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Oct 22, 2025, 03:01 PM ET

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — The New York Islanders fired goaltending coach Piero Greco, making the change at an unorthodox time just six games into his seventh season with the team and after winning three in a row.

General manager Mathieu Darche announced the abrupt decision Wednesday to part ways with Greco and promote Sergei Naumovs from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Naumovs, who is Latvian, has been in Bridgeport since May 2024 but has an extensive history coaching franchise goalie Ilya Sorokin going back to their time together with CSKA Moscow in the KHL from 2018-20.

Sorokin’s 3.90 goals-against average is second-worst and his .873 save percentage ranks fourth-worst in the NHL among netminders who have appeared in at least four games.

“Piero has done a great job for the organization for the last seven years,” Darche said. “We just felt at this time it was the right timing to have a reset with our goalies.”

Darche said he did not seek input from Sorokin, who is in the second year of a $66 million contract that runs through 2032.

“It’s my decision — it’s not on the player,” Darche said. “I know he’s had success with Sergei, and that’s where we went. It’s 100% my decision, and the goalie had nothing to do with it.”

In other Islanders news, injured forward Pierre Engvall had ankle surgery and is expected to miss the entire season, or roughly five to six months, according to Darche, who said goaltender Semyon Varlamov continues to progress toward a return from knee surgery.

With some other players banged up and salary cap space at a premium, the Islanders put forward Marc Gatcomb on waivers. The 26-year-old had only dressed in one game so far this season.

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OTTAWA — For Ottawa Senators fans, déjà vu comes in autumn. When the leaves are falling, so are the Senators down in the standings.

Itâ€s only been five games with a 2-3-0 record: not terrible, but not good either. A gutsy late comeback win against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday complicated a “sky is falling†vibe in Sensland while allowing for a much-needed ray of hope.

Compounding a bad start on the scoreboard for Ottawa with losing Brady Tkachuk for six to eight weeks after thumb surgery is a massive blow to a Senators team that wanted to take the next step.

With a five-game sample to work with, let’s take a look at what’s concerning about the Senators’ slow start and whatâ€s not.

Bleak outlook with Tkachuk out long-term

If you take any team’s best player out of the lineup for a long time, the team will be significantly worse. Thatâ€s the case with Tkachuk and the Senators. Tkachuk is Ottawaâ€s best play driver, top scorer, and emotional leader.

There will be a clear goal for the Senators without their captain.

“We have to have that belief in our identity that the team is not one player,†said Lars Eller.

Tkachuk’s absence for now may be mitigated by Shane Pinto, who is on an absolute heater, leading the league in goals with six. Ottawa needs depth scoring in the absence of their captain, and when your third line centre is on pace for 98 goals that helps.

Even if Pinto scores 30, thatâ€s a big boost for a team that struggles to score with or without Tkachuk.

Coach Travis Green said after Thursdayâ€s game that he’s leaving Pinto alone because heâ€s so hot with his scoring touch. Hopefully, Green will have that chance with others soon, including Drake Batherson, Fabian Zetterlund and Dylan Cozens. Regardless, Ottawa will struggle to conjure up all of Tkachukâ€s firepower.

Goals against down a man count the same as goals allowed at even strength. If you canâ€t kill penalties in the NHL, your route to winning games and making the playoffs will be terminated. That’s happening in Ottawa: they’ve given up nine goals while shorthanded on 20 attempts.

The only time Ottawa’s penalty kill has looked good was against Nashville, going six for six while shorthanded.

“We saw a version of what we want to be, as far as being aggressive,†said Green about his shorthanded unit.

The hot topic in Sens land has been the team’s use of a diamond penalty kill formation. It was unsuccessful last season, producing the 19th-best kill — and now is second-last at a truly awful 55 per cent in the first five games.

Last season, the Senators gave up the seventh most high-danger chances on their penalty kill; so far this season, they rank eighth in high-danger chances allowed per 60 according to Natural Stat Trick.

“Thereâ€s been a few breakdowns. There’s also a few lucky goals that kind of found their way,†said Green about the penalty kill.

You make your own luck. Sometimes youâ€re unlucky because youâ€re bad.

