Dallas aims for a 4th straight win to open 2025-26 as they host Vancouver at American Airlines Center. The 3-0 Stars lean on strong home-ice structure and solid goaltending after last season’s 50-26-6 mark, including a 35-13-3 home record, to push for another clean start.

Vancouver sits at 1-2 after a 5-2 loss to St. Louis in which Kiefer Sherwood scored twice. Benn is out with a collapsed lung and Duchene is day-to-day, while the Canucks bring depth scoring and a 233-goal pace from last season on about 25.5 shots per game in search of a better road showing.

Duchene is day-to-day after a third-period hit from Minnesota’s Jake Middleton, keeping him questionable for Thursday’s Dallas-Canucks game. Dallas is thin up front with Benn out a month and Bäck sidelined, pressuring lines and special teams as the Stars host Vancouver.

Duchene scored Dallas’ second-period goal earlier, and the ensuing Petro–Middleton skirmish shifted momentum. Gulutzan stressed the high hit and the need for Dallas to adapt without key forwards as they navigate an injury-riddled start to the season.

Calgary’s third-period collapse dominates early-season chatter as the Flames drop to 1-3-0 after allowing two quick Vegas goals early in the third, erasing a pair of early leads. The team’s defensive gaps and a struggling finish raise questions about the rotation and goaltending, with Calgary’s stars pushing for answers as they prepare to face a back-to-back slate to start the year.

The Golden Knights capitalized on Calgary’s missteps, while Jack Eichel supplied scoring punch and the Vegas crease benefitted from relief netminder Akira Schmid. Calgary’s top line showed flashes, but the finish and transition game need tightening, or more games like this will pile up early in the season.

With injuries and roster shuffles shaping the early narrative, the Flames must regain footing quickly to avoid repeating last season’s late-period struggles. Vegas’ pace and finish stand out as the blueprint teams will study as Calgary searches for consistency and a solid defensive game in front of its evolving goaltending plan.

British Columbia’s Mariners fans celebrate a 2-0 ALCS edge over Toronto, turning cross-border chatter into a broader baseball moment as Mariners games become more accessible and the underdog story resonates across Canada.

Personal tales—from Vancouver to Victoria—highlight a fresh, fantasy-friendly narrative: a scrappy Seattle club pushing to finish the job, with cross-border loyalties reshaping how Canadian fans engage with playoff ball.