Byram goes -2 in over 25 minutes of ice time in a 5-2 Hawks loss to Vegas
The five games on the opening night of the 2026-27 NHL regular season was a display of hockey that reflected teams that were still in preseason mode, based on how disjointed and out of sync the clubs performed in their openers. The contest between the last two Stanley Cup winners; the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers was a 1-0 sleeper, ended by Gustav Forsling’s slapshot with five seconds left in overtime.
Three of the four other contests featured former Buffalo Sabres. Defenseman Bowen Byram made his Chicago Blackhawks debut against former Sabres captain Jack Eichel and the Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas. Byram played over 25 minutes in the contest, leading Chicago in ice time, but went pointless and was -2 on the night.
Chicago’s two goals had a Buffalo connection, as Patrick Kane scored in the first game of his return to the Hawks, and former Sabres forward Jordan Greenway tallied his debut. Greenway, who was part of the Byram deal, had one goal in 40 regular-season games with the Sabres last season. Ex-Sabre Jack Eichel had three points in the win, and winger Victor Olofsson had a tally in the victory.
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In the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 loss to Montreal, defenseman Jake McCabe narrowly avoided serious injury. McCabe left the game in the first period after colliding with Habs forward Josh Anderson, who appeared to cut McCabe in the ankle area with his skate. The blueliner did not return for the rest of the period, but came back in the middle frame.
Another former Sabre, winger JJ Peterka, made his mark in return to the Atlantic Division with the Boston Bruins, scoring a highlight reel goal in the Bruins 3-0 shutout of the New York Rangers. The 24-year-old, who was obtained by the Bruins from Utah for a pair of first round picks, deked past Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider and beat goalie Igor Shesterkin for his first for the Beantowners.
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