Britain's Andy Murray continued his singles comeback with a first-round win over Argentina's Juan Ignacio Londero at the Shanghai Open.

Murray, competing after accepting a wildcard, lost the opening set before recovering to win 2-6 6-2 6-3.

"I got better as the match went on - I had to start going for my shots a bit more," the 32-year-old said.

He reached his first singles quarter-final in more than a year at the China Open earlier in October.

Murray, who has won the title in Shanghai on three previous occasions - in 2010, 2011 and 2016 - improved after a difficult opening set in which he was broken twice by the world number 56.

The three-time Grand Slam winner took the second set though after breaking in the Argentine's first and last service games of the set.

Murray, who improved throughout the contest, broke his opponent's serve twice in the final set to ensure his victory.

The Scotsman, who is now ranked 289th in the world, will face a second-round match against Italy's world number 12 Fabio Fognini, who won his first-round match against American Sam Querrey.

WEST SALEM, Wis. – Using a somewhat planned, methodical march to the front, Ty Majeski captured the ARCA Midwest Tour 200 super late model race that highlighted the 50th annual Oktoberfest Race Weekend at LaCrosse Fairgrounds Speedway Sunday afternoon.

Majeski, the 25-year-old driver from Seymour, Wis., who has been a dominant presence in late model racing for the past five years or so, drove his Toby Nuttleman-prepared Ford Fusion to the win at the five-eighths mile paved oval, scoring the second Oktoberfest 200 victory of his career – the first coming in 2016.

Working hard to become a full-time racer in NASCAR competition, Majeski started 11th in the 28-car field after qualifying fourth fastest earlier in the morning.  Saturday’s Oktoberfest racing was completely rained out with Sunday’s program featuring some six hours of racing.

Young Carson Kvapil jumped into the lead at the start from his front row pole starting position.  The early laps had Kvapil showing the way, being chased by Erik Darnell, Gabe Sommers, Jacob Goede and Mathew Henderson with Majeski seventh.  Slowly but surely, Majeski seemed to take his time, moving up a position after position, getting into the top five and then third.

Kvapil was the race leader until experiencing a steering problem and getting high up against the wall in turn two to bring out the race’s second caution flag.  Darnell inherited the top spot only to see Majeski take the lead after a double-file restart.

Darnell got by Majeski to secure the lead and held it until the mid-race mandatory pit stop.  It was the same story on the restart – Majeski taking the lead with Darnell quickly coming back into the number one position.

With the race winding down, a number of yellow flags flew with the red flag even being displayed for a major track cleanup.  On a restart with less than 20 laps to go, Majeski raced by Darnell for the lead.  Dan Fredrickson was on the move using a different pit/tire strategy to propel him to the front.

A single file restart with 10 laps or so to go saw Majeski out front with Fredrickson cutting his way past cars and eventually finishing second behind Majeski with Darnell coming home third and Jonathan Eilen fourth.

A fifth place finish gave Casey Johnson enough points for him to win the ARCA Midwest Tour series championship.   Last year’s race winner Andrew Morrissey, Goede, Austin Nason, Sommers and Henderson rounded out the top 10.  Kvapil came back to finish 15th and was named the series’ rookie of the year.

“It was a great race and obviously I had a good battle with Erik Darnell,” said Majeski.  “I played my cards right today. I knew I had a really, really good car at the drop of the green flag.  I was trying to be real patient and take positions as they came, maintaining a pace to keep tires on it.  I saved enough there at the end for the last restart to get by Erik.  I knew Fredrickson was on a little bit different strategy.  My only strategy (at the end) was to get out and build a big enough lead so he (Fredrickson) couldn’t get there.”

In other action, Nick Egan led early in the Big 8 Late Model feature, but Justin Neisius powered under Egan to take the top spot on lap three. Despite a couple early yellow flags for spins, Neisius broke away from the field on the restart.

Nick Clements would get up to second by lap 10, and started to challenge Neisius for the lead. Clements tried to go high and tried to look low, but Neisius stood his ground and held onto the lead. As Niesius started to pull away, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series National champion Jacob Goede and Nick Panitzke would loom large in his rear view mirror.

Goede disposed of Clements for second on lap 18, and Panitzke dropped Clements another spot on lap 21. Goede powered around Niesius to become the new leader on lap 23. Three laps later it was Panitzke now in second and in pursuit of Goede. Yellow flew with four to go for Riley Stenjem’s spin in turn two, and that changed the complexion of the race with a double wide restart.

Goede pulled away over that four lap shootout to claim his second Big 8 win in three races. Michael Bilderback drove to an eighth place finish, but it was good enough to lock up another Big 8 series championship.