The problem with the diamond formation is that players are planted in a zone on the ice: they are mostly playing the zone, not the man. Sportsnet.ca spoke to a former NHLer in the off-season who explained that “you donâ€t want to think, just play†when youâ€re on the penalty kill. A byproduct of the zonal marking has been that the Sens often cede possession to the best players in the world: the goal is to limit them to the outside, but give a player like Connor McDavid time and he’ll burn you. Match that with the half-second it takes for a Senator to make a read in the zone coverage. That happened on Thursday when Chandler Stephenson walked right into the slot untouched to give the Kraken a 3-2 lead in the third.

If itâ€s broken, fix it.

Chabot-Jensen are struggling

Thomas Chabot and Nick Jensen were a revelation to begin last season, with stellar plus-minus and analytics up until Jensen hurt his hip in November. For the rest of the 2024-25 season, the duo was fine but not elite.

After off-season hip surgery, Jensen hasnâ€t looked the same, and the pairing has struggled. Theyâ€ve been outscored five to two, while having a putrid 38 per cent expected goals share. Itâ€s still early, but itâ€s worrisome that they donâ€t have the spark so far.

Senators need saves, but improvement is showing

It starts with Linus Ullmark, who allowed 10 goals on 52 shots in his first two games. But in his last two starts, he has rebounded, stopping 52 of his last 57. Ullmarkâ€s track record in Ottawa has been great highs and some lows. The middle ground still looks to be a good-to-great starting goaltender.

The Senators currently have a team save percentage of .818, which is surely not what they will finish with. It’s only five games, too. The good news is that Ullmark was exceptional against Seattle, making stellar save after stellar save to give his team a chance for a miraculous comeback. There are concerns after Ullmark admitted to less-than-ideal off-season training preparations, but heâ€s trending in the right direction despite an .862 save percentage so far.

Meanwhile, there is real cause for concern with Leevi Merilainen, who was dreadful in his first start against Buffalo on Wednesday, allowing seven goals on 30 shots. Ottawa bet big on the 23-year-old with just 14 games of experience heading into the season. Nevertheless, Merilainen has a great AHL track record and wonâ€t allow seven goals a game every start.

Give it time. The fact that the Senators are 2-3-0 with that poor a save percentage is a testament to the team.

One clear concern is that Ottawa has allowed the first goal in each of its first five games.

Donâ€t fret, because here comes some optimism after all that gloom.

Improved play at five-on-five

Last season, Ottawaâ€s Achilles heel wasnâ€t goaltending or even the penalty kill but the severe lack of goals at five-on-five, where the team finished second last. This season, Ottawa has been middle of the pack, averaging the 18th most five-on-five goals per game early on. But when you look under the hood, there is more reason to believe.

The Senators sit eighth in expected goals share at 60 per cent at five-on-five, while 11th in expected goals for per game at five-on-five. Against Buffalo and Tampa Bay, Ottawa didnâ€t allow a shot on goal at five-on-five for over 20 minutes. Impressive stuff.

“Our five-on-five game is close (to where we want it to be)â€, said Green.

Plus, Ottawa is tilting the ice with Jake Sanderson and Jordan Spence on the first and third defensive pairings, respectively, with over 58 per cent for Sanderson and 67 per cent for Spence in terms of expected-goals share.

If all the strong five-on-five play persists over a long season, the Senators will be in a great position to start finding ways to win.

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They are poised to score more

The Senators have been unlucky, with the worst PDO at .916 in the NHL. Itâ€s a statistic that combines a teamâ€s save percentage and shooting percentage, used to suggest if a team is lucky or not.

In Ottawaâ€s case, they have created a lot of shots but havenâ€t scored with a low shooting percentage, while they’ve allowed many goals on few shots. In five games, you can sometimes lose three because of bad luck mixed with some bad goaltending. Over 82 games, you are likely to return to the mean.

In the NHL, with so much parity, the little details make the difference between fortune to misfortune. Ottawa could be on track for a year from hell, but more likely, they will prove to be a better team than they’ve shown so far.

