Browsing: Gameday

Fresh off their 4-3 overtime victory against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Ducks are right back at it at home on Sunday against the Winnipeg Jets. The Jets are coming off a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Friday.

The Ducks continue to sit at the top of the Pacific Division after Saturday’s win, increasing their points lead over the Golden Knights to three. They are just two points back of the Colorado Avalanche, who are first in the Western Conference.

Anaheimâ€s current six-game winning streak has been spearheaded by Leo Carlsson, who extended his point streak to nine games on Saturday with two goals and a primary assist on the overtime winner. He is currently second in the league in scoring.

“Leoâ€s (been) putting on a show at the start of the season,†head coach Joel Quenneville said. “(Heâ€s) showing that heâ€s taking a big step. Thereâ€s a lot of guys that we are also happy with, but Leoâ€s been leading the charge.â€

The Jets are the third team the Ducks have faced in the past week who are top-5 in the Western Conference. They are one point back of the Dallas Stars, who the Ducks beat 7-5 on Thursday.

“That second period (against Vegas), I feel like when we play our simple game and work their team in our zone, weâ€re a great team,†Carlsson said.

“It was a better start for us here,†Quenneville said after their game against the Golden Knights. “We want to make sure weâ€re not just reacting (to) the way the gameâ€s going to be played, letâ€s try to dictate it a little more. That first period pace was flying, was unreal, and weâ€re ready for that. I think thatâ€s a good sign of some progress for us that if we can start the first 10 minutes that can dictate the flow and pace of the game, that can help us.â€

There could be lineup changes abound for the Ducks in their second game of a back-to-back (SEGABABA). Quenneville said before Saturdayâ€s game that Ryan Strome, who has yet to make his season debut due to an upper-body injury he suffered during preseason, is “very close to consideration to playing.â€

Beckett Sennecke could also be a healthy scratch as the team manages his workload during his rookie season. This is the first back-to-back of the season for Anaheim and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek had hinted previously that Sennecke could go through a workload management plan similar to the one implemented by the team during Carlssonâ€s rookie season. Sam Colangelo, who has been a healthy scratch for the past four games, would draw in.

Ducks Projected Lines

Chris Kreider – Leo Carlsson – Troy Terry
Cutter Gauthier – Mason McTavish – Sam Colangelo
Nikita Nesterenko – Ryan Strome – Alex Killorn
Ross Johnston – Ryan Poehling – Frank Vatrano

Jackson LaCombe – Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger – Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov – Ian Moore

Lukáš Dostál (confirmed)

Jets Projected Lines

Kyle Connor – Mark Scheifele – Gabe Vilardi
Vladislav Namestnikov – Jonathan Toews – Alex Iafallo
Nino Niederreiter – Adam Lowry – Nikita Chibrikov
Cole Koepke – Parker Ford – Tanner Pearson

Josh Morrissey – Dylan DeMelo
Logan Stanley – Neal Pionk
Haydn Fleury – Luke Schenn

Connor Hellebuyck (projected)

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Six days after being fired as Penn State’s head coach, James Franklin made his first public comments on Saturday’s episode of College Gameday.

Appearing on the desk with the entire panel, led by host Rece Davis, Franklin said he was informed by Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft he was being fired about 30 minutes prior to the team’s scheduled practice on Oct. 12.

“That was it. It was that quick. I was in shock,” said Franklin.

Despite the abrupt nature of his firing after 12 seasons, Franklin was very complimentary toward Penn State while acknowledging how many people were impacted by the decision.

One thing Franklin did make clear is that he wants to coach again because he doesn’t “know anything else” and never had any hobbies to occupy his time.

Things shifted dramatically for Penn State in a 14-day period from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11. The Nittany Lions were 3-0 and ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll with Happy Valley hosting College GamedayÂleading up to their game against No. 6 Oregon on Sept. 27.

Oregon won a 30-24 double-overtime thriller on the road. It was a disappointing result for the Nittany Lions, but hardly one that suggested anything worth panicking about because the Ducks are a terrific team.

