Read Btwn Recap: Last Week in the NHL, Oct. 26-Nov. 1
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Breanna’s Western Conference Stars of the Week: Cale Makar (COL): 1G, 7A, 8 PTS, +1, Connor Bedard (CHI): 4G, 4A, 8 PTS, +3, Leon Draisaitl (EDM): 4G, 3A, 7 PTS, +5
Central Division
Colorado Avalanche (7-1-5)
It was a busy week for the Avs. They fell 4-3 in overtime to the Devils on October 26, earning their fourth straight loss but then bounced back with points in their other three games. Colorado returned back to Ball Arena to complete the home and home with the Devils, getting a dominating 8-4 win on Tuesday, defeated the Golden Knights 4-2 in a Halloween matinee and fell 3-2 in overtime to the Sharks on Saturday. The Avs come out of this past week with a 2-0-2 record as their overtime woes continue to haunt them (they have now lost five games in the extra frame this season), but there were plenty of other exciting moments that happened. Martin Necas signed an 8-year, $92M contract extension to stay in Colorado long-term and in Saturday’s contest, starting goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made his season debut while Taylor Makar, Cale’s young brother, made his NHL debut and got to play in the same game as his older brother.
Winnipeg Jets (9-3-0)
The Jets fell 3-2 to the Mammoth on Oct. 26, but have rattled off three straight wins since then. In this span, Winnipeg is outscoring their opponents 15-8 and the offense has been led by Mark Scheifele (2G, 6A), Kyle Connor (4G, 3A) and Gabriel Vilardi (4G, 3A). The goaltending has remained strong and almost everyone on the roster is chipping in on the scoresheet to secure these wins. Even more impressive, two of the team’s three wins this past week came on home ice where the Jets improved to a 5-3-0 record at Canadian Life Centre. This week, Winnipeg begins a six-game road trip through Western Canada and California and should collect more wins with ease.
Utah Mammoth (8-3-0)
While the Mammoth only played two games this week and split them in terms of results, the biggest news surrounded Logan Cooley who signed a 8-year, $80M contract extension. In 11 games this season, Cooley has already collected eight goals and four assists and he has proven to be a major piece for Utah moving forward. This week, the Mammoth finished their four game road trip with a 3-2 win over the Jets before falling 6-3 to the Oilers. That loss snapped Utah’s franchise record seven game win streak, but they remain third in the Central. The Mammoth return home to take on the Lightning on Sunday before hitting the road again. Currently, they are the only team in the Central who has not lost at home yet (4-0-0). We’ll see if Utah can get back to their early winning ways and continue to soar this season.
Dallas Stars (6-3-3)
The Stars went 2-0-2 this week after getting regulation wins over the Predators and Capitals before losing their last two games in extra time (2-1 OTL at TBL, 4-3 SOL at FLA). Despite the losses, the Stars picked up a point in all four contests played this past week, extending their point streak to six straight games. It has been a pretty low scoring affair for Dallas lately, only scoring three goals in just two of their last four games. Mikko Rantanen leads the offense over this stretch with two goals and two assists while Jake Oettinger has been stunning in net, posting one shutout along with a 0.98 GAA and .965 SV% in the two games he played. This week, the Stars will take on the Oilers, Ducks and Predators so as long as they find some offense, they should be able to get back in the win column.
Chicago Blackhawks (5-4-3)
It’s been really fun to watch Chicago so far this season and so far, everyone is thoroughly entertained. This past week, the Blackhawks secured just one win in the four games they played, but it was a big one. Chicago defeated the Senators 7-3 on October 28 thanks to Connor Bedard’s first career hat trick and third career four point game. But the victory was sandwiched between a 3-1 loss to the Kings and a 6-3 defeat at the hands of the Jets along with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Oilers. Still, Chicago has had a much better start to the season than anyone expected and as they continue on their current five game road trip where they will take on the Kraken, Canucks, Flames and Red Wings, a few more wins should be easily attainable. Several players are making important impacts and the team has definitely improved from last season.