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EDMONTON — The grin on Matvei Gridinâ€s face lasted long after the post-game pic with his first NHL goal puck.

“Unreal,†said the 19-year-old Flames rookie of an NHL debut few involved will ever forget, for various reasons.

“A couple years ago I played on PS, and now Iâ€m in there, so it feels nice.â€

Even the wizards at PlayStation wouldâ€ve had a hard time programming for an opening night barnburner like this.

After spotting the two-time Stanley Cup finalists a 3-0 lead in a raucous Oilers rink, Gridinâ€s first in the bigs kick-started the most unlikely of comebacks, ending with an eight-round shootout capped by Nazem Kadri in a 4-3 win.

“Sixteen (shooters)? Youâ€re going to have to talk to Husk about that,†smiled Kadri, the Flames’ leading sniper last year, of a snub from coach Ryan Huska that prompted quite the death stare prior to his number being called.

“After the (15th shooter) he looked back and said, ‘Can I have this please?â€â€ smiled Huska.

“So Iâ€m glad we went with him instead of choosing someone else at that moment.â€

Kadri beat Stuart Skinner with a deke in tight, prompting an animated celebration that could be heard around a suddenly subdued rink as the Flames bench spilled onto the ice.

As unlikely as the scenario was, it all seemed so familiar.

Last year, the Flames’ season opened with the Rebound at Rogers Arena, as the Flames built an undeniable belief in themselves after overcoming a three-goal deficit in the first period to ruin Vancouverâ€s lid-lifter, 6-5 in overtime courtesy of a Connor Zary finisher.

Wednesdayâ€s Recovery at Rogers Place was a shocking facsimile, including the fact Connor Zary once again scored a big goal.

Several players spoke earlier in the week about how important last yearâ€s opening night was in terms of overcoming adversity and building faith.

Who knows where this one can lead, but wherever this season goes, it almost certainly will play out with Gridin on board.

“I thought he played very well,†said Huska of the Flames†late first-rounder from 2024, who opened the night walking Darnell Nurse to create a great chance, should have received an assist on Zaryâ€s power-play goal and finished plus-2 in his first real-life video game. Â

“He looks comfortable in his own zone, which is always something you worry about with a younger player. I think he led us in shots (five). So happy for him he was able to get his first one.â€

It was a lucky one, as he spun to centre a pass, only to see it carom in off Noah Philpâ€s skate in the slot, sliding under Skinner.

Playing on a line with Matt Coronato and Morgan Frost, Gridin found himself on the ice with under two minutes left in a 3-3 game, matching up against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and David Tomasek.

He didnâ€t look at all out of place, which is a solid development for an organization dreaming of fostering more young pillars.

Gridinâ€s special night included a chance to win the game in the fifth round of the shootout, only to have his self-dubbed “Gridin Signature†stymied.

Only two of the 16 shooters — Draisaitl and Frost — found the net before Kadri played hero, prompting many to wonder if a win like this can do what it did for last yearâ€s Flames.

“I donâ€t know why we have to make it so dramatic,†chuckled Kadri, who said his team refused to sage, even when one of the three early Oilers scorers included former Flame Andrew Mangiapane.

“Thatâ€s a character win.â€

Dustin Wolfâ€s 32 saves donâ€t include the seven he made on penalty shots, providing the sort of backbone the Flames have come to count on.

Without him, nothing is possible for these Flames.

“Honestly, itâ€s kind of reminiscent of last yearâ€s first game, just a little slow to get going,†said Blake Coleman, who also scored for a visiting squad that had both a power play and a penalty kill in overtime.

“You get a bounce on Griddyâ€s goal and you get some life.

“Itâ€s a big win — it galvanizes the team. You showed as a group youâ€re willing to stick with it and play the right way. Weâ€ve shown in the past we can win games coming from behind with a lot of third-period goals. But our team showed a lot of resilience tonight.â€

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Deâ€Anthony Melton’s long-awaited Warriors return has come close to official after committing to sign a deal with the Warriors before the 2025-26 NBA season, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday evening, citing sources.

Melton signed a one-year, $12.8 million contract to join the Warriors at the opening of NBA free agency last year on the mid-level exception. His injury concerns became apparent early on, as did his perfect fit on the team.

