--It’s been a tough start to the season for the Montreal Canadiens. They’ve lost seven games in a row and no one, including Marc Bergevin, seems to have any answers. The Montreal Gazette’s Stu Cowan believes it’s Bergevin’s turn to look in the mirror. After all, he’s the one who built this roster. (Montreal Gazette)
--Nail Yakupov was benched by Avs head coach Jared Bednar. He decided not to speak to the media over the weekend, but he finally broke his silence on Monday. “Life is not perfect. It’s not a perfect world,” Yakupov said. “It’s a team game. You’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to (allow) goals. But you have to try. If you get beat and you don’t try, you’re going to sit in the stands. You might as well not even show up if you don’t try.” (BSNDenver.com)
--NHL players don’t usually test free agency while they’re in their prime, but Drew Doughty might do so in the summer of 2019. If Doughty does decide to leave the Kings, it could change the balance of power in the leagues. (Sportsnet)
--The Columbus Blue Jackets have lost Lukas Sedlak for six weeks, after he suffered an ankle injury during Monday’s practice. They recalled Markus Hannikainen from the minors in a corresponding move. (NHL.com/BlueJackets)
--Little Caesar’s Arena is a new state-of-the-art rink in Detroit. It has everything you could ever ask for, except for good ice. Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg can’t understand why players can’t get better ice surfaces around the league. (Detroit Free Press)
--Why have the Vegas Golden Knights been so good so far this season? The ESPN roundtable believes it has to do with solid goaltending and an easy schedule. Can they keep it up? (ESPN.com)
--The Minnesota Wild are 2-2-2 this season, but they’ve been in pretty much every game. Despite missing key players due to injury, the Wild are just fine. Even though they aren’t as good as they were last year, don’t be surprised if they start picking up more wins along the way. (hockeywilderness.com)
--Sabres forward Kyle Okposo was benched last week, but he responded with a terrific performance against Boston over the weekend. “Kyle was fantastic, moving his feet, winning a lot of puck battles,” Sabres coach Phil Housley said. “He had chance to win the game there at the end, just finding a way to get involved. He might not have been on the score sheet, but certainly his game went to another level.” (buffalohockeybeat.com)
--The New Jersey Devils have a number of key players on their roster. One they can’t afford to lose, is Kyle Palmieri, who suffered an injury in practice over the weekend. Palmieri is a key piece of the puzzle for the Devils, and losing would be devastating. (pucksandpitchforks.com)
--Team Canada’s Women’s coach, Laura Schuler, wasn’t impressed with her team’s performance against Team USA on the weekend. “We played awful,” Schuler said. “It was just a horrible performance from all of our players and we’ll address it tonight and make sure we’re better and ready in Boston.” (habseyesontheprize.com)
--Here’s a list of good and bad surprises from the 2017-18 season. The Colorado Avalanche were the worst team in the league last year, but they’ve been better this year. On the other hand, the Edmonton Oilers have been ice cold to start the season. (spectorshockey.net)
--The Hockey News’ Sal Barry looks at the 25-year anniversary of the “Mighty Ducks” movie. How the movie came about is pretty remarkable. (The Hockey News)
--Believe it or not, some people in Boston think Anton Khudobin can steal Tuukka Rask’s number one job. Thankfully, Bruins Daily sets the record straight. There’s no goalie controversy in Boston. (bruinsdaily.com)
--Former NHLer Mike Johnson breaks down the top 5 plays of Connor McDavid’s young career. Where does last week’s incredible assist against Chicago rank? (TSN.ca)