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There was nothing short of a collective feeling of excitement and anticipation amongst the Detroit Red Wings fan base when it was announced that defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka was among the three rookies that made the final roster cut out of Training Camp and the pre-season. 

While fellow rookie Michael Brandsegg-Nygård has been returned to the American Hockey League, both Sandin-Pellikka and Emmitt Finnie continue to ply their trade at the NHL level representing the Red Wings. 

Naturally, there's been a bit of an adjustment period for Sandin-Pellikka, who has been utilized in all situations by head coach Todd McLellan. 

"I've learned it's a tough League, the best in the world," Sandin-Pellikka explained following Friday's practice. "You learn something every game, and you can't always be perfect. I try and tell myself that when Im pissed off at myself after a not-perfect game."

Sandin-Pellikka, who was arguably the most highly-regarded prospect in the Red Wings system and who enjoyed tremendous success while playing in his native Sweden, said he's still adjusting to the speed of the top hockey League in the world. 

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"The defensive part is one thing, the gaps and picking your guy up early, that's one thing I've learned," he said. "And in the offensive zone, it's not as easy to get pucks through as it has been before. I'm still learning and I'm getting more comfortable each game." 

McLellan acknowledged that there have been improvements in Sandin-Pellikka's ability to anticipate the play and put himself in the best position, while there is still always room for improvement. 

"He gave the answer that in my opinion he should give, because there is the pace of the play and the puck has been really good," McLellan said. "He makes some really good plays, but the play away when he's away from the play or something is going to happen, he needs to get used to that pace of reading and reacting a bit quicker."

"It's gotten better from where it was during exhibition, and he's improving," McLellan continued. "But the League is improving with him at the same time. He's hard on himself, but he's also a really good self-evaluator, so the answer he gave is a pretty accurate one."

Sandin-Pellikka has averaged just under 19 minutes of ice time per game so far in the 14 games that he's skated in, during which he's scored a goal while adding three assists. His plus/minus rating of -8 isn't what he'd like it to be, but that will change in time. 

While it's still early in his NHL career, there's tremendous untapped potential still inside of the Swedish-born defenseman, who could ultimately become a building block down the line for the Red Wings. 

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The New York Rangers are set to play the Detroit Red Wings tonight at 7 PM EST at Madison Square Garden. 

Here’s all you need to know ahead of this matchup: 

Projected Lineup:

Forwards:

Artemi Panarin-Mika Zibanejad-Taylor Raddysh

Will Cuylle-J.T. Miller-Alexis Lafrenière

Conor Sheary-Noah Laba-Jonny Brodzinski

Juuso Parssinen-Sam Carrick-Jaroslav Chmelar

Defensemen:

Vladislav Gavrikov - Adam Fox

Carson Soucy - Will Borgen

Connor Mackey - Braden Schneider

Goaltenders: 

Jonathan Quick 

Igor Shesterkin 

Notable Storylines: 

• Jonathan Quick is set to start for the Rangers. 
• The Rangers are coming off of a 3-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
• Jaroslav Chmelar will make his NHL debut with Adam Edström serving as a healthy scratch.
• Vincent Trocheck and Urho Vaakanainen made the road trip to Detroit but won’t play as they both deal with their own respective injuries.
• The Rangers currently hold a 6-6-2 record.
• The Red Wings are coming off of a 1-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have recalled defenseman Zac Jones from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. 

Jones has been off to a strong start this season with Rochester, as he has recorded 13 assists in 11 games. Now, he will be looking to make an impact with the Sabres after landing this call-up.

Jones signed a one-year contract with the Sabres in free agency this summer. This was after the left-shot blueliner did not receive a qualifying offer from the New York Rangers, which made him an unrestricted free agent (UFA). 

Jones played in 46 games this past season with the Rangers, where he scored one goal and set new career highs with 10 assists, 11 points, 28 hits, and 46 blocks. He also scored one goal in two games with the Rangers' AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, during the 2024-25 season. 

In 115 career NHL games over five seasons, Jones has posted four goals, 24 assists, 28 points, 67 hits, and 106 blocks. 

When the Kings begin their six-game road trip Sunday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins, their fans won’t just be paying attention to the scoreboard; they’ll pray the Kings show a pulse. 

Right now, Los Angeles Kings fans are leaving the arena early, and the area is starting to quiet down. The season might already be hanging by a thread if the Kings don’t get their act together. 

It’s not just another loss for the Kings; it’s the fact that they're losing at home time after time, now falling to a 1-4-2 record on home ice, leading to boos echoing through Crypto.com Arena. 

The Kings' Defense No Longer Holds at HomeIt’s becoming very tough to watch the Kings play hockey right now. Every question mark that Kings fans had coming into this season for this team has not only come true, but it’s become a big disaster. 

Season on the Brink

Following the King's recent defeat to the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers, Los Angeles has now lost five of their last eight games, including four straight home losses. 

A team that was considered a playoff contender coming into the season now sits near the bottom at fifth place in their division. The offense has dried up, the defense looks dried up, with no effort being played out there, and even the goaltending, once the team's biggest strength, has shown cracks. 

The effort on their home ice tells the tale, where boos are now common, like the sound of goal horns. It’s even more embarrassing that the Kings are way better away from their home, sitting at 5-1-2. 

But the recent play the Kings have put forth at home doesn’t give confidence that they can come out of this six-game road trip playing five of the six teams above .500. If the Kings can’t at least go 4-2 or even 3-3 on this road trip, this stretch can define what their season looks like going forward.

King's Home Woes ContinueThe Los Angeles Kings (5-4-4) couldn’t overcome a slow start offensively and fell 4-1 to the New Jersey Devils (9-3-0) on Saturday night at <a href="http://crytpo.com">Crypto.com</a> Arena. Despite scoring their lone goal in the third period, the Kings' search for their first home win of the season continues.&nbsp;

Home Versus Road Numbers

By the numbers, the Kings' struggles at home are puzzling. Los Angeles has allowed 3.4 goals per game at home compared to 2.7 on the road, which suggests that when they play in front of their home crowd, they get too comfortable and fade, and don’t feel the need to play big like they would in a tough environment on the road. 

Offensively, the Kings have actually scored more goals on the road than at home, by a significant margin. Los Angeles has scored a total of 28 goals away and averages 3.2 goals per game away from Crypto, while at home, 15 goals, averaging two goals per game. 

An Important Road Trip

The Kings’ upcoming road trip is tough:

@Pittsburgh Pirates

@Montreal Canadiens 

@Toronto Maple Leafs

@Ottawa Senators

@Washington Capitals

@San Jose Sharks

Los Angeles will need to step up in their upcoming road trip if they have any hopes of making the postseason in a tough Western Conference. This trip should show us what the Kings are really made of and if they can rediscover their identity, reignite the defense, and prove they can compete every night.  

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