Preseason rarely decides anything, but it never fails to hint at trends. The Sept. 22 slate brought a bit of everything the NHL preseason is loved and loathed for: big-name debuts in new sweaters, a goalie tandem slam of a shutout, a power-play that already looks dialed in, and a rebuilding team that skated like it had something to prove.
In Montreal, a headline newcomer logged heavy minutes and looked the part; in Columbus, Buffalo’s reset in net paid off immediately; in Raleigh, Tampa Bay’s depth chipped in while a home debutant settled in; and in Anaheim, an influx of energy turned into a runaway. It was only NHL preseason, yes, but the rhythms resembled real hockey.
| Game | Result | Standouts |
|---|---|---|
| Penguins at Canadiens | Montreal won 2–1 (SO) | Noah Dobson debut; Sam Montembeault 20/21; Sean Farrell & Oliver Kapanen SO goals. |
| Sabres at Blue Jackets | Buffalo won 4–0 | Alexandar Georgiev 16-save debut; Devon Levi combined shutout; goals from Bowen Byram, Beck Malenstyn, Jack Quinn, Konsta Helenius. |
| Lightning at Hurricanes | Tampa Bay won 2–1 | Mitchell Chaffee 1G-1A; Jonas Johansson 30/31; Logan Stankoven PPG; Cayden Primeau Canes debut. |
| Mammoth at Ducks | Anaheim won 6–1 | Matthew Phillips two goals; Drew Helleson 1G-2A; Petr Mrazek 25 saves in Ducks debut; Kreider and Granlund first games. |
Montreal’s new pillar: Noah Dobson’s first impression as a Canadien
If you tuned in for one story, it was Noah Dobson’s first skate with the bleu-blanc-rouge. Twenty-four minutes and change of ice time says the staff is already trusting him as a fulcrum. Five shots on goal, steady exits, and calm puck movement said the spotlight didn’t rattle him.
Signed to a long deal and then flipped to Montreal in June, the 25-year-old steps into a role that blends top-pair responsibility with power-play orchestration. The NHL preseason doesn’t demand perfection, only signals, and Dobson sent a clear one: he can carry minutes and still push pace. Montreal edged Pittsburgh 2–1 in a shootout, and while the goals won’t count in April, the blueprint does.
The Canadiens’ shootout heroes, Sean Farrell and Oliver Kapanen, gave the Bell Centre a first taste of their poise. Owen Beck’s third-period equalizer felt like the kind of greasy goal this roster will need to manufacture when the schedule tightens. In the crease, Sam Montembeault turned aside 20 of 21 before Jacob Fowler closed the door with 13 saves, a friendly reminder that the internal competition behind the starter can be a strength rather than a worry.
On the other side, Tristan Broz’s power-play finish and a solid tandem effort from Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov were bright notes for Pittsburgh’s pipeline. It’s NHL preseason, but there’s nothing trivial about prospects surviving their first pressure shifts in a loud building.
Buffalo’s first look: new faces, familiar plan, and a clean sheet
You don’t overanalyze a shutout in September, but you do appreciate the process. The Sabres brought in Alexandar Georgiev on Sept. 11, and in his first dress rehearsal he gave them exactly what they needed: composure, economy, and two periods of 16-save calm. Devon Levi did the rest. The combined 4–0 against Columbus looked like a clinic in layered defending with opportunistic finishing.
Bowen Byram’s second-period opener, Beck Malenstyn’s rebound goal, Jack Quinn’s empty-netter, and a late dagger from Konsta Helenius showcased a distribution of offense the franchise has sought for years. For a team chasing its first playoff ticket in more than a decade, the NHL preseason is about muscle memory, habits, and trust; on all three fronts, Buffalo passed night one.
Columbus found stops from Jet Greaves after he replaced Elvis Merzlikins, but the flow tilted too consistently toward blue and gold. The encouraging wrinkle for Buffalo wasn’t just the scoreline; it was who touched the puck. Owen Power’s shot that created the Malenstyn rebound, Michael Kesselring’s secondary helper in his debut, and Josh Doan getting on the stat sheet are the kinds of contributions that fortify a long season. If the Sabres can replicate that spread of involvement when the calendar flips, the NHL preseason glow will have real staying power.