Other winners on Sunday included Dan Gilster (Mid-American Stock Car Series), Brandon DeLacy (Midwest Dash Series), Woody Pool (Upper Midwest Vintage Racing Series) and Frank Kreyer (crate 602).

The finish:

Ty Majeski, Dan Frederickson, Erik Darnell, Jonathan Eilen, Casey Johnson, Andrew Morrissey, Jacob Goede, Austin Nason, Gabe Sommers, Matthew Henderson, Derek Kraus, Billy Mohn, Michael Sauter, Chris Weinkauf, Carson Kvapil, John DeAngelis Jr., Justin Mondeik, Dillon Hammond, Luke Fenhaus, Tim Springstroh, Jason Weinkauf, Paul Shafer Jr., Rich Bickle Jr., Michael Ostdiek, Skylar Holzhausen, Johnny Sauter, Dean LaPointe, Nick Murgic.

SUZUKA, Japan – Honda driver Naoki Yamamoto has been tabbed by Scuderia Toro Rosso to practice one of their cars during lead up to the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Int’l Racing Course.

Yamamoto is the reigning champion in both Super Formula and Super GT in Japan. He will replace Pierre Gasly in the opening practice of the weekend, with Gasly returning to the car for the remainder of the weekend starting with the second practice.

“First of all, I would like to thank Scuderia Toro Rosso, Red Bull and of course Honda for giving me this great opportunity,” Yamamoto said. “I am delighted that I will get to drive a Formula One car this weekend, something which has been a dream of mine since I was a kid. To get this chance at Suzuka, a very important circuit for all Japanese racing drivers, in front of such a big crowd of Japanese fans, will make the experience even more special. I have prepared as well as possible for this, spending time as part of the Toro Rosso team at several Grand Prix weekends and I have also worked in the Red Bull simulator.

“My main aim in FP1 will be to do a good job for the team, gathering data and information which will be useful for them over the weekend. On a personal note, I want to enjoy the experience of driving an F-1 car as much as possible and I will be trying my very best to get the most out of it. It will be a special moment and I’m glad I will get to share it with the fans at this amazing race track, where I first watched Formula One cars in action 27 years ago.”

“We are very pleased to have a Japanese driver here in Suzuka driving our STR Honda, and we are sure that Naoki san will enjoy the laps in FP1 on one of the greatest race tracks in the world,” said Team Principal Franz Tost. “He is a talented driver, being the reigning champion in Japan’s two most important race series, and he also knows the Suzuka circuit very well. Naoki san has spent several European races as part of our team this year, getting to know the engineers he will work with this weekend and he has also spent time in our simulator. I am sure that all the fans in the grandstands will enjoy seeing a Japanese driver taking part in the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.”

SANTA ANA, Calif. – Yokohama Tire, Competent Motorsport and Porsche Motorsport North America are partnering on two Porsche-specific race series in 2020.

Yokohama is the title partner and exclusive tire provider for the Porsche Sprint Trophy USA West and Porsche Air-Cooled Cup USA series, as well as the Porsche Sprint Trophy USA West Invitational, which consists of a select number of special events that will take place on the east coast.

The ADVAN A005 race slick is the spec tire for all the events.

“We’re looking forward to supporting a talented field of drivers, Competent Motorsport and working with Porsche Motorsport North America again next season,” said Andrew Briggs, Yokohama Tire’s vice president of marketing and product management. “This new venture with Competent Motorsport and PMNA fits perfectly within our motorsports strategy and continues to fortify Yokohama as a key supplier for another exciting Porsche one-make series.”

Yokohama is also the sponsor and sole tire supplier for The Porsche Pikes Peak Trophy by Yokohama, as well as the IMSA-sanctioned Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama and the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama.

“With an existing alliance in the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA & Canada, the expansion of Yokohama’s presence in the Porsche Sprint Trophy USA West series will be a catalyst for accelerating continuity and growth for our current one-make racing programs in North America,” said Rob Owen, one-make program manager, Porsche Motorsport North America.

The Porsche Sprint Trophy USA West features a full field of Porsche racing platforms from the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Cayman GT4 Clubsport cars to the newly announced Porsche 911 GT2 RS Clubsport. The series consists of multiple car classes, including: The Platinum and Platinum Masters Class (Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup), Gold Class (Porsche 991.1 GT3 Cup), Diamond Class (991.1 GT3 R and 997 GT3 R), Emerald Class (Porsche 991.2 GT3 Cup MR), Silver Class (Porsche Cayman GT4 Clubsport SRO and Clubsport Comp) and Bronze Class (Porsche GT4 Clubsport with Trophy Kit and Clubsport MR).

The Porsche Air-Cooled Cup USA series features four classes consisting of Porsche 964/993 Cup cars, Porsche 3.0/3.2L G series cars, Porsche Spec 2.0L platforms, as well as an Exhibition Class for air-cooled track-prepared cars, (non-turbos) to participate in sprint races.

