Red Wings owner Illitch says he made decision to remove Yzerman as GM, doesn’t rule out rebuild - TSN

Steve Yzerman announced in July that he would be stepping down from his position as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings to move into an advisor role. At the time, it was unclear whether Yzerman made the call himself, but team owner Chris Ilitch revealed Thursday he made the “difficult but necessary decision” to demote the franchise legend. Ilitch spoke to Max Bultman of The Athletic on the state of the franchise, including his reaction to chants of “Sell the team” being heard at Little Caesars Arena. “Fans absolutely have the right to tell us how they feel,” Ilitch said prior to a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, moving the team to 2-3-2 on the season. “This is their team. So, I understand fan frustration. I share it, to be frank. My thoughts are that fans want to see our team win on the ice, and I do too. And as the person that’s accountable for this franchise, it’s why I made the change (in general managers), and it’s why I’m so deliberate in our search.”The Red Wings moved Shawn Horcoff into the role of interim general manager in September, but the former NHL forward has seemingly been behind the eight-ball since being promoted.

Connor Hellebuyck's suspension will come to an end on Friday. Elliotte Friedman has the story.

The Edmonton Oilers have only surrendered nine goals in the last five games, which speaks to their quality goaltending, structured five-on-five play, and consistent forecheck. The issue with that number is that five of those nine goals are against the Oilers’ penalty kill, which was a point of emphasis for new associate coach DJ Smith after the whipping that PK took in the postseason. That category has been tough sledding overall for the team, which sits at 68.2 per cent for the season, fifth worst in the NHL. The opposition has scored on the power play in five of seven games, and the Utah Mammoth made it happen twice, punishing Josh Samanski’s double-minor for high-sticking and the team’s bench minor on Thursday. The Mammoth PP bumped up to first in the league at 37.5 per cent, and have scored multiple goals on the man advantage in a game a league-best five times. “I think we’re just attacking,” said Barrett Hayton on the power play’s success. He extended his point streak to five games. “Obviously that first unit’s been so good snapping around, they’re so dangerous, and I think they’ve done a great job kind of keeping that mindset.

How can I not go with Auston Matthews after he's cashed this play for us in two straight games? He's clearly on another level now that he's healthy, and his shooting percentage (40%) is among the league's best on the man advantage. When Matthews is shooting, he's hitting twine - he has four goals across his last three games as a result. Let's pot one more against this stingy Islanders defense. I'm loving William Nylander's shot volume right now, as the Leafs winger has registered at least three shots on goal in four consecutive games. He's averaging 6.5 shot attempts per contest, the 23rd-highest mark in the NHL, giving us plenty of reason to believe his hot streak can continue. With the Islanders playing an undisciplined brand of hockey, watch for Willy on the power play to drive us over the line.