Craig Anderson went back to work, and did his job to the very best of his abilities.
The end result was a 2-0 win for the Ottawa Senators over the Edmonton Oilers in Anderson's first start since rejoining the club following the announcement of his wife's cancer diagnosis.
Anderson stopped 37 shots to earn his 35th career shutout, and was mobbed by his teammates in an emotional celebration at the final buzzer. He was named the game's first star, and came back out on the ice to a raucous ovation from the knowing Oilers faithful.
The win also marked Anderson's second straight shutout after he stopped all 22 shots against in Vancouver on Oct. 25.
Anderson missed the Senators previous game - a loss in Calgary on Oct. 28 - having traveled back to Ottawa to be with his family.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs fell behind and eventually stumbled to the finish in likely their worst performance of the season - a 5-1 beatdown from the New York Islanders - the substandard ice quality in Brooklyn was a factor brought up among certain onlookers.
There is no doubt: the ice is an issue at Barclays Center, and one that obviously affects the Islanders most. But it in no way excuses Toronto's performance in the eyes of its head coach.
"No it isn't," Babcock said, rebuffing the suggestion that it was hard to mount a comeback with the poor ice conditions. "Let's not go there. This is on us."
Instead, Babcock said the reason the Leafs were outclassed on the second night of a back-to-back is they didn't have an entire roster "on board" and competing. He didn't point the finger, but admitted when asked that Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk - who were on for all four goals against at even strength - have to be a lot better.
Second sources of income across the NHL may be lost as soon as Monday, as the parent company for equipment manufacturer Bauer prepares to file for bankruptcy protection, TSN's Rick Westhead reports.
Westhead reports Performance Sports Group Ltd. expects a $424-million debt by the end of 2016. In addition, its shareholders filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of inflating revenue and sales reports and deceiving the market.
NHL players could lose deals valued at upwards of $500,000.
It felt like it took forever, but ultimately a decision was made rather quickly.
That Jimmy Vesey became a free agent deep in the dog days of summer and took a few days to make a decision helped put the hype machine into overdrive, raising questions as to whether he was really worth all the attention.
Through nine games at the NHL level, the answer seems to be yes.
The process
Here's how it went down.
In choosing to exercise his right to hit the open market, the 2016 Hobey Baker Award winner decided against signing with the Nashville Predators - who selected him in the third round (66th overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft - as well as with the Buffalo Sabres, who had acquired his rights in exchange for a 2016 third-round pick.
Over the course of those four days, and especially in markets spurned by the Harvard graduate, whispers of doubt seemed to grow exponentially, making it imperative that Vesey get off to a decent start, lest he be labeled as a quickly forgotten footnote from the summer of 2016.
The results, so far
Through the opening weeks of the season, the Rangers really couldn't ask for much more out of Vesey.
Games
Goals
Assists
Power-Play Points
Shots
+/-
9
5
1
2
16
+3
Vesey's fifth goal, scored Sunday in a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, puts him one back of the rookie lead, behind only Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine, both of whom have scored six.
Four of his goals have come against the likes of Braden Holtby, Ben Bishop, and Martin Jones, and he's also the only rookie to record two game-winning goals, for whatever that stat is actually worth.
Yes, he's scoring at a success rate of over 30 percent, but he's posted positive shot-attempt differential numbers and has been seeing time on the power play, and was recently promoted to the Rangers' top line alongside Derek Stepan and Rick Nash.
In short, he's earned the trust of the Rangers' coaching staff in short order, and is making the most of his opportunity to shine on Broadway.
That Vesey didn't make his NHL debut until age 23 and took four days to make a decision on which team to begin his career with should not be held against him. It's still early days, but he's proving to be worth the wait, much to the Rangers' delight.
Michael Grabner finishes his hat trick on a beautiful feed from Kevin Hayes, faking right and shooting a rising puck that gets past Bishop! pic.twitter.com/l50RNrHFre
The New York Rangers winger produced a third of his entire scoring production from all of last season with his shifts Sunday night, recording the third hat trick of his career in a 6-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
As part of skilled top nine in New York, Grabner has produced five goals in his first nine games after totaling nine in 80 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It's unrealistic to expect Grabner to threaten his career-best total of 34, but he's well on his way to reaching double digits for the first time in three seasons.