Nashville Predators (5-6-2)
It has not been good for the Predators. This week they lost three of the four games they played in regulation and have struggled to score. In those three losses, Nashville didn’t score more than two goals in any of the games but did find the back of the net four times in their 4-2 win over the Flames on November 1. Michael Bunting leads the team with four points (1G, 3A) over the last four games and a pleasant, exciting surprise has been rookie Matthew Wood who scored his first career NHL goal in the Preds’ 4-1 loss to the Flyers before then recording a goal and an assist in the victory over the Flames. Nashville desperately needs better goaltending and those big ticket 2024 free agency signings (mainly Steven Stamkos) to get going, because the offense is suffering.
Minnesota Wild (4-6-3)
The Wild’s been dreadful as of late and it doesn’t seem like much is going to improve anytime soon. Minnesota went 1-1-2 this week and snapped their five game losing skid with a 5-2 victory over the injury-riddled Canucks on November 1. Despite Kirill Kaprizov (2G, 4A), Marco Rossi (2G, 3A) and Brock Faber (1G, 4A) carrying most of the offensive load over the last four games, the Wild can’t seem to keep the puck out of their own net. They allowed four or more goals in all three losses this past week and the goaltending is really struggling as both goaltenders posted a below .900 save percentage through these last four games. The Wild have a mixed bag of upcoming opponents so time will tell if they right the ship now before things get so bad the season can’t be saved.
St. Louis Blues (3-7-2)
The Blues lost all four games played this past week, extending their current losing skid to a whopping seven games. In the last four contests alone, St. Louis has been outscored 18-10 and their penalty kill has struggled as well, operating at a disappointing 62.5 percent. No player has more than two goals over the last four games (Bjugstad, Kyrou) and the goaltending has also been subpar as both Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer have posted below .900 save percentages. This week, the Blues take on the Oilers, Capitals, Sabres and Kraken so the losing streak might continue even longer but only time will tell.
Pacific Division
Vegas Golden Knights (6-2-3)
For Vegas, the team has struggled a bit this past week. The Golden Knights went 1-1-1, losing 2-1 in overtime to the Lightning, topping the Hurricanes 6-3 and then falling 4-2 to the Avalanche on Halloween. In this span, they’ve only scored nine goals, eight of which have come from Tomas Hertl (2G), Jack Eichel (2G) and Pavel Dorofeyev (2G). Rookie goaltender Carl Lindbom has carried the load in net with starter Adin Hill injured and while he’s still looking for his first career win, he’s posted a 2.50 GAA and .906 SV%. The Golden Knights continue on with their current six game homestand this week as they welcome the Red Wings, Lightning and Ducks to Vegas, but they need to generate some more offense in order to secure some wins.
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Edmonton Oilers (6-4-3)
While Edmonton’s super stars have seemingly regained their usual form, the team as a whole still seems to be experiencing a rollercoaster of a season. This past week, the Oilers went 2-0-2 but the record can be deceiving. Three of the four games played required extra time to determine a winner (4-3 OTL at VAN, 4-3 OTL vs. NYR, 3-2 OTW vs. CHI) and Edmonton is staying afloat in the standings with those extra points. Like usual, Leon Draisaitl leads the team with seven points (4G, 3A) over the team’s recent four game stretch with Connor McDavid (2G, 4A) and Evan Bouchard (1G, 5A) following close behind. The theme for the Oilers’ season so far is lack of good goaltending and lack of depth scoring. Right now, they sit in the second spot in the Pacific Division, but that might not last long.