Things really started to go south the next week against a then-winless UCLA team that fired head coach Deshaun Foster after an 0-3 start. Penn State fell behind by 20 at halftime and failed to pull off the comeback in a 42-37 loss that knocked Franklin’s squad out of the AP Top 25.

The final straw that broke things for the Nittany Lions was a 22-21 home loss to Northwestern last week. They became the first FBS program in at least 30 years to lose back-to-back games as a 20-point favorite.

There were certainly extenuating circumstances that led to Penn State’s fall from grace. Quarterback Drew Allar suffered a season-ending broken ankle in the fourth quarter against Northwestern.

Franklin’s overall resume is with Penn State is impressive. He went 104-45 in 12 seasons, tied for 11th in wins among all FBS programs during that span.

The primary issue, though, was Franklin’s struggles against top-tier teams. He had a 4-21 record against teams ranked in the AP top 10, including one win in 19 such matchups against Big Ten opponents.

Kraft cited that mark as one of the factors in the decision to make a coaching change.

Franklin absolutely deserves credit for putting Penn State back on the map after the wayward two-year run with Bill O’Brien as head coach. Franklin led the program to at least 10 wins six times in eight seasons from 2016 to ’24, matching its total over a 21-year period from 1994 to 2015.

The two parties were able to move on in a manner that was less than ideal for each side, but it at least gives them both time to plan out their next steps for the 2026 season.

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ST.
LOUIS – From
the moment that agonizing, excruciating loss against the Winnipeg
Jets ended their season in May, the St. Louis Blues have counted down
the days until they can begin the process of growing from such an
experience and rectifying the agony.

That
time has come with the 2025-26 season opener on Thursday when the
Blues entertain the Minnesota Wild (7 p.m.; FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM).

When
the puck drops, the Blues want to get off on the front foot and
regain the momentum they had at the end of the regular season when
they made it into the playoffs as the second wild card but lost to
the Jets in seven games, a 4-3 double overtime loss, despite leading
game
7 3-1 with two minutes remaining.

That
stench probably sits in many players†minds, and knowing it all
gets going for real tonight makes it even more meaningful to start
off on the right foot.

“It
makes your life a lot easier when you start out good,†Blues
center Robert Thomas said.
“I think every team wants to get a good start so they donâ€t have
to do that on the back half. We feel like we can keep that momentum
going from last year. The majority of the teamâ€s the same except
for a couple new pieces who are really excited. Weâ€re really
excited to have them. We feel like we can keep that momentum going
and put ourselves in a good spot in December, January.â€

Enterprise
Center will be loud. It was loud during the playoff series against
the Jets, and Blues coach Jim Montgomery said home ice dominance will
be imperative.

“We
know we love playing in front of our great fans,†he
said.
“We know itâ€s going to be loud here tonight. Itâ€s our job to
make sure they stay loud.

“I
think itâ€s really playing on your toes and trying to get to our
identity as quick as we can. Teams like Minnesota, they got to their
identity right away. They had a great start. Thatâ€s the way you
want to start is get to your identity. Having watched a lot of games
over the last two nights, you see some teams that are playing slow
and the teams that are playing fast and to their identity know what
theyâ€re doing when they get to the puck. Theyâ€re playing fast and
itâ€s pretty evident that theyâ€re a little bit ahead of the
curve.â€

Thereâ€s
been a certain style of play that makes Montgomery feel good that
this group can, and will, start off well.

“How
sharp our goalies and defensemen have been,†the coach said. “I
think thatâ€s what gives me confidence that weâ€re going to start
off well and weâ€re going to get to our identity pretty quick. Our
defensemen are long, they skate pretty well, their gaps have been
really good and our physicality has gone up in our D-corps. That
gives me a lot of confidence and when you have (Jordan) Binnington in
there, someone that is just serene in nets how calm he makes the rest
of us. Thatâ€s something that obviously gives you confidence you can
get off to a good start.â€

–
– –

Since
the Blues know what theyâ€re going to get from the defense and
goaltending, or at least Montgomery believes, they could use a jolt
from their top-line players, like Thomas, Pavel Buchnevich and Jimmy
Snuggerud, who will be looked upon to supply a load of the firepower.

And
what needs to happen for that to be optimal?

