29.10.2024
Buffalo Sabres 2 - 5 Florida Panthers
In their third consecutive win, the Florida Panthers defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2, bolstered by two-point performances from team captain Aleksander Barkov, who returned after missing eight games due to a lower-body injury, and teammates Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, and Sam Bennett. Barkov scored a goal and provided a no-look, backhand assist to Reinhart for a power-play goal. Despite a resilient effort from the Sabres, including goals from Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin to tie the game in the second period, Florida pulled ahead. Sergei Bobrovsky made several key saves, notably staving off a potential Sabres lead. Jesper Boqvist's opening goal was pivotal, and the Panthers showed strong teamwork and strategic play, with Bennett extending his goal streak to five games. The Panthers head to Finland for the NHL Global Series, showcasing their strong form against the Dallas Stars.
Tampa Bay Lightning 3 - 2 Nashville Predators
In an emotionally charged game, the Tampa Bay Lightning secured a 3-2 overtime victory against the Nashville Predators, spoiling Steven Stamkos’ return to his former team. Stamkos, who played 16 seasons with the Lightning and is their all-time leader in multiple categories, received a heartfelt video tribute and standing ovation from the crowd. Despite providing two assists, Stamkos couldn't lead the Predators to victory against his former team. Nick Paul netted the game-winner for Tampa Bay in overtime, assisted by Jake Guentzel, who achieved his 500th NHL point. Brayden Point contributed a goal and an assist, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 35 saves for the Lightning, who have now won three of their last four games. The Predators saw Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist score, but their three-game winning streak was halted, making the night memorable for both the emotions surrounding Stamkos and the intense on-ice battle.
Columbus Blue Jackets 6 - 1 Edmonton Oilers
In a tough game for the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McDavid suffered a lower-body injury in the first 37 seconds after being tripped by Zach Werenski, contributing to a 6-1 defeat against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Despite hopes for recovery, the Oilers missed McDavid's influence, highlighted by comments from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins about stepping up in his absence. The Blue Jackets showcased a dominant performance, with Sean Monahan scoring twice, while Cole Sillinger and Adam Fantilli made significant contributions. Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was outstanding, making 31 saves and nearly securing a shutout, only for Mattias Ekholm to score Edmonton's lone goal late in the third period. The Blue Jackets' victory marks their fourth game this season with six goals, tying them with the Vegas Golden Knights for the most such games in the NHL, while the Oilers struggled on the power play, converting just once on six opportunities.
Winnipeg Jets 4 - 6 Toronto Maple Leafs
John Tavares' hat trick led the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 6-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, ending Winnipeg's impressive season-opening eight-game winning streak. The Maple Leafs showcased an energetic pace, with William Nylander contributing a goal and two assists, and Max Pacioretty providing three assists. Toronto's coach, Craig Berube, praised the team's quick and aggressive play. Despite being down 4-0, the Jets fought back with Kyle Connor scoring two power-play goals and adding two assists. Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi also scored for Winnipeg, but Tavares sealed the win with an empty-net goal. The victory extended Toronto's win streak against Winnipeg to six games, while Connor continued his nine-game point streak.
Colorado Avalanche 2 - 5 Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks ended their four-game losing streak with a decisive 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, halting the Avalanche's five-game winning run. Ryan Donato starred with two goals and an assist, while Petr Mrazek contributed 24 saves. The Blackhawks' strong first-period performance saw goals from Philipp Kurashev, Lukas Reichel, and Donato, giving them a 3-2 lead by the end of the period. Chicago secured the win with two late goals, including an empty-netter from Donato. Despite the loss, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each extended their season-opening point streaks to 10 games, marking notable milestones in NHL history. The Avalanche's recent form was hampered by fatigue, being the second game of a back-to-back, and a significant injury to forward Ross Colton during the match.
Utah Hockey Club 4 - 5 San Jose Sharks
In a dramatic comeback, the San Jose Sharks secured their first win of the season by defeating the Utah Hockey Club 5-4 in overtime, after trailing by three goals late in the third period. Alex Wennberg scored the decisive power-play goal just 1:26 into overtime, capitalizing on a ricocheted shot from Mikael Granlund, who also had a goal and two assists in the game. Despite entering the final minutes with a 4-1 lead, Utah allowed three goals with the Sharks' goalie, Mackenzie Blackwood, pulled for the extra skater. This included Fabian Zetterlund's second goal of the night, Granlund's equalizer, and Tyler Toffoli's tying goal shortly after. The Sharks, coached by Ryan Warsofsky, outshot Utah significantly in the third period and overtime, overcoming a challenging start to claim victory. Meanwhile, Matias Maccelli was a standout for Utah, scoring twice, but his team has now lost four consecutive games. Granlund extended his point streak to seven games, and Mikhail Sergachev scored his first goal with Utah since a trade earlier in the year.
Vancouver Canucks 3 - 4 Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes edged out the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in overtime at Rogers Arena, marking their fourth consecutive victory. Sebastian Aho scored the game-winning goal just 46 seconds into overtime after receiving a pass from Shayne Gostisbehere and skillfully maneuvering around the Canucks’ goalie, Kevin Lankinen. Despite giving up a two-goal advantage in the third period, the Hurricanes managed to secure the win, ending their season-long six-game road trip with a 5-1-0 record. Martin Necas contributed a goal and an assist, while Pyotr Kochetkov made 25 saves. On the Canucks’ side, Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes each recorded a goal and an assist, and J.T. Miller added two assists, with Lankinen stopping 28 shots. Carolina initially took the lead with goals from William Carrier, Necas, and Jack Roslovic, while Vancouver managed to tie the game with goals from Boeser, Hughes, and Pius Suter, the latter capitalizing on a misplay from Kochetkov late in the third period. Arshdeep Bains' potential go-ahead goal for Vancouver was negated by an offside challenge from Carolina.
Vegas Golden Knights 5 - 0 Calgary Flames
Golden Knights shut out Flames, extend winning streak to 4
LAS VEGAS --
Pietrangelo gave the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead at 6:39 of the first period, scoring through a screen with a wrist shot from the top of the right circle.
Stone extended it to 2-0 at 3:30 of the second period. He scored with a slap shot from the high slot off a drop pass from Jack Eichel, who started the play by intercepting Brayden Pachal's pass in the neutral zone.
Kolesar made it 3-0 at 2:19 of the third period, redirecting in Schwindt's centering pass from along the right boards. Kolesar then pushed it to 4-0 at 13:59 with a one-timer in the low slot.
Roy scored 15 seconds later from the left circle for the 5-0 final.