Tampa Bay’s depth says hello while Carolina calibrates
Mitchell Chaffee didn’t wait long to make a point. A goal and an assist, including a deft touch on the power play, pushed Tampa Bay to a 2–1 road win that felt like a depth-chart announcement. Emil Lilleberg chimed in with a goal, Conor Geekie helped twice, and Jonas Johansson swallowed 30 of 31 shots. For a club that knows what its stars can do, the NHL preseason focus is the mid-six forward battle and the third-pair minutes. On both counts, there were checks in the right boxes.
Carolina’s night was hardly a setback. Logan Stankoven’s late power-play deflection had the building bouncing, and Cayden Primeau’s debut featured 17 saves and a few firm stops through traffic. Primeau arrives via a tidy summer deal, and his technical work will be watched closely as the Canes navigate preseason reps with roster competition at multiple positions. The takeaway felt familiar: Carolina’s structure gives new faces a landing pad, and in the NHL preseason that platform tends to stabilize quickly.
In Anaheim, a wave becomes a win
Six goals in a NHL preseason game can be noise. Six goals created by a pattern—defense activating, young legs pushing, new signings blending—start to sound like music. Anaheim’s 6–1 romp over the Utah Mammoth included two from Matthew Phillips, three points from Drew Helleson, a rip from Beckett Sennecke, and a smooth 25-save debut from Petr Mrazek.
The puck support and east-west seams weren’t accidental. With Chris Kreider drawing attention in his first Ducks game and Mikael Granlund feeding rushes in his, Anaheim looked organized and enthusiastic, the exact combo a new-look roster wants to show fans before the real grind begins.
Utah’s lone goal came from Dylan Guenther, and if you’re tracking their transition, that detail matters. Guenther’s release and confidence frame the identity the Mammoth will try to build around. Karel Vejmelka and Jaxson Stauber split the load in net on a tough night. There’s a long preseason road ahead, and the value for Utah will be in trimming the odd-man rushes and sharpening zone exits that fed Anaheim’s rush. Even in a lopsided result, NHL preseason tape can be gold for a staff looking to hard-wire fixes.
What these early looks actually suggest
Strip away the dates and labels and focus on the ingredients. Montreal used mobility on the back end to turn defense into transitions and leaned on goalies who look comfortable in a time-share. Buffalo executed a patient, layered defensive plan while sprinkling offense across its lineup. Tampa Bay proved again that internal competition is a performance enhancer, and the Hurricanes saw a new goalie find his feet without the wheels wobbling. Anaheim unveiled a speed-plus-structure template, while Utah, though chasing, saw which details need polish.
The NHL preseason exists to answer questions. Can a new cornerstone defenseman shoulder tough minutes immediately? Can a team with playoff aspirations breathe easier about its crease after adding a veteran? Can depth pieces translate training-camp buzz into game influence? Can a reshaped roster generate offense through layers and not just star power? On this night, the answers leaned optimistic for the winners and instructive for the rest.
The quieter stories hidden in the box scores
Look inside the small moments. Dobson’s five shots aren’t a coincidence; they reflect a green light from the bench and a willingness to jump into lanes. Buffalo’s second goal came off a rebound created by a point shot and traffic—bread-and-butter hockey that wins in March. Tampa Bay’s first tally arrived with one second left in the first period, a timing punch that flips a dressing-room mood.
Anaheim’s run featured defensemen activating below the dots, and that’s not happening without trust in the third forward to cover. These are the wires you look for in NHL preseason games, because they tell you how a staff wants to play when the standings matter.
Who raised their hand the highest?
If you’re stacking star turns, a combined shutout in a debut, a multipoint night for a role forward, and a defenseman shouldering 24 minutes jump to the top. Georgiev didn’t need to play hero; he needed to look predictable in a good way, and he did. Chaffee’s 1-and-1 gives Tampa Bay another option to trust when injuries or matchups call for lineup shuffles. Dobson validated the gamble that he can be a top-pair centerpiece in Montreal. Phillips’ finishing in Anaheim gives the Ducks an early-camp jolt. It’s NHL preseason, but earning a coach’s next look is the whole point.