“I
think possession, having the puck, being all over the puck,†Thomas
said. “Thereâ€s nights where even if youâ€re trying to make a
play, it gets tipped but youâ€re so quick and youâ€re on it again.
Thatâ€s what makes us really successful is we can make plays off the
rush and we can do that every night, but in the zone, those broken
plays, being on pucks, spreading it around, making teams try and
defend us, I think thatâ€s what creates our really good nights.â€

It
was pretty clear that Thomas and Snuggerud have developed quite the
chemistry already.

“Itâ€s
pretty easy. Heâ€s got a great shot. Heâ€s fast,†Thomas
said. “He can make
that extra move to get into a scoring chance and shoot it. Me and
‘Buchy†have played together four years. It definitely takes
time, but weâ€re happy to have him, heâ€s going to be a big part of
our future. Itâ€s a great time to get it rolling.â€

For
Snuggerud, who has the potential to be a Calder Trophy candidate,
just be ready to shoot the puck.

“Expect
the puck at all times, thatâ€s No. 1. And No. 2, get yourself in
position to score, whether itâ€s off the rush, driving backdoor,
whether itâ€s in the offensive zone getting inside the dots, not
outside the dots so when he gives it to you, youâ€ve upgraded your
scoring opportunity,†Montgomery said.

And
for Buchnevich?

“I
think heâ€s done everything he has to do as far as being in real
good shape, being healthy right now,†Montgomery said. “And then
the rest is just trusting his instincts. Another guy with high-end
offensive and defensive instincts. Him just trusting what he sees and
natural second- and third-effort with his health, I think weâ€re
going to get the type of player that complements those guys well and
they complement him really well.â€

Thomas
will put up the numbers, undoubtedly, but what about those tough
matchups, like the one he will get with Kirill Kaprizov, who just
recently signed the biggest contract in NHL history ($17 million
average annual value for eight years)?

“Obviously
heâ€s one of the top players in the league, so creative,†Thomas
said of Kaprizov. “He
finds ways to score, not just by shooting but by tips, by positioning
himself. Heâ€s very slippery, he finds those quiet areas really well
and everyone kind of looks for him. Itâ€s a really tough test, itâ€s
exciting to get a test like that right off the first game of the
season. Iâ€m excited for it.

“Whatever
helps get the win. Every nightâ€s different, whether you try and
produce more or try and just be overall better. It kind of depends on
the night. If you can come out with a win and either of those happen,
then you can be happy with it.â€

On
Kaprizov, Montgomery said, “What
separates him, I donâ€t know if it separates him from the great
players. The great players, theyâ€re all ultra-competitive, they all
want the puck, they donâ€t stop until they get the puck. His ability
to drive offense as a winger is very similar to (Artemi) Panarin and
(David) Pastrnak, guys that even if they donâ€t have, and Iâ€m not
saying he doesnâ€t have it, Iâ€m just saying all these guys Iâ€ve
seen them do it without your prototypical {Aleksander) Barkov,
(Nathan) MacKinnon or (Connor) McDavid at center, they assume role
and they carry the puck through the neutral zone. So they almost as a
winger, they act like a center. And then just how dangerous he is
everywhere. He scores goals, the beautiful goals, the one-timers, the
off-the-rush goals and heâ€s really dangerous and really persistent
in getting to the net front in the O-zone. Thereâ€s a lot of ways
and you have to be aware of him. Defensemen have to be aware of him,
forwards have to be aware of him.â€

–
– –

Thursday
marks the debut of defenseman Logan Mailloux, who was acquired from
the Montreal Canadiens for Zack Bolduc, who scored in his Canadiens
debut on Wednesday, on July 1.

Mailloux
will be paired with Tyler Tucker, and has enjoyed every minute since
his arrival.

“Itâ€s
more excitement than anything,†Mailloux said. “I think Iâ€m
just looking forward to getting some games and then get back to the
schedule of a season. I havenâ€t played 82 games either so itâ€s
going to be a lot. Itâ€s good because after the summer break, youâ€re
kind of itching to get back to playing games and stuff like that. Iâ€m
definitely more excited than nervous.

