WEDNESDAY’S GAMES
HOME team in caps.
FLYERS 6, Penguins 3: Joel Farabee had a goal and three assists, Michael Raffl, James van Riemsdyk and Nolan Patrick also scored to lead the Flyers over the Penguins in the first game of the NHL season. The unconventional opener was decided when Raffl scored from the slot and beat Tristan Jarry 5:37 into the third for a 4-3 lead and the only cheers for the go-ahead goal came from Flyers fans watching at home. The Flyers pounced from there – Travis Konecny and Kevin Hayes scored 20 seconds apart to turn this one into a rout. MAPLE LEAFS 5, Canadiens 4, OT:
Morgan Rielly scored at 3:24 of overtime to give the Maple Leafs a win over the Canadiens. Rielly took a feed from Toronto captain John Tavares on a 2-on-1 to beat Montreal goalie Carey Price and end a chaotic extra period where both teams had chances to get the victory. William Nylander had two goals and an assist for Toronto, while Tavares added a goal and two assists. Jimmy Vesey chipped in with his first goal for the Maple Leafs, and Frederik Andersen had 28 saves.
LIGHTNING 5, Blackhawks 1:
Steven Stamkos had a goal and two assists in his return to the Lightning lineup, and the defending Stanley Cup champions opened the season with a victory against the Blackhawks. The Lightning captain, who played just one game in the playoffs, has points in 17 consecutive games – including 14 goals. Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Ondrej Palat and Mathieu Joseph also scored to help Tampa Bay win its seventh consecutive season opener. Andrei Vasilevskiy had 23 saves. Dylan Strome scored for Chicago.
Canucks at OILERS (late):
The Oilers feature the top two scorers in the NHL last season in Leon Draisaitl (110 points) and Connor McDavid (97).
Blues at AVALANCHE (late):
The Avalanche will hold a ceremony and moment of silence before the season opener to honor Pierre Lacroix, who died last month at 72. Lacroix was a savvy general manager known for acquiring talent under the cloak of secrecy that allowed Colorado to claim two Stanley Cup titles.