Read Btwn Recap: Last Week in the NHL, Oct. 12-18

In week two of the NHL season, the Sabres and Islanders earned their first wins, the Panthers and Bruins are on a losing streak, the Oilers just can’t get started, and the Kraken are demanding overtime in almost every game. Read on for a recap of last week in the NHL. 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Mackenzie’s Eastern Conference Stars of the Week: Cole Caufield (MTL) 4G, 1A, 5P +4; Seth Jarvis (CAR) 3G, 2A, 5P +4; Alex Lyon (BUF) 2.43 GAA; .929 SV%, 1 SO

Metropolitan Division 

Pittsburgh Penguins (4-2-0)

The Pens had a similar week two to their week one showing. The team had two wins and a loss on their three-game road trip. A 4-3 loss to the Ducks wasn’t exactly pretty, but the team kept their composure to earn a 4-2 victory against the Kings. Goaltender Tristan Jarry earned his first shutout of the season during Saturday’s game against the Ducks. The team is facing the Canucks and Panthers next week, so they will truly be put to the test. 

Carolina Hurricanes (5-0-0)

The Canes are the only team in the league to have not lost a game yet. Starting off their Western road trip last week, Carolina earned two easy wins against the Sharks and Ducks. Their challenge came on Saturday against the Kings. The Kings were able to drag the Canes to OT, but ultimately lost when Seth Jarvis scored the winner. Jarvis is off to a fantastic start to the season, tallying six goals and two assists in five games. He is tied for second in the league for goals. Shayne Gostisbehere (LBI) was injured on Saturday but will remain on the road with the team.

New York Rangers (3-3-1)

The Rangers have yet to score a goal at home, making NHL history. On the road, the team is doing okay, earning a point in an overtime loss to the Leafs and handing the Canadiens their first home regulation loss since February. The team isn’t dead in the water though, with Mika Zibanejad having a solid start to the season and looking like his pre-Covid self. The team has two home games this week… hopefully Blueshirt fans will hear their beloved goal song for the first time this season. 

New York Islanders (2-3-0)

The Islanders finally won a game! After being the only team in the league to not earn a point, the Islanders defeated a disjointed Oilers team to get a 4-2 win at home on Thursday. Continuing the momentum, the Islanders earned a 5-4 win on Saturday in Ottawa, thanks to a hard-earned goal from Anders Lee. Alexander Romanov (UBI) is day-to-day and will be a game-time decision on Tuesday.

Columbus Blue Jackets (2-3-0)

The Blue Jackets had a rough start to their homestand, losing to the Devils and Avs on Monday and Thursday, respectively. A win on Saturday against the Lightning will hopefully give the team some forward momentum heading into week three. Thankfully, the team does sit near the top of the league in shot production, they just need to get some pucks into the net. Miles Wood (UBI) will likely be out for a bit, but Erik Gudbranson (UBI) is day-to-day.

Philadelphia Flyers (2-2-1)

The Flyers are not off to a bad start. On Monday, they earned their first win and sent the Panthers into a tailspin. Sean Couturier had a great night with four points, but the whole team looked awake and strong. A 5-2 loss against the Jets shouldn’t leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth: the team played decently, but the Jets are a strong contender right now. An overtime win against the Wild should give the team some faith heading into week three. Notably, or not notably rather, Matvei Michkov is having a slow start to the season. He needs to pick up soon for the team to feel complete. 

Washington Capitals (4-2-0)

The Capitals looked solid through week three. With all three games resulting in a win, the team has to be feeling good. Aliaksei Protas leads the team with four goals and Tom Wilson leads with nine points. Despite not having the highest stats in the league, the Capitals are continuing the strength of last season. Alex Ovechkin currently sits only two goals away from 900. With three games remaining in week three, will this be his time to shine? The Caps have placed Pierre-Luc Dubois (LBI) on injured reserve. 

New Jersey Devils (4-1-0)

After over 1000 days, The Devils have finally won four games in a row! The loss to Carolina seemed to be a blip and the Devils have recorded four straight regulation wins, even in games against strong opponents, like the Panthers. Jack Hughes is having a strong comeback from injury, scoring the first home goal for the team on Thursday against the Panthers. Jesper Bratt, Hughes’ regular linemate, is also having a great start, recording seven points in five games. The Devils have three games this week, all of which are winnable. Jacob Markstrom was injured on Monday’s game against Columbus and Stefan Noesen (LBI) has practiced with the team and is looking solid.

Atlantic Division

Florida Panthers (3-4-0)

After a stellar start to the season, the Panthers have taken a bit of a slide the last week. They lost their first game to the Flyers on Monday, though the Flyers really earned their win. Throughout all four games, the Panthers struggled on the power play and took quite a few penalties. A shutout loss to the Sabres was particularly painful, failing to convert on seven power play attempts. Dmitry Kulikov (UBI) underwent surgery last week and will be out for at least five months. 