“We are coming around full circle with the return of Yokohama Tire as our new title partner for 2020!” said Gregory Franz, founder and president of Competent Motorsport LLC. “There is excitement for our teams and drivers to experience the performance of the Yokohama tires on the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and Cayman GT4 Clubsport cars, along with the GT3Rs and GT3MRs. Sanctioned by PMNA for 2020, we will also run the newly released Porsche, 911 RS Clubsport in the Porsche Sprint Trophy USA West Series. We will bring back our Porsche Air-Cooled Cup USA Series to expand our opportunities for air-cooled drivers across the US. These are all great Porsche track platforms for Yokohama to show their tires at their best on the track. We look forward to an exciting 2020 race season with new venues and classes introduced in the coming weeks.”

CONCORD, N.C. – Alabama Roofing Professionals will sponsor Spencer Boyd and Young’s Motorsports in Saturday’s NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Experts in both residential and commercial roofing, the home-state crew is offering local NASCAR fans a free estimate for their roofing needs.

“I’m proud to represent a local company that does honest work,” said Boyd.  “This group of blue collar workers is exactly what our sport is about.  They work hard and play hard.  It’s an honor that they chose me to represent them in their first NASCAR race.”

Alabama Roofing Professionals offers new roofs, roof inspections, roofing repairs, and a variety of other services to cater to the needs of every customer in the Alabama area.

“Spencer is our kind of people,” states Mike Parlier, owner of Alabama Roofing Professionals. “We knew that by partnering with him, we’d reach a ton of people in our state and beyond.  He is such a great representative for his current sponsors that we had to join his team.  And just like what we do for our customers, we’ve got Spencer covered at Dega.”

Hockey is back, so we asked our NHL insiders some burning questions around the league about what you can expect this season, including bold predictions for the campaign, surefire breakout candidates and which lottery teams could be headed back to the playoffs. Let's dive in.

What is your bold prediction for the 2019-20 season?

Greg Wyshynski, senior NHL writer: The Vancouver Canucks make the playoffs. No, it hasn't been the best start, but I have faith in that young core of stars -- Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Bo Horvat and now Quinn Hughes -- as long as they stay relatively healthy. And I have faith in Travis Green, one of the league's more underrated coaches, to figure out the lineup. And I actually quite like their goaltending this season. The Pacific Division already looks to be as wildly unpredictable as expected, outside of the Vegas juggernaut. So why not Vancouver?

Emily Kaplan, national NHL reporter: The Ottawa Senators are sold. Rumors circulated this weekend -- and were quickly debunked -- that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was looking into purchasing the Senators. That's not happening. However, Senators owner Eugene Melnyk has been saddled with debt, lawsuits and scandal, including now a U.S. casino suing Melnyk or $900,000 in damages after he allegedly tried to pay debts with five "dishonored" bank drafts in 2017. I do believe there is enough pressure mounting for Melnyk to put the team up for sale.

Chris Peters, hockey prospects analyst: Mark Stone wins the Hart Trophy. I don't think Stone is going to be the top scorer in the NHL which would make it a lot easier to also win the Hart, but I think he's going to end up being the best player on one of the league's best teams. The Golden Knights are looking like the team to beat in the West, and Stone is already rolling. He's the player who puts this team over the top, and that will be evident throughout the season.

Dimitri Filipovic, hockey analytics writer: The Winnipeg Jets won't make the playoffs. I'm not sure how bold this is after all of the negative buzz they received as the summer progressed, but I believe the perception of the team still far exceeds its current reality. At the moment, the Jets are without four of their top five defenders from last season and are relying on a number of players who have either never done it or have already shown us no reason to believe they can do it in patching up those holes. They still have the talent up front to stay in games and win their fair share of high-scoring shootouts, but it's stunning how quickly they've gone from contender status to the playoff bubble.

Rick DiPietro, radio host and former NHL goalie: The Toronto Maple Leafs finally get past the Boston Bruins in the playoffs. They had their opportunity last year with a 3-2 series lead headed back to Toronto, but again came up short, losing the final two games of the series. The additions of Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci to go along with Morgan Rielly will help to shore up their defensive zone. Auston Matthews should flirt with 50 goals, while John Tavares and Mitch Marner will build off last year's great regular seasons. All of this will get the Maple Leafs home ice advantage in the series and in the perfect situation to slay their postseason dragon.