What coaches will circle on the whiteboard tomorrow
For Montreal, it’s the early puck-touches for Dobson and the comfortable goaltending handoff. For Pittsburgh, it’s power-play patience and teaching young attackers to recognize seam windows more quickly. Buffalo will talk about controlling the middle and not letting a lead open the door to sloppy exits. Columbus, despite the score, can pull tape on Greaves’ relief work and offensive-zone recoveries. Tampa Bay will show clips of wall battles won by depth forwards.
Carolina will appreciate the late surge and show Primeau’s best reads to build on. Anaheim will stress how defensemen joined without surrendering control, while Utah will attack the neutral-zone gaps that sprung Ducks rushes. All of that is classic NHL preseason work: refine, repeat, reinforce.
Why this night matters more than a typical September slate
The calendar says September, but the urgency is real. Camp battles are finite, and these windows are where a rookie wins trust or a veteran on a PTO earns the next contract. Teams trying to flip long-term narratives—Buffalo’s playoff pursuit, Montreal’s blue-line identity, Anaheim’s rebuild acceleration—need proof of concept to sell in the room. The NHL preseason gives them neutral-site scrimmages in front of paying fans, and a night like this crystallizes what’s working. The scores won’t carry over; the habits will.
The human side of a preseason shift
What you don’t see in a highlight pack is the conversation on the bench. A veteran leaning over to remind a rookie of a faceoff detail. A goalie nodding after a blocked shot. A coach tapping a defenseman’s shin pad after a tough shift because he liked the read even if the puck bounced. From Montreal to Raleigh to Columbus to Anaheim, the NHL preseason is made of these small validations that tell a player, “That’s the right idea.” On Sept. 22, there were plenty of those moments, and they explain the energy you felt on the ice as much as any goal did.
What to track from here
For Montreal, watch how Dobson’s minutes distribute as special teams reps ramp up. For Buffalo, keep an eye on the rotation and communication between Georgiev and Levi as the staff maps out back-to-backs. For Tampa Bay, track which depth forwards keep surfacing on scoring plays when the opposition dresses more regulars. For Carolina, look at Primeau’s puck-handling and rebound control against A-lineups. For Anaheim, note how often the defense activates against teams that forecheck nastier than NHL preseason visitors sometimes do. For Utah, the development curve for Guenther and the goaltending rhythm after a heavy night will be telling.
Bottom line
One night doesn’t crown contenders or sink hopefuls. But Sept. 22 offered a useful collage of what’s to come. Montreal’s big addition looked like a fit. Buffalo’s goaltending plan gained an early foothold. Tampa Bay’s ecosystem of contributors passed a first stress test. Anaheim flashed a potent blend of youthful pace and seasoned savvy. The NHL preseason isn’t about banners; it’s about belief. And belief, as every coach will tell you, is built one good night at a time.
FAQs
What is the biggest storyline from Sept. 22?
The most significant storyline was Noah Dobson’s debut for the Canadiens. He logged more than 24 minutes, generated five shots, and looked comfortable as a top-pair driver in Montreal’s 2–1 shootout win over Pittsburgh. It’s a small sample, but for the NHL preseason it was a high-value data point.
Did the Sabres’ new goaltending setup pass its first test?
Yes. Alexandar Georgiev stopped all 16 shots he faced in two periods, with Devon Levi completing a combined shutout in a 4–0 win at Columbus. For a team seeking stability, that’s precisely the tone-setter the NHL preseason is designed to provide.
Which depth player made the loudest case?
Mitchell Chaffee recorded a goal and an assist in Tampa Bay’s 2–1 win at Carolina, while Jonas Johansson turned away 30 of 31 shots. Early chemistry like that can cement roles before opening night, especially in the NHL preseason when opportunities are amplified.
What stood out in Anaheim’s 6–1 win?
Energy and structure. Matthew Phillips scored twice, Drew Helleson had three points, and Petr Mrazek stopped 25 in his Ducks debut. With first looks at Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund, Anaheim showed a blueprint that marries pace with responsibility—an encouraging NHL preseason signal.
Do these results predict regular-season performance?
Not directly. Coaches are experimenting with combinations, and opponents often dress mixed lineups. But the habits—forecheck layers, breakouts, special teams—to which teams commit in the NHL preseason do tend to show up when the games count. This slate featured several such habits worth tracking.