Boston Bruins (3-4-0)

The Bruins also took a tumble last week after a three-win streak to start the season. While the losses were to strong opponents—the Lightning, Golden Knights, and Avalanche—the team needs to find a way to bounce back. The Bruins do have a solid penalty kill at the moment, ranked sixth in the league. And while the kill is strong, the Bruins need to take less penalties. Boston is looking at two strong teams on paper this week and is set to face the Ducks on Thursday, though Anaheim has been producing as of late.

Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-1)

The Leafs split their week in week two, but earned points in three games. The Leafs had an overpowered showing against Nashville, scoring seven goals. Auston Matthews had a good week individually, scoring his 14th overtime winner against the Rangers, which tied him for most in franchise history. The Leafs are also looking strong in scoring overall, with the whole team taking part in production. The Leafs currently stand at third in the league for goals scored. 

Ottawa Senators (2-4-0)

The Sens aren’t having a great start to the season. An 8-4 loss to the Sabres—their first win— likely felt a bit demoralizing. Allowing the Islanders their first win two games later was also not great. The team appears to be clicking on paper, but just can’t seem to keep games going in their favor. The Senators do have a top ten power play but their kill is 31st. The team, overall, has room to improve and will likely face some challenges in week three. Brady Tkachuk will be out for 6-8 weeks after having an issue with a ligament in his thumb. 

Montreal Canadiens (4-2-0)

The Canadiens have continued their positive trend from the first week, winning two games in week two and losing to the Rangers in close fashion. Cole Caufield is having a great season so far. He has scored two overtime winners, five goals total, has three assists, and is +3 for the season. Captain Nick Suzuki leads the team in assists with seven. Overall, the team has great vibes and is looking forward to increasing their point title. Kirby Dach and Patrik Laine (both LBI) are day-to-day. 

Tampa Bay Lightning (1-3-2)

The Lightning are certainly struggling to start this season and there doesn't seem to be a reason why. The team has only won one game, against the Bruins, but didn’t look great on the stat sheet. The team is top ten in both power play and penalty kill. The team is struggling with shot production as a whole. The Lightning only have two games this week, both of which they are expected to win. Nikita Kucherov is day-to-day. 

Detroit Red Wings (5-1-0)

The Red Wings currently sit at the top of the Atlantic Division. It is possible that the Yzer-plan is finally working. After losing their first game, the team has been on a solid winning streak. Throughout the week, not only was the team scoring, but their blocked shots total was stellar. Patrick Kane (UBI) is day-to-day, which may affect the team’s production.

Buffalo Sabres (2-3-0)

The Sabres appear to be on the up-and-up since winning their first game against the Senators. An 8-4 win shocked many. The Sabres had a 100% efficacy rating for the game, scoring on all three power play chances. Alex Lyon found himself shutting out his old team in a 3-0 win against the Panthers on Saturday. The Sabres have taken quite a few penalties in their wins though. Josh Norris (UBI) has been placed on injured reserve. Jacob Bryson is out on concussion protocol. 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Breanna’s Western Conference Stars of the Week: Scott Wedgewood (COL): 3-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .954 SV%, Nick Schmaltz (UTA): 3G, 2A, 5 PTS, +5, Mark Scheifele (WPG): 4G, 0A, 4 PTS, +1

Central Division

Colorado Avalanche (5-0-1)

The Avs remain one of four teams left in the NHL who have not lost in regulation yet. Colorado won all three games played this past week, outsourcing opponents 11-3 in that span. Although the contests were against the Sabres, Blue Jackets and Bruins which aren’t the most difficult of opponents, the Avs have continued to play dominant hockey. One thing they do need to work on is their power play which went 0-for-10 over the last three games. Nathan MacKinnon (4G), Cale Makar (2G, 2A), Martin Necas (1G, 3A) and Artturi Lehkonnen (4A) all posted four points over the last three games and Gabriel Landeskog recorded his first regular season points since March of 2022!

Minnesota Wild (2-3-1)

The Wild have lost three in a row and are struggling to score. Minnesota has been outscored 12-4 in this current losing skid and have only scored more than once in just one of those three games. In the 5-1 loss to Dallas on October 14, the Wild put up 41 shots on goal. In the two losses since, they have mustered a measly 30 combined shots. The penalty kill is also in a rough spot, having allowed three power play goals against on nine times shorthanded (66.7%). In a tight Central Division, the Wild need all the points they can get to make the playoffs but they currently sit dead last after just six games played.