Victoria Matiash, fantasy hockey analyst: Despite the wobbly start, the Dallas Stars will finish atop the Central Division. The offseason acquisition of Joe Pavelski coupled with Roope Hintz's anticipated maturation finally rounds out Dallas' top-six in offering a legit one-two punch. The (largely unheralded) depth signing of Andrej Sekera helps steady the blue line. The Ben Bishop/Anton Khudobin goaltending tag-team is one of the best in the league. This team will bust through the 100-point plateau this season, bettering Colorado, St. Louis and Nashville.

Who is your surefire breakout player?

Wyshynski: Cale Makar, D, Avalanche. It's not exactly an off-the-board pick since many believe he'll end up with the Calder Trophy, but nonetheless. He's poised to be the breakout player of 2019-20, not only as a supremely talented offensive defenseman but also as the quarterback of what will end up being one of the NHL's most lethal power plays this season. Cale Caesar, indeed.

Kaplan: Kaapo Kakko, RW, Rangers. I liked this quote from Rangers coach David Quinn: "With Kaapo, even if he's not great on certain nights, he's not going to be bad. That makes him a pro. I don't think he's going to have bad nights. I think 'OK' is going to be his 'bad.' And if that's the case, he's going to have a hell of a career." In the small sample size, Kakko has looked calm and composed. The 18-year-old could have the most goals for a rookie since Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin entered the league.

Peters: Samuel Girard, D, Avalanche. Though Makar is deservedly getting a lot of attention on the Avs, Girard has already grown into a top-pairing player for the club. He's a dynamic talent who defends well and can make plays to aid the Avs' breathtaking transition game. He only had 27 points last season, his second full campaign in the league, but with his ability to get pucks to one of the best forward groups in the league, I only see his totals growing over the next few years, starting with a breakout in this one. Girard can also play a little more care-free now that he has a seven-year, $35 million extension all set to kick in next season.

Filipovic: Roope Hintz, LW, Stars. He already flashed his ability on a beautiful breakaway goal against the Bruins in the season opener, and there should be a lot more where that came from. He's going to get a chance to either play down the middle with someone like Alexander Radulov or slide up to Tyler Seguin's wing on the top line. The Stars really need him to keep producing, which means he has the ideal combination of opportunity and talent to break out this year.

DiPietro: Dylan Strome, C, Blackhawks. Drafted third overall and expected to be a star on some bad Arizona teams made for a less-than-ideal situation for Strome to flourish. But being able to learn and grow alongside the likes of Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith and Patrick Kane could propel Strome to a 30-goal, 80-point season.

Matiash: Victor Olofsson, RW, Sabres. He is going to be a lot of fun to watch under new Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger. Skating on Jack Eichel's wing and gifted with a dynamite shot, the 24-year-old is going to put up some serious numbers in his first full NHL season: Maybe not the near point-per-game pace he pulled off last season in Rochester, but not far off, either.

Which 2018-19 lottery team now has the best chance to make the playoffs?

Wyshynski: Florida Panthers. Scoring hasn't been the issue here. Stopping the puck has. Sergei Bobrovsky goes a long way towards fixing that, but so does the structure that coach Joel Quenneville will give this team. The Atlantic Division has two teams with little shot of being competitive this season (Ottawa and Detroit) and two teams that the Panthers are, in theory, better than (Montreal and Buffalo). It's a wild-card play, as they aren't breaking into that top three, but they should make the playoff cut, although putting faith in the Panthers to make the playoffs in a season of high expectations has been, shall we say, problematic in the past.

Kaplan: Montreal Canadiens. And this isn't just recency bias from their thrilling, 6-5 come-from-behind shootout win over the Maple Leafs this past weekend (though I'd take that matchup in the playoffs...). Montreal now has young, exciting talent in the top-nine, plus a goalie in Carey Price who is more than capable of carrying it down the stretch. I see the Canadiens making it as the Eastern Conference's first wild-card team.

Peters: Arizona Coyotes. If they can stay healthy, that is. The Coyotes are off to a rough start, but I look back to the way they closed out last season despite all of their bad injury luck as a preview for what they can be this year. The Coyotes had the 11th best record in the NHL after Jan. 1 last season. Now they have Phil Kessel, a healthy Nick Schmaltz, a potentially healthy Antti Raanta and some young new faces like Barrett Hayton to boost the offense and make the most of an especially deep defense corps. The Yotes have the tools to be better, and I don't view the Pacific as a particularly strong division this season.

Filipovic: Philadelphia Flyers. If they've taught us anything over the years, it's to not trust them, but things appear to have lined up nicely for them this season. They presumably won't have to use eight different goalies again, Kevin Hayes fills an important need for them down the middle despite his ghastly contract and the combination of Shayne Gostisbehere and Ivan Provorov should be significantly more effective than it was last season. Plus, Alain Vigneault has a strong track record of coming in and squeezing results out of his new teams before his message begins to wear thin.