Artem Anisimov also scored to extend his career-best point streak to seven games. He has six goals and five assists during the run.
Toews got his first goal of the season - the Chicago captain had just three assists in the Blackhawks' first eight games. Hossa scored into an empty net with 1:10 remaining.
Hossa was honored in a pregame ceremony for becoming the 44th player with 500 goals, a milestone he reached on Oct. 18.
The Blackhawks killed both of Los Angeles' power plays and for the first time in nine games didn't allow a power-play goal.
Crawford earned his 20th shutout, and the Kings were blanked for the second straight game. Los Angeles concluded a two-game Midwest swing after losing 1-0 in regulation at St. Louis on Saturday.
Crawford wasn't heavily tested in this one, but stopped Kyle Clifford point blank with 2:35 left following a turnover. Tyler Toffoli had two good chances in the third.
Kings coach Darryl Sutter remained stuck on 599 wins. Sutter launched his coaching career with the Blackhawks following eight seasons with them as a forward and ranks 14th in NHL coaching victories and fifth among active coaches.
Sutter has more than 100 wins with each of the four teams he's coached - Los Angeles, Chicago, San Jose and Calgary.
The Blackhawks had four power-play chances in the first period and Toews connected on the first one at 6:54 to give Chicago a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Toews' wrist shot from the top of the right circle beat Budaj on the glove side while Kings defensemen Jake Muzzin and Tom Gilbert screened Budaj.
Anisimov made it 2-0 from the left edge of the crease with 6:30 left in the second, set up after Hossa threaded a pass across the crease. Anisimov didn't quite handle the feed cleanly but controlled the puck with a quick move and chipped it over Budaj.
NOTES: Hossa held his daughter Zoja while being honored and got a big reaction from the crowd when the 2-year-old pinched his nose and then waved while the scoreboard camera zoomed in. ... Los Angeles D Brayden McNabb, who suffered an upper body injury in Saturday's 1-0 loss in St. Louis, sat out Sunday. Kings D Matt Greene, a healthy scratch since the second game of the season, was in the lineup. ... Blackhawks rookie D Gustav Forsling missed his second game with an upper body injury. ... Chicago rookie C Vincent Hinostroza, a scratch for the last four games, returned. ... Blackhawks F Andrew Desjardins, out since blocking a shot in Chicago's exhibition finale on Oct. 8, has resumed skating.
UP NEXT:
Kings: Host Anaheim on Tuesday to start a three-game homestand.
Blackhawks: Host Calgary at the United Center for the second time in eight days.
Jake Gardiner scored for the Maple Leafs and Jhonas Enroth finished with 30 saves. Toronto lost its sixth straight on the road (0-3-3).
After Gardiner scored 50 seconds into the third to pull the Maple Leafs to 2-1, Prince and Bailey scored 2:39 apart to stretch new York's lead to three.
The Islanders honored former fan-favorite Matt Martin with a video tribute during a stoppage in the opening period. It was the first time Martin played against them since signing with Toronto in the offseason.
You remember Cash, the fan decked out in Washington Capitals gear in Edmonton who Alex Ovechkin dumped a stick over the glass for? Well, he and his family have taken the 8-year-old's birthday celebration out on the road with the Capitals.
Because a game-used stick simply wouldn't suffice for a loyal supporter (who could just as easily lay his allegiances with that Connor McDavid fella), Ovechkin invited Cash and his family a couple hundred miles or so south to be in attendance for Sunday's game versus the Calgary Flames.
Remember Cash from Edmonton? @ovi8 invited him and his family to come to tonight's game in Calgary and they'll meet after the game! #Gr8pic.twitter.com/q43mZK3NoX
Though he's at the end of one of the least productive first months to a season of his career, Jonathan Toews will carry momentum into November.
The Chicago Blackhawks captain stepped in and whipped a wrist shot over the shoulder of Peter Budaj on a power-play opportunity versus the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday, scoring his first of the season in his ninth game.
Toews' maiden goal last season came in his eighth game. He ended up with 28.