Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper returned to winning ways on Saturday night by shutting out Connor Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks with 23 saves in a 6-0 victory. The experienced netminder had suffered three consecutive losses, including one against Chicago on Thursday. He was in danger of dropping four consecutive starts for the first time in 2025-26. Kuemper has been in fine form throughout the campaign, posting a 2.24 goals-against average with a .914 save percentage and two shutouts. However, due to L.A.'s scoring woes, Kuemper's record stands at 9-6-5. The Kings are ranked 27th in goals per game with 2.68.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers bagged a season-high three points in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators. He netted a power-play marker in the opening frame and set up Jackson Blake for a pair of goals. After becoming a regular 60-point scorer in Winnipeg, Ehlers has not quite hit the same heights with his new club. In 27 games, he has posted six goals and 19 points. The Danish forward must improve his scoring pace to record a third consecutive 60-point campaign. Ehlers and the Hurricanes will return to action on Sunday against the San Jose Sharks, who allow 3.35 goals per game.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin had a special outing on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, tying a franchise record with his 25th career shutout in a 2-0 win. Sorokin and Tampa's Jonas Johansson kept the game tied until the 12:48 mark when Calum Ritchie opened the scoring on the power play. Sorokin finished with 32 saves, joining Glenn Resch at the top of the Islanders' shutouts list. It was Sorokin's third shutout of the season, putting him behind only Jesper Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild (4). The Islanders' No. 1 has a 10-8-2 record, a 2.47 goals-against average, and a .912 save percentage. In his next start, Sorokin will attempt to post his first four-game winning streak since January-February of this year.

Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett played a huge role in Saturday's high-scoring 7-6 overtime victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring the game-winning goal and delivering three assists. Bennett, who posted a new season high with four points, ended the game with just two ticks left in overtime. His entire line was on fire, as Brad Marchand also had four points (one goal, three assists) and Carter Verhaeghe finished with three points (two goals, one assist). After a sluggish start to the campaign, Bennett has started to look like his old self lately, going scoreless only twice in his past nine outings. During that span, he has produced three multi-point performances. Overall, Bennett has managed 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 27 games.