DiPietro: Florida Panthers. The additions of a three-time Stanley Cup champion coach Joel Quenneville and a two-time Vezina-winning goalie Sergei Bobrovsky should be exactly what this team needs to qualify for the playoffs. The Panthers scored 264 goals last season, which put them at ninth in the NHL, and that number should only go up with a healthy Vincent Trocheck. Protecting leads in the third period and keeping the puck out of their net were the Panthers' biggest problems. Quenneville and Bobrovsky should go along way in correcting those.

Matiash: New York Rangers. They are significantly better with Artemi Panarin, Kaapo Kakko and Jacob Trouba aboard. Mika Zibanejad looks ready to go full-tilt nuclear this season. So as long as the tandem of Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev can keep it together in net, the Rangers should have little issue finishing top-three in the Metropolitan division.

What team would you like to see win the Stanley Cup?

Wyshynski: Nashville Predators. The real answer might be the Tampa Bay Lightning, because I have a growing concern that the Bolts are going to be up as one of the most supremely talented teams in NHL history that never earned the chance to hoist the chalice, but at least their franchise has captured it before. It's been a real kick to see Stanley Cup newbies like the Capitals and Blues send their respective franchises and fan bases into a state of heretofore unseen levels of euphoria. We've already seen the party in Nashville just for making the Cup final. What does that party look like if they actually win it?

Kaplan: Carolina Hurricanes. They're fun, and I'm not just talking about their Storm Surge celebrations. For the last year-plus, this team has been bucking NHL conventions and has enough young, budding stars who make them a must-watch. They have the league's deepest blue line, plus a trio of 25-year-and-under forwards that are a treat to watch in Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov. I am concerned about their goaltending, though, especially since goaltending coach MIke Bales, who got the most out of Carolina's netminders last year, left for Buffalo.

Peters: Tampa Bay Lightning. It seems like they've been on the cusp for long enough and now have the bitter disappointment of last season's ouster as motivation. Having followed Jon Cooper's career for a long time, I think this is the longest he's gone without a championship, too. He's a really good coach, and I always enjoy when people follow non-traditional routes to success at the highest level. I also don't have a ton of patience for the Lightning becoming the new Capitals, where we're constantly asking if they can win the big one. If they don't find a way to win it, and soon, there's no stopping that narrative.

Filipovic: Colorado Avalanche. It's likely one year too early for them, but whenever you have a player of Nathan MacKinnon's caliber you have a fighting chance. I like to see smart team building rewarded, and the Avalanche have been putting on a masterclass on how to do it over the past 24 months. They already have a good team, but they've given themselves an opportunity to keep improving it by staying financially flexible and accumulating premium assets. Getting out of the Central Division will be an absolute bloodbath which makes it difficult to put too many expectations on them, but seeing them make another extended run after how fun they were last postseason would be delightful.

DiPietro: San Jose Sharks. Who doesn't want to see 40-year-old veteran Joe Thornton finally get a chance to hoist the Stanley Cup? This could be their year.

Matiash: Toronto Maple Leafs. It's been so rough for so long. Now all the pieces finally appear to be in place, patiently and smartly acquired through the draft, free-agent signings or trades. A Stanley Cup title would serve as the ultimate follow-up to last spring's NBA championship run by the Toronto Raptors. Truly, the city would lose its collective mind. Fun -- and not far-fetched.

Name one player who will be dealt by the trade deadline.

Wyshynski: Tyler Toffoli, RW, Kings. He's a pending unrestricted free agent with some exceptional offensive seasons in his past and some versatility on the wing -- and he only turns 28 next April. But most of all, he plays for a Kings team that, while valuing the player, probably wants to start transitioning some of their forward spots to the next wave.

Kaplan: Rasmus Ristolainen, D, Sabres. Trade talk has been brewing surrounding him for some time. (Ristolainen has declined to tell Buffalo reporters whether he requested a trade or not). The 24-year-old had a strong first two games, and if he continues, that could boost his value even more. I also think Henri Jokiharu could be a breakout candidate, and his presence on the right side could allow general manager Jason Botterill to pull the trigger on a trade.

Peters: Jack Johnson, D, Penguins. The rumors have been swirling for a while, and Johnson doesn't have no-trade protection. The term left on his contract is probably going to require a lot of creativity from Jim Rutherford to get it done, but the Pens need to make sure they have ample room for the contracts they have to get done next season.

Filipovic: Jimmy Howard, G, Red Wings. This one is kind of cheating, but I may as well make sure that I get at least one correct here. The contract he signed last season all but ensures it'll happen: A one-year deal with no trade protections, which provides him with an extra $1.1 million playoff bonus. Since neither he nor the Red Wings could possibly believe that would be realized in Detroit, it signals a wink-wink agreement between the two that he'll eventually be sent to a contender. With all of the questions some good teams in San Jose and Calgary have in net at the moment, there should be some interesting landing spots for him that materialize between now and the deadline.