Seattle Kraken (5-2-4)
The Kraken only played two games this past week and lost both of them in overtime. On October 28, Seattle scored three goals in the second half of the third period to force the game against the Canadiens to an extra frame, but they couldn’t close out the win as known overtime danger Cole Caufield scored the overtime game winner. Then on November 1, it was a much lower scoring affair but the game was tied from the middle frame on and the Rangers ended up getting the win. Despite the losses, the Kraken now own a four game point streak and a huge difference maker has been Brandon Montour who has collected three goals and an assist over the last four games. The Kraken play the Blackhawks, Sharks and Blues this week so three more wins could be in their future.
Los Angeles Kings (5-4-4)
The Kings went 2-1-1 this past week and have earned points in seven of their last eight games. Los Angeles got wins over Chicago and San Jose earlier in the week before falling to Detroit (in the shootout) and the Devils. Corey Perry leads the team with five points (3G, 2A) over the last four games, followed closely by Alex Laferriere who has posted four points in that span (2G, 2A). The Kings have a tough upcoming schedule as they welcome the Jets and Panthers to LA and then will hit the road to take on the Penguins and Canadiens to start a lengthy road trip. Los Angeles needs to figure out how to escape the one goal game curse because although the close wins are impressive, playing extra in every game will quickly add up.
Anaheim Ducks (6-3-1)
The Ducks won both of their games this past week, taking down the Panthers in the shootout and defeating the Red Wings by a 5-2 score. A major part of the team’s success lately has been the young players. Leo Carlsson, the second overall pick in 2023, has racked up two goals and four assists, Cutter Guathier has collected a goal and two helpers and Drew Helleson picked up two assists over the last two games. Add in that Lukas Dostal has been amazing, going 2-0-0 with a 1.93 GAA and .937 SV%, the Ducks seem poised to be successful this season. They continue their homestand against the Devils and Panthers this week which could be tough, but the team feels resilient so we’ll see how it plays out.
Vancouver Canucks (6-7-0)
The real question about the Canucks is who is left on the roster? A whopping nine players are currently out with injuries and they’re all very important pieces to the lineup. The injury list includes Captain Quinn Hughes, Victor Mancini, Conor Garland, Filip Chytil, Teddy Blueger, Derek Forbort, Nils Hoglander, Guillaume Brisebois and Jonathan Lekkerimaki. Got that? Despite missing basically half the team, Vancouver was able to win two of their four games this past week, although both of them required extra hockey. Kiefer Sherwood has led the way, potting five goals over these last four games, including his second career hat trick in the 4-3 OT win over the Blues. Drew O’Connor has also chipped in with two goals and two assists to supply some extra offense. But the team definitely needs to get healthy if there’s any chance at salvaging the season.
San Jose Sharks (4-6-2)
The Sharks have been playing well lately, going 3-1-0 in their four games this past week. San Jose scored three or more goals in each contest and it’s largely because of the young core leading the team. In the last four games, Veteran Philip Kurashev recorded seven points (4G, 3A) while Macklin Celebrini posted six points (2G, 4A) followed closely by Alex Wennberg (2G, 3A) and William Eklund (3G, 2A) who both put up five points each. The penalty kill is still struggling and the Sharks need to tighten up on defense, but most importantly, they’re playing some really fun hockey right now. They will face some tough opponents in the upcoming week as they take on Detroit, Seattle, Winnipeg and Florida, but they could snag a win or two which wouldn’t even be surprising.