The veteran guard began the 2024-25 campaign coming off the bench through the first three regular-season games, then was shelved for the Warriors†next five games because of similar back issues that held him to only 38 contests with the Philadelphia 76ers a season prior. His return to health immediately showed what kind of impact he could have on the Warriors. In his first game back, Melton had 10 points and three assists in a blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, prompting coach Steve Kerr to insert Melton into the starting lineup.

That wasnâ€t just any game. It was an 11-point win on the road over the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder in which Melton scored 19 points while going 5 of 8 from 3-point range with 10 rebounds, two assists and three steals. The Warriors then welcomed Klay Thompson back to Chase Center in a win to remember against the Dallas Mavericks, and had to say goodbye to Melton without even knowing it.

Undoubtedly, the Splash Brothers of Steph Curry and Thompson were the story of the night. Curry was the showman, sending his former teammate out of his old home with a loss after scoring the final 12 points of the game. Melton was the unsung hero, showing why he could be the new ideal complement next to Curry.

Before Curry went on his scoring spree, Melton showcased his two-way ability by first diving on the floor for a loose ball and then hitting a massive three to cut the Warriors†deficit to four points with a little under four minutes left in the game.

De’Anthony Melton’s 3 before Steph Curry scored the final 12 points of the game was so huge

Brought the Warriors within 4 with 3:51 left
Warriors had missed their last 7 shots
Started with Melton diving on the floor for loose ball pic.twitter.com/CVKNu2xT9U

— Dalton Johnson (@DaltonJ_Johnson) November 13, 2024

He finished that game, just his sixth of the season, as a plus-12 by tallying 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and one steal. But Melton also sustained an injury late in the win that later was revealed as a season-ending torn ACL. The Warriors used his contract to then acquire Dennis Schröder and never truly made up for his absence.

Melton being back in Warriors colors will make plenty of people within the franchise happy, especially Curry. It also creates the same questions as when he arrived last year: Who starts in the backcourt next to Steph?

The options also are the same as last season. Kerr will be choosing between Melton, Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield. Each brings something different to the table. Melton easily is the best on-ball defender of the three, Podziemski is the connector who really came into his own after the Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler, and Hield is one of the best threats in the league behind the 3-point line.

Even though it was an extremely small sample size, Melton was exactly what the Warriors needed next to Curry because of his defensive tenacity and underrated offense. The two played 47 minutes together and were a plus-39, producing a 136.5 offensive rating and 98.1 defensive rating for a 38.4 net rating. Curry had a 10.4 net rating (120.0 offensive rating, 109.5 defensive rating) next to Podziemski over 652 regular-season minutes, and a 9.0 net rating (119.3 offensive rating and 110.3 defensive rating) in 969 regular-season minutes alongside Hield.

“That was really the perfect mix. Deâ€Anthony does a little bit of everything: On-ball defense, rebounding, 3-point shooting, playmaking,†Kerr said in mid-November. “It was great fit, and that’s why we targeted him.â€

Can Melton step into big minutes and a starting role right away coming off his ACL surgery, as well as previous injury issues to his back? Probably not. The job likely will be Podziemskiâ€s to start the season entering Year 3.

If so, that leaves Hield as a feared sharpshooter off the bench, and Melton doing a bit of everything on and off the ball also in a reserve role. The real likelihood is all three get starting nods throughout the season based on health and matchups, and closing games always will be more important anyway. The Warriors used 38 different starting lineups in the 2024-25 regular season, 11 more than the previous year.Â

Even when itâ€s not at the start of games, getting Curry and Melton on the court together will have to be a priority for Kerr against the toughest teams.

Bringing Melton back into the fold isnâ€t a move for October, November and December. Itâ€s one for the stretch run of the regular season and a hopeful playoff push for a chance at title contention. At his contract number, heâ€s a worthy bet but a gamble nonetheless for an older team that already will need everything to go right health-wise.Â

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VIRGINIA WATER, England — Europe captain Luke Donald filled out his 12-man roster for this month’s Ryder Cup with six…