DiPietro: Ron Hainsey, D, Senators. He was signed by Ottawa this offseason to provide veteran leadership in a very young locker room. The Senators are not a playoff team and come trade deadline time, there will be teams with Stanley Cup aspirations looking to add a reliable former Stanley Cup champion defenseman to their back end.

Last season was frustrating for everyone on the Detroit Red Wings roster. After the 25-year playoff streak ended, 2018-19 marked the third straight season of finishing near the bottom of the standings as the franchise transitions into rebuild mode.

It was especially difficult for veteran defenseman Mike Green.

The 33-year-old was coming off a major neck surgery. Then he missed training camp and the beginning of the season due to a virus attacking his liver. Green was cleared and played 43 games, and then the virus reactivated, and doctors shut him down in the beginning of March.

"Honestly, it was bizarre," Green said last month. "It was just weird."

"Just to look at our record with him and without him," teammate Dylan Larkin said. (The Red Wings were 20-19-4 with Green in the lineup. They went 12-21-6 in his absence.)

"He's a huge part of our locker room and a huge part of how we play," Larkin added. "It got to the point where we weren't concerned about hockey. We were concerned about his life. Not that he was dying, but his life after hockey, and if he was going to be OK. Seeing what he went through -- I hope no player would have to go through that."

Jump ahead:
Emptying the notebook | The big question
Three stars of the week | Biggest games this week

Green dealt with a neck injury the past two years but battled through it. He then missed seven games in February 2018 -- right around the time the team considered trading the defenseman for picks. Green underwent surgery on his cervical spine in March 2018.

"The neck surgery went well," Green said. "And I was right on track to be ready for last season. I got back into the gym at the right time. But I did push myself pretty hard to get back into shape. I was pushing myself hard because I needed to have a good season. I kind of wore myself out a bit."

Before training camp, Green felt like he needed to sleep at all hours of the day. Any time he exerted himself, he became exhausted within minutes.

At first, he thought it was related to the neck surgery and not being able to get a full offseason of normal training.

"I tried to push through," Green said. "And it just killed me."

Blood work revealed a virus running through his body. An infectious disease specialist explained to Green that he had an enlarged liver and high viral loads. The symptoms were similar to those of mono.

Green was away from the team for nearly a month. "He was pretty wiped out," Larkin said. "He would come down to the rink when he was feeling up for it. He's such a nice guy, he felt like he should be there, even though he didn't have to be."

By early October, Green began skating again, and he was cleared to play by the end of the month (though he was instructed to use his own water bottle). "I felt good," he said. "Then we had these big road trips, and games piled together, and it just drained me. I couldn't recover. I got tested again, and the viral loads were back. I tried playing a little longer, but my body wasn't performing."

That time, Green was "shut down completely." Doctors instructed him not to walk, "not to do anything, just rest," Green said. He didn't have much of an appetite. "And if I did eat, it wasn't coming out right," he said. Green lost between 12 and 15 pounds.

"Even at the worst times, I never thought that this could be it for my career," Green said. "Maybe, subconsciously, I did. Maybe because of my age. But I did as much research as I could, and I knew I was going to get over it. It wasn't life-threatening. Honestly, the s---tiest thing about it was that the only thing I needed to do was rest. They said these things can take three months, six months, a year. I was like, 'Well, I can't have this be a year.'"

By mid-June, Green started to train again -- walking, jogging, ramping it up slowly. It wasn't until late July that he really felt better. He has been a full participant for the Red Wings since the start of camp this year, and he feels as healthy as ever.

Green's contract and $5.375 million cap hit expire at the end of this season. He loves it in Detroit but is firmly aware of his place on the team.

"The game is getting a lot younger," Green said. "The value is in potential, as opposed to experience. As an older guy, you need to prove yourself at a high level in this league. Because it is competitive, and the demand to win now is extremely high. You just can't hold on to the fact that you're an older guy and have that experience level. That doesn't make you secure."

Larkin notes that especially with Niklas Kronwall retiring, Green plays an important role for the Red Wings "because we have so many young guys who need to play big roles." Green said he has enjoyed getting to know 2019 first-round pick Moritz Seider -- 15 years his junior -- during training camp and giving him a few tips since they are both right-handed defensemen.

Green said that lately he has begun thinking about what he'd like to do after hockey. It will probably involve something with mentoring kids. He doesn't have his own foundation, but he has partnered with many youth-focused charities. As for when he'll retire, Green said: "I want to play for as long as I can at the level needed. [I'll retire] when the negatives outweigh the positives for the whole picture -- family, myself, my body -- or there isn't room for me anymore, one of the two."

