The Hockey News Morning Skate: Golden Knights Storm Back Vs. Maple Leafs, Saros Stands Tall vs. Canadiens

Welcome to The Hockey News Morning Skate, where we give a quick recap of all the action from the NHL every weekday morning so you stay up to date.

There were 20 teams in action across Thursday's 10-game slate with a ton of superstars making their mark, highlighted by Logan Stankoven's first career hat trick and Mikko Rantanen's four-point effort.

Let's run through the biggest storylines that emerged from last night's games, and make sure to check out the video version of this story above.

Everything looked great for the Toronto Maple Leafs after scoring three goals in the opening 10 minutes of their difficult three-game road trip, but the Vegas Golden Knights answered with three goals of their own and held the Maple Leafs in check in the process. The Golden Knights outshot the Maple Leafs 21-8 in the second period and ultimately forced overtime and the shootout, with rookie Trevor Connelly sealing a 4-3 win.

If there's one silver lining for Maple Leafs fans in this loss, it's that Sergei Bobrovsky might have single-handedly earned them a point. The 38-year-old made 40 saves and has come as advertised in his short tenure in Toronto, ultimately putting together a performance that was good enough to earn his first win as a Maple Leaf.

The Nashville Predators also put together a comeback of their own on Thursday, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre with five straight goals. 

Juuse Saros made 32 saves for the Predators, and the veteran netminder has made the most saves out of any goaltender so far this season (120). He's posted a .916 save percentage while starting all four of their games.

Logan Stankoven led the way for the Carolina Hurricanes with his first career hat trick, scoring an even-strength, power-play, and short-handed goal to secure a 7-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Meanwhile, Mikko Rantanen dominated with the Dallas Stars with a four-point effort in a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Both players were 

Both players were famously traded for each other two seasons ago in a blockbuster deal that sent shockwaves throughout the NHL. It's doubtful that GM Eric Tulsky thought his Hurricanes team would be getting better when parting ways with Rantanen, but Stankoven was a key part in the team's Stanley Cup run last season.

As for Stars GM Jim Nill, he's also probably happy with how things have turned out. Dallas hasn't reached their ultimate goal, but Rantanen has been a key offensive contributor throughout the regular season and playoffs and his value will only be reinforced if they can't come to terms on an extension with winger Jason Robertson beyond this season.

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