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Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard have helped the Red Wings to a 5-1 start.
Emmitt Finnie, Axel Sandin-Pellikka and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard have helped the Red Wings to a 5-1 start.
Michigan State commit Nikita Klepov was one of 27 players to earn an A rating on NHL Central Scouting’s preliminary players to watch list released Monday.
Klepov, a 6-foot, 180-pound forward from Russia, joined Gavin McKenna on the list of top prospects.
McKenna, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound forward, is the projected No. 1 pick and has six points (one goal, five assists) in six games with Penn State this year.
Klepov sits second in OHL scoring with the Saginaw Spirit and first among rookies with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 11 games this year.
Selected in the CHL’s Import Draft, Klepov was named the OHL’s rookie of the week after a five-point performance in Owen Sound on Oct. 4.
The list is a compilation of draft-eligible prospects from all the major development leagues throughout North America and Europe. It will be updated throughout the season as scouts evaluate players.
Monday’s NHL
(At) Montreal 4, Buffalo 2: Lane Hutson, Juraj Slafkovsky and Jake Evans scored in the third period, helping the Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 on Monday night.
Oliver Kapanen also scored for Montreal in fifth win in six games. Nick Suzuki and Alex Newhook each had two assists, and Jakub Dobes stopped 30 shots.
Jiri Kulich and Tyler Kozak scored for the Sabres, who had won two in a row and will host the Red Wings on Wednesday. Ex-Wing Alex Lyon made 27 saves.
(At) Philadelphia 5, Seattle 2: Owen Tippett extended his scoring streak to three in a row when he picked up two more goals in a 5-2 victory over Seattle on Monday night.
Coach Rick Tocchet praised Tippett – listed at 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds – for his physical play.
“He’s had some bodychecks the last couple games where he went through people because he’s a big guy,” Tocchet said. “When you do that, you’re going to get room. And obviously through the neutral zone, his speed for a big guy like that, it’s elite speed. And then his shots on net, he’s continuing to put pucks on the net.”
Minnesota 2, (at) N.Y. Rangers 1: Danila Yurov scored the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, and the Minnesota Wild beat the New York Rangers 2-1 on Monday night.
Jonas Brodin and Kirill Kaprizov also scored for Minnesota, which had a 32-23 advantage on shots. Filip Gustavsson had 22 saves as the Wild snapped a three-game losing streak (0-2-1).
Artemi Panarin scored for the Rangers, who fell to 0-4-0 at home this season. Igor Shesterkin finished with 29 saves,
Avalanche off to a strong start
Denver – In breaking down Colorado’s fast start, Nathan MacKinnon got to the point about as quick as he moves along the ice.
“Our lineup,” the speedy forward said, “is really good.”
The Avalanche (5-0-1) have recorded at least a point in all six games this season. It’s tied for the fifth-longest point streak to begin a season in franchise history.
This is quite a contrast to a year ago, when the Avalanche dealt with several key injuries in beginning 0-4. They can extend their stellar start Tuesday in Utah. The franchise’s longest point streak to kick off a season is 11 games (9-0-2) in 2000-01. That squad, featuring Joe Sakic & Co., went on to win the Stanley Cup.
“It’s far from perfect hockey,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of his team’s strong start, which includes a 3-0 road mark. “But it’s pretty good for this time of the year.”
Calming presence
Captain Gabriel Landeskog provided a boost last season with his comeback for the playoffs after sitting out three full regular seasons due to a chronically injured right knee.
Now, he’s around full-time in his 14th season as the Avalanche’s captain.
“I don’t think we’re playing necessarily to the standard, all the time, that we want,” Landeskog said Saturday after a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins. “Having said that, I think to be able to figure out your game as a team and as individuals as you’re winning, that always helps. We’ll keep working at it.”
This could’ve easily led to a slow start: Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood missing the beginning of the season with a lower-body injury. But in stepped backup Scott Wedgewood, who has a league-leading five wins to go with a 1.48 goals-against average and a .938 save percentage.
His only hiccup was in a 5-4 shootout loss to Dallas, but still helped earn the team a point. He’s appeared in net every game this season and is tied for the fourth-longest point streak to open a season by any Avalanche/Nordiques goaltender. Wedgewood trails only the Hall of Famer Patrick Roy (nine games in 2000-01 and 1997-98) and Mario Gosselin (seven games in 1985-86).
“He’s been average,” Landeskog said of Wedgewood before breaking into a grin. “He deserves all the credit he’s getting because he’s huge for us.”
Dynamic combo
The speedy combination of MacKinnon and Martin Necas has been difficult to contain. They each have 10 points through the opening six games. It’s the second straight season where multiple skaters have notched double-digit points within Colorado’s opening six contests. Last year, it was MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen, the player that Colorado dealt to Carolina for Necas (Rantanen was later traded by the Hurricanes to Dallas).
“Our chemistry has been better game by game,” said Necas, who chalks that up to having a full training camp with MacKinnon this fall.
The third member of that top line, Artturi Lehkonen, has seven points.
“He works well with everybody,” said MacKinnon, who’s among the league leaders with six goals. “Everyone is feeling good – physically, mentally. The players we have are elite. It’s nice to get off to a good start.”
Power-play blues
The Avalanche brought in former Seattle and Philadelphia head coach Dave Hakstol this season to put a charge into their stagnant power play. Colorado went 3 of 22 on the power play in a first-round playoff loss against Dallas last season that went seven games.
So far, Colorado is 3 of 25 with the man advantage. It’s early, though, Bednar cautioned. MacKinnon, Makar, Necas and the rest of the power-play unit are still learning a new system.
“You can’t say better or worse or any of that,” Bednar said. “It’s just different. I think the guys are refreshed a little bit here with some of the messaging that he’s (giving), and that’s why I have faith in the power play.”
Health watch
The Avalanche do have their share of banged-up players with Blackwood, forward Joel Kiviranta (lower body) and defenseman Samuel Girard (upper body) currently sidelined. Forward Logan O’Connor could return next month after undergoing hip surgery in June.
“It’s a good hockey team,” Bednar said. “It’s not the same when you’re missing five, six top players and they’re sitting on the shelf because of injuries like last year. … Our guys are slotted right where they should be and they’re all playing well.
“When you’re healthy, which doesn’t happen often in this league – as healthy as we can be – you’ve got to make hay when the sun shines.”
October schedules
Wednesday
▶ Red Wings at Sabres, 7:30
Thursday
▶ Red Wings at Islanders, 7
▶ Western Michigan at Michigan, 7
Friday
▶ Manitoba at Grand Rapids, 7
▶ Michigan State at Northern Michigan, 7
▶ Western Michigan at Michigan, 7
▶ Michigan Tech at Ferris State, 6
▶ NTDP U18 at Niagara University, 6
▶ NTDP U17 at Des Moines, 8
Saturday
▶ Blues at Red Wings, 7
▶ Michigan State at Northern Michigan, 6
▶ Michigan Tech at Ferris State, 6
▶ NTDP U18 at Cornell, 7
▶ NTDP U17 at Des Moines, 8
Tuesday, Oct. 28
▶ Red Wings at Blues, 8:15
▶ Grand Rapids at Iowa, 8
Thursday, Oct. 30
▶ Red Wings at L.A. Kings, 10:30
▶ Muskegon at NTDP U18, 7
Friday, Oct. 31
▶ Red Wings at Ducks, 10
▶ Michigan at Notre Dame, TBD
▶ Michigan Tech at Clarkson, 7
▶ Northern Michigan at Augustana, 8
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