Around the NHL: Byram's hat trick, Caufield's OT winner, Skinner's Jets debut

Eight preseason games on Monday, one hat trick, one Hockeyville overtime winner and a couple of comebacks that had nothing to do with the score. Here's what mattered.

Byram's first night in Chicago was a hat trick.

Bowen Byram scored three times in his Blackhawks debut, including the overtime winner 29 seconds in, as Chicago beat Minnesota 4-3, per The Hockey News. He scored in the second, again 24 seconds into the third, then ended it right off the opening draw of overtime. Bobby Brink had two for the Wild, the first 15 seconds into the game.

Ferda read: a defenseman with a preseason hat trick is a preseason stat, but Jeff Blashill now has a blueliner who can carry the puck. That changes what Chicago's breakout looks like.

Caufield does it again at Hockeyville.

Cole Caufield tied it on the power play at 11:59 of the third and won it at 3:19 of overtime as Montreal beat Ottawa 3-2 in Trois-Rivières, per NHL.com. Two nights earlier he beat Toronto with a goal in the final 38 seconds.

William Eklund scored his first as a Senator after June's trade from San Jose, and Ottawa played its first game since dealing Brady Tkachuk to Florida.

Ferda read: Caufield in September is just Caufield. Ottawa's new-look top six has a pulse, which is something.

Skinner's Winnipeg debut goes about as well as it could.

Stuart Skinner stopped 31 of 32 as the Jets beat Colorado 3-1, with Gabriel Vilardi, Cole Perfetti and Dylan DeMelo scoring, per NHL.com. The crowd gave him ovations before the anthem and after. "Honestly, just the love from the fans," Skinner said.

Ferda read: Winnipeg opened camp without Connor Hellebuyck, and the building needed a reason to breathe. One start doesn't fix a goalie situation. It does buy a week of quiet.

Hughes wins it late for the Devils.

Jack Hughes scored at 17:48 of the third as New Jersey beat the Rangers 3-2, per NHL.com. Nico Hischier and Timo Meier also scored, and Anthony Mantha and Luke Evangelista made their Devils debuts. Dylan Garand made 28 saves for New York.

Ferda read: the Devils' big offseason pitch was depth behind Hughes and Hischier. Nice to see the new guys in the lineup. Nicer that the old guys still scored.

Kulich and Danforth are back in Buffalo.

Pittsburgh beat the Sabres 4-1 on Bryan Rust's goal and two assists, but the story in Buffalo was two returns.

Jiri Kulich played his first game since a blood clot ended his season after 13 games last year, and Justin Danforth returned from a broken kneecap that limited him to four games, per the Sabres. "I haven't played for a year," Kulich said, per NHL.com.

Ferda read: 19:39 of ice time in your first game back is the coaching staff telling you they believe. That's the ferda story of the night.

Around the rest of the league.

Washington beat Philadelphia 5-2 in Hershey with Jonny Brodzinski scoring twice, per NHL.com, on a night Spencer Carbery returned to the barn where he won AHL coach of the year.

Columbus beat Detroit 1-0 in a shootout on Conor Garland's winner after Jet Greaves stopped all 16 shots he saw. Dallas edged St. Louis 2-1 on goals from Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist, per the NHL's scoreboard.