Calgary Flames (2-9-2)
The Flames are the worst team in the NHL and seem to be tanking for Gavin McKenna, the projected 2026 first overall pick. Calgary snapped their lengthy eight game losing skid with a 5-1 win over the Rangers on October 26, but then lost their next three games (4-3 L at TOR, 4-3 SOL at OTT, 4-2 L at NSH). Despite the record and results, three players have put up some good numbers over the recent four game stretch. Nazem Kadri leads the team with five points (2G, 3A) while Jonathan Huberdeau (1G, 3A) and Joel Farabee (2G, 2A) each picked up four points. It isn’t enough however as Calgary is dead last in goals per game with just 2.15 and are allowing 3.54 goals against per game which is the seventh most in the league.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Mackenzie’s Eastern Conference Stars of the Week: Jakub Dobes (MTL): 1.97 GAA, .930 SV%; Dawson Mercer (NJD): 5 G, 1 A, 6 P, +3; Sidney Crosby (PIT): 3 G, 2 A, 5 P, +3, 1,700 points
Metropolitan Division
Pittsburgh Penguins (8-4-2)
The Pens played four games last week, winning two and losing two. Most notably, though, was a heated first Battle of Pennsylvania on Tuesday night. The Pens lost 3-2 in a shootout after multiple goals were waived off in overtime. Sidney Crosby recorded three points in the game against the Blues, becoming the ninth player in league history to record 1,700 points. The team is currently second in the league on the power play, with a 32.4% efficiency rate. Richard Rakell is on injured reserve.
Carolina Hurricanes (7-4-0)
The Canes played three games last week and are still struggling to really get started for the season. A 6-3 loss to the Knights and a 2-1 loss to the Bruins bookended the week for the team. The high-octane offense we are used to from Carolina is not showing up so far this season, although injuries could definitely be to blame for that. Eric Robinson (UBI), William Carrier, and KAndre Miller are all on injured reserve. Shayne Gostisbehere (LBI), Jaccob Slavin (LBI), and Juuha Jaaska (LBI) are all out.
New York Rangers (6-5-2)
The Rangers are currently on a three-game win streak. They head home on Tuesday though, so who knows if that streak will continue. Igor Shesterkin has a .913 save percentage at the moment and is definitely having a strong start, as is Jonathan Quick, with a .941 save percentage. The Rangers are, thankfully, doing well in the face-off dot, currently ranked third in the league, despite Vincent Trocheck’s absence. Urho Vaakanainen (LBI) is also out.
New York Islanders (6-5-1)
The Isles had a rough week, losing two of their three games. The first multiple game road trip of the season for the Long Island based team was a struggle. Ilya Sorokin is not having a great start to the season, letting in three or more goals in each of his first seven starts. The Islanders defense, aside from Matthew Schaefer, could also be much stronger. However, in a rebuild year, the team doesn’t seem content to just lose, which is something. Max Shabanov is out.
Columbus Blue Jackets (7-5-0)
The Blue Jackets had a fantastic week last week, winning all three of their games. Overall, the team is middle of the road right now. They are struggling on the penalty kill though, ranked 30th in the league. The team as a whole is coming together quite nicely, with a variety of scorers and stars from each game. Denton Mateychuk is listed as day-to-day.
Philadelphia Flyers (6-5-1)
The Flyers won two last week and lost one on Saturday. The Battle of Pennsylvania was great fun to watch and ended in the Flyers’ favor. Trevor Zegras has been a standout this season so far and just seems to keep climbing. Goaltender Dan Vladar is doing well in net for the Flyers so far this season and is keeping the Flyers in some of the closer games. The team desperately needs to work on puck possession and shooting though. Rasmus Ristolainen (UBI), Samuel Ersson (LBI), and Tyson Foerster (LBI) are all on injured reserve. Losing Foerster will likely take the team a minute to adjust to.
Washington Capitals (6-5-1)
Washington CapitaLs, am I right? Sorry, that was mean, but the team that came out of the gate strong has taken quite the dip, losing all three of their games last week. A 1-0 loss to the Stars may not have stung, but losses to the Islanders and Flyers definitely did. The team is 30th in goals for but first in goals against. They are 27th on the power play and 22nd on the penalty kill, so there is room for improvement with their special teams. Rasmus Sandin and Pierre-Luc Dubois are on IR.
New Jersey Devils (9-4-0)
The Devils had a triumphant overtime win against the Avs on Sunday to win their eighth straight, but lost 8-4 to the same team on Tuesday, ending the streak. The team then lost to the Sharks 5-2 before a win against the Kings on Saturday. After such a strong streak, the team looks a bit lost. Jack Hughes is still tied for first in total goals scored, but the team as a whole is struggling a bit at the moment. Brett Pesce (UBI) will be out for at least a month, Cody Glass is on IR, and Connor Brown is listed as day-to-day.