Dallas Stars (3-2-0)

After that commanding 5-1 win over the Wild, the Stars have dropped their last two contests against Vancouver (5-3 L) and fellow Central Division rival St. Louis (3-1). The usual suspects for Dallas have been producing despite the losses though. Wyatt Johnston (2G, 2A) and Roope Hintz (1G, 3A) lead the way with four points each and Mikko Rantanen (2G, 1A) and Jason Robertson (3A) follow right behind with three points. Dallas takes on Columbus and the struggling Kings next so they should be able to get right back to their winning ways in no time.

Nashville Predators (2-2-2)

The first three games of the season gave Predators fans hope as the team seemed to be off to a better start than they had been in the previous year which ended up being a disaster. But that hope was short lived as the Preds have now dropped three straight games and sit just one point above Minnesota for the last spot in the Central. Nashville lost a high scoring affair to the Leafs on October 14, fell 3-2 in overtime to the Canadiens at the hands of Cole Caufield two days later and lost 4-1 to the Jets on Saturday. The good news for the Predators is that they head back home to open a five-game homestand that has them playing the Ducks, Kings and Lightning which should hopefully guarantee a win or two.

Winnipeg Jets (4-1-0)

The Jets have seemingly not missed a step from their Presidents’ Trophy winning season. After losing the season opener, they have rattled off four straight wins and continue to prove they can be a Cup contender. This week, they defeated the Islanders, Flyers and Predators and outscored their opponents 14-5 in that span. Connor Hellebuyck is still the same Vezina winning goaltender, winning both games he was in net for and posting a 1.50 GAA and .938 SV%. Leading the scoring is Nino Niederreiter who has collected two goals and five assists over the last three games and Mark Scheifele with four goals which allowed him to pass Blake Wheeler for the most career points in Jets/Thrashers franchise history. The Jets take on the Flames (twice) and the Kraken this week which should only add to their win total on the season. 

Chicago Blackhawks (2-2-2)

No one expected the Blackhawks to be good this season, but they have definitely shown major strides forward in the rebuilding process. This week, Chicago earned five of the possible six points available by defeating the Mammoth 3-1, taking down the Blues in an insane 8-3 win and then falling just short in the shootout to the Canucks. While the scoring over those three games has been led by Ilya Mikheyev, Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi, all eyes are on Chicago’s young stars like Frank Nazar, Connor Bedard and Lukas Reichel. Spencer Knight has been lights out so far this season and over the last week, went 1-0-1 with an impressive 1.44 GAA and .944 SV%. The future has seemingly arrived in Chicago and the team might not be playoff ready just yet, but they have shown lots of improvement so far.

Utah Mammoth (3-2-0)

Watch out for the Mammoth! Despite falling 3-1 to the Blackhawks to start the week, Utah picked up two dominating wins against the Flames and Sharks. At the center of it all though is the Mammoth’s strong core. Nick Schmaltz might’ve flown under the radar last season, but he’s making his presence known this season as he netted a hat trick (the second in Utah franchise history) in the 6-3 victory over the Sharks and has collected a total of five points over the last three games. Captain Clayton Keller picked up a goal and three assists in the same game as he makes his push to be on Team USA’s Olympic roster. The two became the first pair of teammates in franchise history to record four point performances in the same game. Utah’s upcoming schedule could be tough, but they’ve proven to be a lot of fun this season and are quite resilient.

St. Louis Blues (3-2-0)

The Blues have had a bit of a rollercoaster season so far. They are scoring a lot, but are not stopping anything from going in their own net. Over the last week, St. Louis earned wins over Vancouver (5-2) and Dallas (3-1) but also fell 8-3 to Chicago between those contests. Jimmy Snuggerud is living up to the hype as he’s netted three goals over the last three games which is the most on the team and four other players have posted three points in the same span. Unless they can keep up the offensive surge while also managing to be tighter on defense, it will be a difficult season for the Blues in a very competitive division. St. Louis takes on the Kings and Mammoth in their next two games which will take place at home.

Pacific Division

Vegas Golden Knights (4-0-2)

Vegas is still Vegas. The Golden Knights have rattled off three straight wins over the Flames (home and home series) and the Bruins this past week and have been scoring like it’s going out of style. Over the last three contests, Vegas has outscored their opponents 16-8 and have been lethal on the power play (45.4%). The offense has been driven by Jack Eichel, who has posted a whopping three goals and five assists in three games, Mark Stone (2G, 6A) and newcomer Mitch Marner (2G, 4A) who has seemingly found his footing in Vegas. Stone did leave Saturday’s contest with an apparent wrist injury and there has been no update on his status. Vegas is also still missing Brett Howden (day-to-day) and Noah Hanifin (day-to-day).

