NHL Highlights: Bruins, McDavid Shines, Penguins Shut Out Panthers, Devils Roll

Boston Bruins wins big over Predators

All the final scores from Thursday in the NHL 2026-27 season, including Penguins shutout over Panthers, Kings win in OT, Blues dominate Golden Knights, and Flames upset Wild.

Bruins, Sharks and Penguins cruise to dominant wins...

It was a busy night in the NHL on Thursday, with the San Jose Sharks and Boston Bruins both hitting six goals in emphatic early victories, while the Toronto Maple Leafs edged past the New York Rangers in a hard-fought battle.

Bruins Blank Predators in Six-Goal Rout

The Boston Bruins (8-2-1) continue to be one of the league's most competitive sides, and in 2026-27 their mix of youth and experience is paying off again. Against the Nashville Predators (3-3-3) the whole lineup caught fire in a 6-0 rout, led by four-point nights from Charlie McAvoy with four assists and David Pastrnak with two goals and two assists. With two goals in every period, Boston never let up and cruised to a comfortable win.

For Nashville, there was little to take away from the night after being shut out by Michael DiPietro's 28-save performance. It is a result the Predators will be eager to put behind them and move on from quickly.

A SIX-PACK SHUTOUT 👌 https://t.co/OoS3asLXW4

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) October 23, 2026

Maple Leafs Edge Rangers in 5-4 Thriller

The Toronto Maple Leafs (6-4-2) have looked dangerous this season whenever their offense finds its rhythm, and on Thursday they held on to win a high-scoring battle against a resilient New York Rangers side (7-4-1). The end-to-end contest came alive early with three goals in the first period and four more in the second, with Brandon Duhaime leading the charge for Toronto with a goal and three points.

In defeat, Adam Fox stood out for the Rangers with four assists. Neither goaltender was at their best, but Sergei Bobrovsky weathered several late pushes to help the Maple Leafs secure a much-needed victory on home ice.

Sharks Overpower Senators With Six-Goal Statement

The San Jose Sharks (6-4-1) were tipped to take a leap forward this season, and on the road against the Ottawa Senators (7-4-0) they showed they can dominate top opposition. San Jose pulled away with three goals in the third period as six different players got on the scoresheet, but the standout was goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, who was superb with 40 saves.

Coming off an emotional home game the previous night, Ottawa struggled to find the same intensity. Goals from Tim Stutzle and Jordan Spence were not enough as the Senators dropped the second game of a back-to-back.

Devils Put Together Complete Effort to Down Ducks

The New Jersey Devils (6-4-0) have had an inconsistent start to 2026-27, but when their offense clicks they look formidable, and Thursday's 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks (4-6-0) was their most complete showing yet. With two goals in the first period and two more in the third, Jesper Bratt and Jack Hughes each posting two points, New Jersey controlled the game. Defensively they were excellent, with Nico Daws needing just 16 saves to secure the home-ice victory.

The Ducks found a brief lifeline when Tim Washe scored early in the third to cut the deficit to one, but that was as close as they got. The loss dropped Anaheim to 3-3-0 on the road in a game where they will feel they left more on the table.

Penguins Shut Out Panthers Behind Youth and Veterans

The Pittsburgh Penguins (4-6-1) were a surprise package last season, and after a slow start to 2026-27 they rediscovered their form on Thursday against a Florida Panthers (5-4-2) side playing the second night of a back-to-back. Pittsburgh scored in all three periods, with goals from Nick Robertson (2), Hendrix Lapierre and Evgeni Malkin, as both the young talent and the veterans contributed.

In net, Arturs Silovs was flawless, stopping all 26 shots he faced. For Florida, the trip from Ottawa to Pittsburgh proved too much as they dropped both games of the back-to-back, unable to find their usual intensity in a difficult early-season matchup.

Kings Edge Islanders in Overtime to Win Second Straight

The Los Angeles Kings (2-4-2) were the NHL's last winless team until recently, but they have now turned things around in dramatic fashion with their second win of the season, a 3-2 road victory over the New York Islanders (5-3-2). Artemi Panarin set the tone early, driving the offense to give LA a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Islanders battled back with goals from Matthew Schaefer and Victor Eklund to force overtime.