Atlantic Division
Florida Panthers (6-5-1)
The Cats were big shootout fans last week, winning one and losing one. The Panthers were able to come from behind to tie the game on Tuesday to bring the Ducks to a shootout, but Danil Tarasov was unable to stop Mason McTavish’s game winning shot. The Saturday game against the Stars saw Brad Marchand’s return to the lineup after taking personal time, which was good because he won the game in the shootout. The Panthers are still facing the injuries that have been plaguing them all season. Jonah Gadjovich (UBI) has been added to the list.
Boston Bruins (7-7-0)
The Bruins won three of their four games last week. After a 7-2 loss to the Sens, the Boston team immediately bounced back the following night, winning 5-2 against a then-hot Islanders team. The B's also won in overtime against the Sabres and in regulation against the Canes. Jordan Harris underwent right ankle surgery and will miss two months. Elias Lindholm (LBI0 is week-to-week.
Toronto Maple Leafs (7-5-1)
The Leafs won two of their three last week, costing the Toronto Blue Jays the World Series (kidding). The Leafs are having an interesting first month, struggling on their power play excelling on the kill, scoring the second most goals, allowing quite a few, but crushing it in face-offs. The team sits just above .500 but are currently 9th in the league. The Leafs had a scare last week with Chris Tanev, who took a soft hit after returning from a head injury and was stretchered out of the game—he is now on IR. Scott Laughton is on IR still, but is getting closer to making his season debut. Steven Lorentz is listed as day-to-day.
Ottawa Senators (6-5-2)
The Sens split their week, winning two and losing two. A strong 7-2 win against the Bruins was essentially negated by a 7-3 loss to the Blackhawks the following night. Their next two games involved extra hockey: a win in a shootout against the Flames and an overtime loss to the Habs. The team has done well to convert their shots to goals, sitting at fifth in the league on goals but 13th on shots per game. Mads Sogaard is out.
Montreal Canadiens (9-3-0)
The Habs won both of their games in overtime last week. Cole Caufield continues to dominate overtime periods, having three so far this season. The Canadiens are fourth in the league currently and are looking to continue their push in their three game slate this week. Jakub Dobes is the second best goaltender in the league right now with six wins, a .930 save percentage, and a 1.97 goals against average. Kaiden Guhle and Patrik Laine are still out, both with lower body injuries.
Tampa Bay Lightning (6-4-2)
The Lightning are finally bouncing back and are currently on a three-game win streak. Two overtime wins against the Knights and Stars and a regulation win against the Preds sent the team into the second wild card spot. The Lightning also boast the third best penalty kill in the league. Tampa has a four-game week ahead, facing some pretty strong teams, so we will see if they can keep the momentum going.
Detroit Red Wings (9-4-0)
The Red Wings had two wins to start the week, followed by a loss to the Ducks. The team struggled with giveaways through all three games. The Wings do have the sixth best penalty kill in the league. Dylan Larkin leads the team with 18 points, three of which were scored in the win against St. Louis. Patrick Kane (UBI) remains out.
Buffalo Sabres (5-4-3)
The Sabres lost two of the games last week, but ended the week with a win against the Capitals. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen returned to the lineup last week, playing two games. He was a key piece to the win against the Capitals on Saturday, stopping 31 shots and earning himself first star of the game. Despite losing two, the Sabres did earn points in all three games last week. The Sabres have the second best penalty kill in the league and the 15th best power play,s o their special teams are doing well as of late. The Sabres are struggling with a lot of injuries right now: Jiri Kulich, Zach Benson (LBI), Colten Ellis (UBI), Tyson Kozak (LBI), Justin Danforth (LBI), and Josh Norris (UBI) are all out.