play a neutral site game from the Kia Center against state rival Tampa Bay on Tuesday night, where the Panthers are expected to dress a younger lineup.

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The Buffalo Sabres need solid years from everybody to even come close to being in the mix for a Stanley Cup playoff appearance for the first time in a decade. But (and at the risk of just pointing out one of those players when it will take big efforts from most Sabres players to make Buffalo a playoff team) we're going to focus on a player this writer believes has to have a big year to get the Sabres back in the post-season.

And that player is a key player for Buffalo: team captain and star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin.

First of all, let's be clear: we all need some empathy for Dahlin. His fiancee had a major health scare, and Dahlin and his fiancee need our understanding as they walk the road of recovery. Nothing that happens on the ice is more important than that. 

But there's also no denying Dahlin needs a high-impact season to improve Buffalo's play in its own zone and getting into a playoff spot. The Sabres were tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins as the third-worst defensive team last season, giving up an average of 3.50 goals-against per game. Only Chicago (3.56) and San Jose (3.78) were worse -- and both of those teams, as well as the Sabres and Penguins, all were well out of a playoff position in 2024-25.

Thus, while the Sabres definitely needs a banner year on offense from Dahlin, it's the team's play in the defensive end that has to show the most growth. And as he enters his prime at 25 years old, Dahlin has to lead the charge and be better all-around this season. 

Dahlin had a rebound season on offense last season; although his goal total fell from 20 in 2023-24 to 17 in 2024-25, Dahlin's assist total went from 39 in '23-24 to 51 in '24-25. Dahlin had nine more points last season than he did the year prior, so imagining he's going to surge by 20 points is unfair to him. If he can get back to his career highs of goals (20) assists (58) and points (73), the Sabres will be elated.

Value In Former Sabres Shows Buffalo Has Talent -- But So Far, The Mix Has Always Been WrongBelieve it or not, the Buffalo Sabres and their players are not inherently terrible. Sure, there are Buffalo players you may believe to be flawed, and sure, the Sabres have been consistently sub-par for the past 14 seasons -- none of which have ended with Stanley Cup playoff games being played in Western New York.  But if you look at some of Buffalo's former players, you see that they have some value across the league, even though they have a stint with the Sabres on their resume.

But though Dahlin is a savvy defender who is Buffalo's primary saving grace on 'D', he needs to create a defense-minded tide that raises all Sabres boats -- by which, we mean Dahlin has to find ways to make his teammates better. Dahlin can't work miracles if the talent Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has assembled around him aren't true difference-makers. But when you wear the 'C', you're primarily responsible for ensuring the mentality you expect in a playoff team to have taken root in your dressing room. You have to be what you're being asked to be -- a leader.

Absent an all-around improvement in their own end, the Sabres are going to miss the playoffs for the 15th-straight season. That's inevitable unless Dahlin and his teammates change the narrative in Buffalo. 

This Season Could Be Final Kick At Can For Sabres Coach Ruff, GM AdamsThe Buffalo Sabres' 2025-26 season is about as high-stakes as it gets. The Sabres will be aiming to end the organization's 14-year drought on the Stanley Cup playoff front. And while certain players will not be long for Buffalo if the Sabres fail to make it into the post-season this year, the reality is the Sabres' most prominent coaching and management members -- coach Lindy Ruff and GM Kevyn Adams -- could be getting their final kick at the can in their jobs -- at least, at the NHL level.

The Sabres are going to need contributions from each of their players this season in order to get back into the post-season. But if Dahlin can't coax better play out of the rest of the Sabres, Buffalo will indeed be in trouble once again.

The defense is the thing in Sabres Land, and that's what Buffalo has to address. What their captain has to address. Nobody's asking Dahlin to coach the team, but when you're the leader, you're responsbile. And the defense is going to hang on Dahlin's shoulders this year. When you're making $11-million every year until 2032, it's ultimately on you. And that's where Dahlin is in NHL Season No. 8. 

Abols at it again, Foerster makes preseason debut and Flyers notch shootout win originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

For the second time in preseason action, the Flyers went to a shootout.

And for the second time, they won it.

The Flyers picked up a 3-2 victory Monday night over the Bruins at TD Garden in Boston.

Bobby Brink was the lone scorer in the skills competition. Dan Vladar denied all three of the Bruins’ attempts.

The shootout wasn’t nearly as long as the Flyers’ first one, which was eight days ago and went 11 rounds against the Islanders. Rick Tocchet’s club finished with a 3-2 victory in that one, as well.

On Monday night, Noah Cates broke a scoreless tie with a goal in the second period. After Boston responded a little over three minutes later, Rodrigo Abols struck with 24 seconds left in the middle stanza.

The Bruins tied things up again with 8:39 minutes left in the third period to force overtime.

The Flyers didn’t dress four of their top five scorers from last season and four of their top defensemen.

Tocchet’s club improved to 2-3-0 in the preseason with two games to go.

• Not sure how you can keep Abols off the Flyers’ season-opening roster.

He’s the team’s only skater to have played in all five preseason games so far. And he has more than answered the challenge.

His goal was his second of the preseason and third point. It came on a beautiful shot.

Tocchet and the Flyers have liked Abols’ positional versatility. The 29-year-old can play center or winger and he moves very well for a 6-foot-4 guy.

If merit matters in camp, Abols has earned a spot. He can help the Flyers in their bottom six right now.

• Tyson Foerster made his preseason debut after recovering from offseason surgery to address an infection in the area of his elbow.

“I think he worked extremely hard on his rehab, give him a lot of credit,” Tocchet said Monday morning. “Doesn’t surprise me, he’s a character kid.”

The 23-year-old winger picked up an assist on Cates’ goal and played just under 21 minutes. It would be surprising if the line of Foerster, Cates and Brink isn’t together on opening night.

• Vladar has been a real positive through his four periods of preseason action.

The free-agent addition played the full game Monday night and converted 13 saves on 15 shots. He has stopped 21 of 24 shots in exhibition play.

The 6-foot-5 netminder has the ability to make an athletic save and has done a nice job tracking pucks through traffic.

So far, so good from Vladar.

• The Flyers’ entire defensive group Monday night featured players on the bubble.

Adam Ginning didn’t hurt his push for a job by recording four blocked shots and a plus-1 mark in 22:58 minutes. His size and defensive-minded game could be welcomed by the Flyers with Rasmus Ristolainen out to start the season.

It’s possible Egor Zamula didn’t help himself. On Boston’s game-tying 1-1 goal, it looked like Zamula was unable to pick up the stick of Sean Kuraly, who tipped one home in front.

During another part of the second period, Zamula was a bit too methodical in the slot of the Flyers’ defensive zone. As he tried to clear the puck, he was stripped and it led to a scoring chance.

• Helge Grans was placed on waivers Monday, according to PuckPedia.com. If the 23-year-old defenseman clears, he’s expected to report to AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.

• The Flyers have a couple of days before they’re back into preseason action Thursday when they host the Islanders (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).