It has been an interesting time in Red Wings history since Green landed in Detroit. He arrived for the end of the playoff streak, and the team hasn't been very good for most of his time. "We've had some transitions where some of the older guys have retired, and we're trying to expedite the young guys taking over," he said. "It's all part of the process, the mentality and behind the scenes of building a team. But in a short period of time, or at least quicker than most people think, there will be a winning hockey club here. That's because I see the degree of work ethic this group has." Green, like many players in Detroit, expressed optimism that things might turn around a bit more quickly now that GM Steve Yzerman is in the fold.

Green finished with this: "Listen, I believe in miracles. There's a great chance of winning here. You look at teams like St. Louis last year. They were in last place. Look at Tampa -- prior to their runs in the playoffs, they didn't make the playoffs the year before. So whether you want to call those miracles or what, anything can happen is what i'm trying to say. I believe in this organization, this team, these guys. We all want to win."

Emptying the notebook

I asked Green what he thinks when he looks back on his time in Washington. He began his career with the Caps in 2005 and was part of some excellent regular-season teams that never realized expectations in the playoffs. He left for the Red Wings in 2015. "I think of a young group of guys that were elite players but didn't have a whole lot of guidance or mentorship," he said. "We were these young guns that ran around and played the game, had fun. We were talented but didn't understand the culture and mentality it takes to really win. I think it's showed up there now. They won, and everything has to fall into place for you to win as a club. But it took a lot longer than it needed to with the talent, organization, ownership, management that was there."

Green cheered for Washington during its Stanley Cup run (especially since the Red Wings were not in the playoffs). "I was rooting for them to win because of the roller coaster that they had been on over the years," he said. "I was happy -- not only for the guys that were still there -- but for the city, for the fans. They were wanting it so bad 10 years ago. Actually, probably longer than that."

The St. Louis Blues will visit the White House on Oct. 15. I'm told that once the team received the invitation, there wasn't much of a discussion about whether to go. The team views it as an honor and a rite of passage as champions. The Blues will be making a special trip to Washington; it doesn't coincide with a visit to the Capitals. They tacked the trip on the end of a road trip, following a game at the Islanders on Oct. 14. It's interesting to note that the Blues have the most Canadian-heavy roster in the league. In fact, there are only three Americans on the team right now: Zach Sanford, MacKenzie MacEachern and Justin Faulk (who likely won't make the trip because he wasn't on the team last season).

I asked Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford this week what he thought of his goalie situation. "I feel good, really good because I thought I was going to lose [Casey] DeSmith on waivers," he said with a smile. "And now we have depth. We have [Emil] Larmi, the guy we signed from Finland. He's a young goalie we really like a lot. We've got [Alex] D'Orio, who just came out of juniors. He's playing pro now. To have that extra depth in goal if something goes wrong is important. Or there's the possibility of someone getting into goaltending trouble and paying one of those guys what he's worth."

Starter Matt Murray, 25, will become a restricted free agent this summer. I asked Rutherford whether he is concerned about Murray's health and if it's why the team hasn't worked out a long-term deal yet.

"No, I'm not concerned about anything with Matt," Rutherford said. "He's in a good place. He went through a lot, OK. There's nobody who understands this -- I don't even understand it, but I'll speak to it -- but it's the type of pressure he was under the first two years. So in '16, he carried us all three series. And then in '17, he got hurt, and [Marc-Andre] Fleury won the first two series, and Murray won the last two. So the pressure of that, winning those back-to-back Cups at such a young age. And then we have to move a goalie out [in the expansion draft], so Fleury leaves. He's alone now. He doesn't have that veteran guy to work with and be there, knowing that he's there.

"So now he's the No. 1 goalie, he's adjusting to that, and then he loses his dad. And he's going through all those things that nobody understands. Remember, he's still fairly young. He's gone through those things. He's learned from them, and he's in a really good place."

The big question: Is scoring going to continue to trend up this season?

There have been gradual increases in scoring each of the past four seasons. Last season, the NHL averaged more than six goals per game for the first time since 2005-06.

Through 33 games this season, we're at 6.22 goals per game, up from 6.02 last season.

I asked Rutherford this week if he expects another scoring uptick: "I think it should continue to rise," the Pittsburgh GM said. "The goalies got better and better. The equipment got bigger, the players didn't have as much to shoot at. And now the players are coming at them from a different way. They're always looking for an open guy, trying to get the goalie moving laterally, trying to make the goalie work a little bit harder. And it's opened the scoring up, and I'd expect it would continue."

Three stars of the week

1. Mika Zibanejad, C, New York Rangers

With four goals and eight points, the Rangers' de facto captain has the most points through the first two games of a season since Jaromir Jagr in 1995-96. Can we talk about how adorable this moment was? All class.