If you are struggling with the recent decision the Golden Knights have made, here are some resources to use and organizations to support.

https://www.raliance.org/rape-crisis-centers/ 

https://rainn.org/help-and-healing/ 

https://canadianwomen.org/the-facts/sexual-assault-harassment/ 

https://www.thetrevorproject.org/resources/guide/how-to-support-lgbtq-survivors-of-sexual-violence/ 

Vancouver Canucks (3-2-0)

The Canucks went 2-1-0 this week as they grabbed two wins over the Stars and Blackhawks, but started out the week with a loss to the Blues. Unlike a lot of other teams in the West, Vancouver’s offense this week was led by three players, two of which are defensemen. Conor Garland led the way with a goal and two assists followed by the team’s top D-pair of Quinn Hughes (1G, 2A) and Filip Hronek (3A) who both collected three points each. The Canucks’ penalty kill is the biggest issue as they allowed four power play goals against on 10 times shorthanded (60.0%), but the bright spot for the team has been the goaltending tandem of a healthy Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen. Vancouver will finish up their current road trip this week with games in Pittsburgh and Nashville.

Seattle Kraken (3-0-2)

The Kraken are living life on the edge. So far this season, all but one game has needed extra time to determine a winner which is all good until we get to the push for the playoffs and those loser points become the reason the team doesn’t make the postseason. This week, the Kraken fell 5-4 in overtime to the Canadiens, 4-3 in the shootout to the Senators and then picked up a 4-3 overtime win against the Leafs. While the games have been tight, something that has clicked for Seattle over the last three contests (and this season as a whole so far) has been the power play. The team had scored three power play goals on nine opportunities over the last week which puts the Kraken in a tie for the fifth best power play in that span. Seattle takes on Philadelphia, Washington and Winnipeg next which is quite the tough schedule.

Calgary Flames (1-5-0)

The wheels have come off in Calgary and even though it’s still early in the season, it might be time to be concerned. After winning their season opener against the Oilers, the Flames have dropped five straight games and currently sit dead last in the Pacific Division. Over the last week, they lost to the Golden Knights twice and the Mammoth The Flames have been outscored 13-4 over the last three games and when you pair shaky goaltending with the lack of offense, it’s almost a recipe for disaster. Calgary’s upcoming schedule is not forgiving either as they take on the Jets twice and the Canadiens in the next week.

Los Angeles Kings (1-3-2)

The Kings are another team severely struggling out of the gate. Although LA pushed two of their three games this past week to overtime, the team still went 0-1-2 and sit in the bottom half of the standings when it comes to the Pacific Division. But two of the biggest reasons for the struggle is that captain Anze Kopitar is week-to-week with a foot injury and starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper is dealing with a lower-body injury so he may travel with the team for the upcoming five-game road trip but there is no guarantee. The Kings need to find some kind of scoring touch in order to gain a few wins in the coming days, but it’s clear this is not the same team as last season.

Edmonton Oilers (2-2-1)

Is it time to panic in Edmonton? The Oilers got a shutout win over the Rangers on October 14, but then fell 4-2 to the Islanders two days later and then lost 5-2 against the Devils on Saturday. The team’s scoring has been led by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins who has found the back of the net three times over the last three games, but the bigger concern is Connor McDavid who has opened the season with a six game goalless streak, the longest of his career. Evan Bouchard has looked not so great back on the blueline and the depth that Edmonton once had, doesn’t seem to exist anymore which raises the question of how far this team will get this season.

San Jose Sharks (0-3-2)

Alexa, play “deja vu” by Olivia Rodrigo. The Sharks are the only team in the NHL without a win and it feels eerily like last season when the team opened the season with nine straight losses. This week, San Jose fell 5-1 to Carolina, 6-3 to Utah and were shutout 3-0 by the Penguins. The goaltending tandem of Alex Nedeljkovic and Yaraslov Askarov has not been great as both goaltenders have posted a below .900 save percentage in the last week, but the team is not generating enough offense in the first place. One can only hope the young core starts to find their footing and the veteran presences help guide the team to some success as the Sharks were expected to take a step forward this season.

Anaheim Ducks (2-2-0)

The Ducks only played two games this week and split the results. Anaheim got a close 4-3 win over the Penguins on October 14, but then fell 4-1 to the Hurricanes just two days later. Over the last two games, the offense has been led by newcomer Chris Kreider (1G, 2A) and youngster Leo Carlsson (1G, 2A). Anaheim does need more from their depth and other young players, but that should come as the season develops. The Ducks will take on the Predators, Bruins, Lightning and Panthers on their current road trip and the team could definitely secure a handful of wins based on their oppo