It did not take long for the Kings to finish the job, as Adrian Kempe set up young defenseman Brandt Clarke for the game-winner. The victory gives LA back-to-back wins and moves them to 2-1-2 on the road this season.

The @LAKings win it in overtime!!! 👑 https://t.co/ORmivjDBYP

— NHL (@NHL) October 23, 2026

Hintz Heroics Lift Stars Past Jets in Overtime Comeback

The Dallas Stars (6-3-1) and Winnipeg Jets (4-3-3) have developed a fierce rivalry in recent seasons, and Thursday's Central Division clash delivered more drama. Goals from Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi helped Winnipeg take a 2-1 lead into the third period, and the Jets looked poised to hold on for a road win.

That was until Roope Hintz took over, scoring the equalizer with two minutes left in regulation before netting the overtime winner. The comeback pushed Dallas to 3-2-0 on home ice this season in thrilling fashion.

Blues Roll Past Golden Knights to Stay Perfect at Home

The St. Louis Blues (5-4-1) have been impressive on home ice to start the season, and with a 6-2 win over the red-hot Vegas Golden Knights (8-4-0) they improved to 3-0-1 in St. Louis as they push for a playoff spot in the Central Division. The Blues outplayed Vegas throughout, led by Justin Barron with a goal and three assists and Dylan Holloway with two goals and an assist, building a lead they never relinquished.

Vegas got goals from Brett Howden and Jack Eichel, but the defeat dropped them to 3-2-0 on the road as they continue searching for more consistency away from home early in 2026-27.

Flames Stun Wild Behind Cooley's 35 Saves

The Calgary Flames (3-6-0) had just one win on the season a few games ago, but they have now pulled off major upsets in consecutive games after a 2-1victory over the Minnesota Wild (6-3-2). Calgary's offense came out buzzing early, with goals from Aydar Suniev and Joel Farabee staking them to a two-goal advantage.

Minnesota cut the lead in half in the second period on a goal from Michael McCarron, but from there it was all Devin Cooley. The Flames goaltender stopped 35 of 36 shots, with several clutch saves late to preserve Calgary's second straight home win.

McDavid's Five-Point Night Powers Oilers

Connor McDavid is off to another absurd start in 2026-27, and he was brilliant again for the Edmonton Oilers (8-1-1) on Thursday, racking up five points against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. The performance pushed him to 30 points in just 10 games to begin the season.

Nugent-Hopkins Wins It In Shootout Thriller

That still wasn't enough to finish the Carolina Hurricanes (8-2-2) in regulation, as Sebastian Aho was one of three Hurricanes with multiple points, dragging the game to overtime and eventually a shootout. After the first two shooters for each team missed, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins buried the winner to seal an instant classic between two teams that could easily meet again in the Stanley Cup Final.

Red Wings Stay Hot With Dominant Win in Vancouver

The Detroit Red Wings (4-3-3) had a slow start to 2026-27, but they have found their rhythm lately and stayed hot on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks (2-9-1). With goals from William Wallinder and two from Lucas Raymond, Detroit built a 3-1 lead by the end of the first period and never looked back, cruising to a 5-2 win while outshooting Vancouver 31-13.

Canucks' Home Struggles Continue

Despite being heavily outplayed, the Canucks got goals from Elias Pettersson and Jonathan Lekkerimaki, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome. Now sitting at 1-4-0 at home, it is shaping up to be another long season for the struggling Canadian club.

Kraken Hold Off Mammoth to Continue Hot Start

The Seattle Kraken (7-3-1) have been trying to take the next step in recent seasons, and in 2026-27 that chemistry finally seems to be clicking, as they showed at home against a red-hot Utah Mammoth (7-4-0) squad. With three different goal scorers through the first two periods, Seattle built a strong 3-1 lead heading into the third, even as Utah pushed back to tie the game behind Logan Cooley.

Late Surge Seals Win for Seattle

Rather than collapsing, the surging Kraken stuck to their game plan, with late goals from Mackie Samoskevich and an empty-netter by Frederick Gaudreau sealing the 5-3 victory and moving Seattle to 3-1-0 on home ice this season.