Mackenzie Blackwood G SJ Tue 10/29/24 9:03 AM
Mackenzie Blackwood
G SJ
Blackwood stopped 19 shots in Monday's 5-4 overtime win over Utah.
EDGE Analysis
UHC jumped out to a 4-1 lead through two periods, but the Sharks dominated the third as they rallied and carried Blackwood to his first win of the season. The 27-year-old netminder has had a rough start to the campaign, stumbling to a 3.89 GAA and .888 save percentage to match his 1-3-2 record, but Vitek Vanecek (4.00 GAA, .869 save percentage) hasn't been any better. Meanwhile, Yaroslav Askarov has a 1.25 GAA through his first four appearances for San Jose's AHL club. It's only a matter of time before one of Blackwood or Vanecek lose their spot to the franchise's goalie of the future.
Mikael Pyyhtia LW CBJ Tue 10/29/24 8:56 AM
Mikael Pyyhtia
LW CBJ
Pyyhtia scored a goal on two shots with a plus-3 rating in Monday's 6-1 win over the Oilers.
EDGE Analysis
Stationed on the second line with Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger, Pyyhtia banged home Columbus' fourth tally of the night late in the third period. It was Pyyhtia's first career NHL goal in his 27th game, and his first point of the season. The 2020 fourth-round pick appears to have earned the trust of new coach Dean Evason, and if he remains on a line with two talented teammates -- Fantilli and Sillinger were both top-12 picks in their respective draft years -- Pyyhtia could begin to accumulate some offense of his own.
Cole Sillinger C CBJ Tue 10/29/24 8:51 AM
Cole Sillinger
C CBJ
Sillinger delivered a goal and two assists in Monday's 6-1 win over Edmonton.
EDGE Analysis
It was the first multi-point performance of the season for the 21-year-old. Sillinger has moved into a prominent role for Columbus, skating on the second line with Adam Fantilli at even strength while also working on the top power-play unit, and the assignment is beginning to lead to production. Sillinger was the 12th overall pick in the 2021 Draft, and he may be coming into his own.
Sean Monahan C CBJ Tue 10/29/24 8:45 AM
Sean Monahan
C CBJ
Monahan scored two goals, one on the power play, in Monday's 6-1 win over the Oilers.
EDGE Analysis
The veteran center bookended the offense for the Blue Jackets, beating Stuart Skinner early in the first period and late in the third. Monahan is off to a stellar start to his Columbus tenure, racking up five goals and nine points in eight contests.
Elvis Merzlikins G CBJ Tue 10/29/24 8:43 AM
Elvis Merzlikins
G CBJ
Merzlikins made 31 saves in Monday's 6-1win over the Oilers.
EDGE Analysis
The 30-year-old goalie nearly came away with a shutout as well as his first win of the season, but Mattias Ekholm snuck home a power-play tally inside the final minute of the third period. It was Merzlikins' first action since Oct. 15, as Daniil Tarasov has taken over the top spot in the Columbus crease in the early going, but the duo could slip back into a timeshare if Elvis keeps performing well.
Stuart Skinner G EDM Tue 10/29/24 8:37 AM
Stuart Skinner
G EDM
Skinner turned aside 19 shots in Monday's 6-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.
EDGE Analysis
The Oilers lost Connor McDavid to a lower-body injury early in the first period, and the team never recovered. While Skinner was coming off a shutout of the Penguins his last time out, that was the only start this season in which he's given up fewer than three goals, leaving him with a shaky 3.51 GAA and .872 save percentage to go along with a 2-4-1 record.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen G BUF Tue 10/29/24 8:33 AM
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
G BUF
Luukkonen stopped 26 shots in Monday's 5-2 loss to the Panthers.
EDGE Analysis
Two of the goals came on Florida power plays, but the Buffalo defense was overwhelmed even at even strength, giving Luukkonen little help. It's his first regulation loss in five starts, but on the season the 25-year-old is 3-3-1 with a 3.31 GAA and .890 save percentage, numbers that represent a significant step back from Luukkonen's performance in 2023-24.
Sam Bennett C FLA Tue 10/29/24 8:30 AM
Sam Bennett
C FLA
Bennett produced a power-play goal and an even-strength assist in Monday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.
EDGE Analysis
The 28-year-old found the back of the net for the fifth straight game and the eighth time in 11 contests this season. Bennett appears locked into a spot in Florida's top six, and he's flying toward a career-best campaign with 12 points already, a pace that would shatter the mark of 49 points (28 goals, 21 assists) he amassed over 71 regular-season games in 2021-22.
Aleksander Barkov C FLA Tue 10/29/24 8:25 AM
Aleksander Barkov
C FLA
Barkov scored an even-strength goal and added a power-play assist in Monday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.
EDGE Analysis
After helping to set up Sam Reinhart in the first period, Barkov fired home his first goal of the season in the third to close out the scoring. The 29-year-old center had missed the prior eight games with a lower-body injury, but he took a regular shift Monday while skating on the top power-play unit, and Barkov appears to be fully recovered.
Sergei Bobrovsky G FLA Tue 10/29/24 8:21 AM
Sergei Bobrovsky
G FLA
Bobrovsky made 26 saves in Monday's 5-2 win over the Sabres.
EDGE Analysis
Both goals came during a two-minute stretch midway through the second period as Buffalo tied the game at 2-2, but Bobrovsky shut the door the rest of the way. The veteran netminder has a 5-2-1 record to begin the season, but a couple bumpy outings have left him with a less impressive 2.97 GAA and .892 save percentage.