“Itâ€s
definitely a different style of play (in St. Louis). I feel like all
of the defensemen are pretty involved here, whether itâ€s jumping in
the rush. Iâ€m not saying that they arenâ€t in Montreal. Obviously
thereâ€s some skilled offensive defensemen there, but I feel like
itâ€;s how our system works where itâ€s a five-man unit. All the
guys are going whether itâ€s off of breakouts or in the O-zone
play.â€

–
– –

Blues
Projected
Lineup:

Pavel
Buchnevich-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggerud

Dylan
Holloway-Brayden Schenn-Jordan Kyrou

Jake
Neighbours-Pius Suter-Mathieu Joseph

Alexey
Toropchenko-Nick Bjugstad-Nathan Walker

Cam
Fowler-Colton Parayko

Philip
Broberg-Justin Faulk

Tyler
Tucker-Logan Mailloux

Jordan
Binnington will start in goal;
Joel Hofer will
be the backup.

Healthy
scratches include Alexandre
Texier and
Matthew
Kessel. Oskar Sundqvist (lower body) is
considered week to week and will miss at least the first three games.

–
– –

Wild
Projected
Lineup:

Kirill
Kaprizov-Marco Rossi-Matt Boldy

Marcus
Foligno-Joel Eriksson Ek-Vladimir Tarasenko

Yakov
Trenin-Ryan Hartman-Marcus Johansson

Liam
Ohgren-Hunter Haight-Vinnie Hinostroza

Jacob
Middleton-Brock Faber

Zeev
Buium-Jared Spurgeon

Zack
Bogosian-David Jiricek

Filip
Gustavsson will start in goal; Jesper Wallstedt will be the backup.

Healthy
scratches include Daemon
Hunt and
Danila
Yurov. Jonas Brodin (upper body), Mats Zuccarello (lower body) and
Nico
Sturm (back)
are out.

Blues Have Experience On Defense, It Will Be Key For Tucker, Mailloux To Make Group Whole
MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. — When
the puck drops on the 2025-26 season for the St. Louis Blues against
the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, they will introduce what they hope
are a pair of mainstays on the blue line for some time.

Jim Montgomery To Reunite Most Prolific Line Down Stretch Last Season For Blues
MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. — Jim
Montgomery knew all along.

Blues Know Jordan Binnington Is Elite, Yet Goalie Has To Prove Once Again He’s One Of The Best
ST.
LOUIS – The NHL season for 2025-26 drops the puck on Tuesday. For
the St. Louis Blues, it opens Thursday at home against the Minnesota
Wild.

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MARYLAND
HEIGHTS, Mo. — Itâ€s one final
opportunity for those in the St. Louis Blues lineup on Saturday
against the Chicago Blackhawks to make a lasting impression before
opening night lineups need to be submitted.

The
Blues (1-3-1) and Blackhawks (2-3-0) will close the preseason at 6
p.m. (stlblues.com, Blues app, ESPN 101.1-FM) from United Center in
Chicago before it all gets underway on Thursday against the Minnesota
Wild.

Guys
that will be in the lineup tonight looking to make that impression
include Alexandre Texier, Milan Lucic, Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto
Stenberg, Hunter Skinner and Leo Loof before decisions are made.

“See
guys grab a spot,†Blues coach Jim Montgomery said. “For some of
the guys, itâ€s their last impression to make the team.â€

One
to keep an eye on is Texier, who is on the fringe despite being on an
NHL contract, in the final year of a two-year, $4.2 million contract
signed before being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets prior to
last season.

And
the word that keeps coming up when talking about Texier: consistency.

“I
thought in camp like Day 1 was really good. Day 2 wasnâ€t as good as
Day 1,†Montgomery said. “I talked to him about consistency. Itâ€s
always been something that needs for everybodyâ€s game, but his game
since heâ€s been a Blue, consistency game in game out, what we can
expect. And then I thought the first game he played in Columbus, I
thought he was good. And then the last game that he played, he played
on a line with him and I think (Mathieu) Joseph was at center and
Lucic I think was the line. They didnâ€t have a real center, so
tonight heâ€s playing with (Pius) Suter and (Jordan) Kyrou, so itâ€s
a good opportunity for him tonight.