2. John Gibson, G, Anaheim Ducks

New season, same story. Gibson is a brick wall shouldering the load for a team that is in transition. Gibson turned away 67 of 69 combined shots against the Coyotes and Sharks to lead the Ducks to a 2-0 start.

3. Auston Matthews, C, Toronto Maple Leafs Just call him Mr. Opening night. The 22-year-old American has scored in each of his four season openers to begin his career, totaling eight goals. Matthews has five goals in his first three games to open 2019-20.

Honorable mention: Anthony Mantha, RW, Detroit Red Wings. Yeah, he had himself a game on Sunday night, with his fourth goal of contest serving as the game-winner with 53.3 seconds left:

What we liked this past week

Something we're excited about becoming a league-wide trend: NHL teams adopting service dogs in training. The Washington Capitals are the latest. Meet Captain, who, indeed, is a very good boy and has already bonded with the Caps' other captain:

View this post on Instagram

The pup-arazzi loves me. Was I nervous? Yeah I think I peed a little.

A post shared by Captain (@capspup) on Oct 5, 2019 at 1:55pm PDT

The yellow Labrador will be with Washington for 14-16 months for basic and socialization training.

An update on another good boy: Barclay, who joined the Blues in December -- as they hit the nadir, before their turnaround -- was supposed to go into service this season but will stay with the team a bit longer than expected.

This post by Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson on Friday was truly heartwarming:

View this post on Instagram

To my beautiful wife for doing everything in her power to bring our beautiful little baby girl in to this world, never have I met a more determined or stronger person than you. It hasn't been easy but after the rain finally our little rainbow arrived. Love you both more than I could ever imagine.

A post shared by Erik Karlsson (@erikkarlsson65) on Oct 3, 2019 at 6:16pm PDT

Karlsson and his wife, Melinda, lost their son as a stillbirth a month before his due date in March 2018. Congrats to the couple on the birth of their daughter.

Cool scene captured by the Maple Leafs: The moment John Tavares found out he was named captain:

"It's a real honour. I won't ever take it for granted." #LeafsForever

The Leaf: Blueprint Moment presented by @Molson_Canadian. pic.twitter.com/6eyYUXQhvg

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 2, 2019

Mike Babcock referring to Tavares' crying baby as "fired up" is quality hockey content.

What we didn't like this past week

Dallas Stars defenseman Roman Polak was chasing a puck in the corner and took an awkward crash into the boards on Thursday. He had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher and transported to a nearby hospital.

The crowd fell silent, and Bruins players respectfully took a knee as trainers attended to Polak. The discussion on the NESN broadcast, however, was disturbing.

"That looked self-induced, didn't it?" color commentator Andy Brickley said.

Replied veteran play-by-play announcer Jack Edwards: "Has a little bit of bad hockey karma."

Polak's agent, Allan Walsh, ripped Edwards on Twitter:

Per the Stars, Polak suffered a small fracture of his sternum and will be evaluated again in a week.

Games of the week

7 p.m. ET Monday: St. Louis Blues at Toronto Maple Leafs

Everyone wants a chance to take down the champs. The big, heavy Blues take on perhaps the NHL's most explosive offense. This one should be juicy.

10 p.m. ET Tuesday: Boston Bruins at Vegas Golden Knights (ESPN+)

The Golden Knights are looking like the juggernauts of the West (or, at the very least, the class of the Pacific Division). The Bruins are that same dangerous team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final four months ago.

7:30 p.m. ET Friday: New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes (ESPN+)

It's a rematch of last spring's second-round playoff series, a sweep by the Canes. The defensive-minded Islanders will surely be looking for revenge.

Quote of the week

"I'm disappointed for [our fans] to show up and waste their time and money to watch that."

-- New Sharks captain Logan Couture's blunt assessment after the Sharks fell to the Ducks 3-1, on Saturday. The Sharks have scored three goals in their first three games and are 0-3-0 for the second time in team history.

Kevin Na defeated Patrick Cantlay on the second hole of sudden death to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Here's a look inside his bag.

DRIVER: Callaway GBB Epic (9 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD GP-6 TX shaft

FAIRWAY WOOD: Callaway Epic Flash Sub Zero (13.5 degrees), with Mitsubishi Diamana BF 70 TX shaft

HYBRID: PXG 0317X GEN2 (19 degrees), with Graphite Design Tour AD DI 95X shaft

IRONS: Callaway Rogue Pro (4), Apex Pro 16 (5-PW), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

WEDGES: Callaway Mack Daddy 4 (50, 54 degrees), Titleist Vokey Design 2018 Tour prototype (60 degrees), with True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts

PUTTER: Odyssey Toulon Madison

BALL: Titleist Pro V1x