“You
can say part of it is he hasnâ€t played a stretch of 10 games in a
row. That could be it. But itâ€s up to players to earn the
opportunity to play 10 games in a row, and unfortunately last year
when he was on a good run, both times, one right before Christmas and
one right before we came back from 4 Nations, unfortunately he fell
ill and it cost him an opportunity to stay in the lineup.â€

Texier
knows tonight will be important for him.

“Youâ€ve
just got to play the same way every single night, no matter what, and
thatâ€s what Iâ€m trying to do, play the same way and be
consistent,†Texier said. “… Youâ€ve just go to play the same
way and be consistent no matter with you you play. Iâ€m just going
to try and play my game. Itâ€s the last game of preseason. I know
Iâ€ve got to have a good one.

“In
this league, you go up and down. Things can change quick. You just
focus on your game and try to bring your best with your line that
youâ€re playing with that night.â€

When
Texier is at his best, Montgomery said heâ€s “Dynamic,
incredible puck protection, speed in transition offensively and
defensively and someone that just wins a lot of puck battles when
heâ€s on top of his game. Itâ€s
very noticeable.

“I
think he can fit any line role when heâ€s on top of his game. Heâ€s
scored goals on the first line last year, heâ€s scored goals on the
third line and fourth line. Heâ€s just a dynamic, talented player
that hopefully he gets that confidence and is able to do some of
those things that weâ€re hoping for.â€

Texier
had just 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 31 games, his first
with the Blues.

“Itâ€s
in the past,†Texier said. “It was a tough season. I donâ€t want
to look back. Itâ€s a new season, Iâ€m fresh and Iâ€m ready to
go.â€

–
– –

For
a guy like Stenberg, who is likely to play in Springfield of the
American Hockey League this season, itâ€s been a really strong camp,
his first in St. Louis.

“Real
smart hockey player,†Montgomery said. “I think someone that the
more youâ€re around him as a coach, you become trustworthy with them
because heâ€s very intelligent and picks up how we want to play,
picks up nuances of the gray area that always exists in a fluid game
of hockey. Just a real good hockey player. Now we need to see the
consistency as a pro and can he handle the speed, size and strength
of the NHL. Thatâ€s something if we donâ€t find it out this year,
weâ€re going to find it out pretty soon.â€

Itâ€s
been quite the impression from someone transitioning from Europe to
North American

“I
think itâ€s been very impressive,†Montgomery said. “Personally
I feel like heâ€s adapted really well as someone coming over. Now
maybe a half a year in Springfield helped him adapt and thatâ€s why
itâ€s always smart to come over when you can when the team wants you
to come and have an opportunity to be part of the organization as
quick as possible.â€

– –
–

Defenseman
Logan Mailloux, who will be paired with Tyler Tucker tonight, will
quarterback PP1 for the Blues, which includes Jimmy Snuggerud, Robert
Thomas, Texier and Stenberg.

The
Blues will head into the season with Cam Fowler and Justin Faulk as
their power play quarterbacks, but the thought of an offensive
defenseman like Mailloux is an intriguing option if necessary. But
not at this moment.

“We
want Mailloux to really just focus on being a really good 5-on-5
defenseman, 200-foot defenseman that he has shown at both ends of the
ice already. And a penalty killer,†Montgomery said. “We have two
veteran defensemen that know … our power play was third in the NHL
post-Christmas. We donâ€t need a lot of tweaks there right now until
we see that there may need to be.â€

– –
–

Blues
Projected Lineup:

Jake
Neighbours-Robert Thomas-Jimmy Snuggeruid

Alexandre
Texier-Pius Suter-Jordan Kyrou

Milan
Lucic-Nick Bjugstad-Alexey Toropchenko

Otto
Stenberg-Dalibor Dvorsky-Aleksanteri Kaskimaki

Tyler
Tucker-Logan Maulloux

Leo
Loof-Matthew Kessel

Theo
Lindstein-Hunter Skinner

Joel
Hofer will start in goal; Colten Ellis will be the backup.

–
– –

Blackhawks
Roster:

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MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. — After three training camp practices, the St. Louis Blues and Dallas Stars kick off the preseason…