NHL Recap: Five Winners, Canadiens Take Heritage Classic, Robertson Leads Stars

Canadiens win tight Heritage Classic battle

Sunday delivered everything the NHL has to offer the Panthers and Predators found their scoring touch, the Stars put six past the Islanders, the Wild spoiled Quinn Hughes' Vancouver return, and the Canadiens edged the Jets in a hard-fought Heritage Classic classic.

Heritage classic, Stars rout headline nhl action...

The Florida Panthers and Dallas Stars secured impressive victories early on Sunday, while the Montreal Canadiens closed out the day by holding firm to win the latest NHL Heritage Classic.

Panthers Edge Blackhawks In Tight Road Battle

The Florida Panthers (6-4-2) have endured an inconsistent start to 2026/27 due to injuries, but they appear to be hitting form at the right time. On Sunday on the road, they ground out a narrow 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks (3-8-0) to improve to 4-3-2 away from home this season. It was a collective effort from Florida, though Lars Eller's late winner proved decisive. The victory came after back-to-back defeats and was backed by a solid display from Akira Schmid, who turned away 19 of the 21 shots he faced.

For Chicago, it was another case of coming close without reward. Spencer Knight impressed against his former club with 30 saves to keep his side in contention, but the Blackhawks could not hold on as they conceded a heartbreaking goal late in the third period.

Robertson Leads Offensive Outburst As Stars Down Islanders

The Dallas Stars (7-3-1) have long been knocking on the door of a deep playoff run, and after another strong off-season, they have started the new campaign in impressive fashion. That continued on Sunday with a convincing 6-3 win over the New York Islanders (5-4-2). Dallas came out firing from the opening puck drop, with Jason Robertson scoring twice to headline four Stars who finished with multi-point outings. At the other end, Jake Oettinger had an off night, conceding three goals on just 20 shots.

It mattered little in the end, as Ilya Sorokin was unable to contain Dallas' relentless attack, giving up six goals on 38 shots. Even two assists from captain Bo Horvat could not keep New York in what turned into a high-scoring affair, as the Islanders slipped to 1-3-1 on the road in 2026/27.

VICTOIRE EXTÉRIEURE THAT’S AN OUTDOOR WIN #GoHabsGo https://t.co/jcHdNuF2Iv

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) October 26, 2026

Canadiens Survive Jets Challenge To Win Heritage Classic

The NHL's Heritage Classic has become a marquee date on the annual calendar, and Sunday delivered another memorable chapter as the Winnipeg Jets (4-4-3) hosted the Montreal Canadiens (6-3-2). It was not a high-scoring affair, but it was fiercely contested from start to finish, with Kaiden Guhle and Lane Hutson providing the decisive goals to lift Montreal to a vital win.

Between the pipes, Jacob Fowler stole the show for the Canadiens with 34 saves, while Stuart Skinner kept Winnipeg in the fight with 19 stops on 21 shots. Isak Rosen found the back of the net for the Jets, but it was not enough to prevent Montreal from sealing a hard-fought 2-1 victory in another standout showcase for the league.

Predators Veterans Run Riot In Rout Over Avalanche

The Nashville Predators (4-3-4) have had an up-and-down start to the 2026/27 season, but they have already proven they can beat any team on their night. They proved that again on Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche (6-5-1). Steven Stamkos and Ryan O'Reilly led the charge with two goals apiece, combining for 10 points together with fellow veteran Filip Forsberg in a dominant offensive display.

Colorado looked leggy on the second night of a back-to-back and never really got going. Martin Necas chipped in with two assists, but Scott Wedgewood endured a tough night after conceding six goals on 35 shots. The flat performance saw the Avalanche drop to 2-4-0 away from home this season.

Wild Spoil Hughes' Vancouver Return

Quinn Hughes got his homecoming moment on Sunday night as the Minnesota Wild (8-3-2) visited the Vancouver Canucks (2-10-1), just days after Brady Tkachuk's emotional return to Ottawa. The crowd reaction wasn't hostile, but Hughes still made it hurt, netting his third goal of the year in the second period. When Kirill Kaprizov buried his 13th early in the third, Minnesota looked in complete control at 4-0.

Vancouver showed some late pride with goals from Max Sasson and Brock Boeser to cut the deficit in half, but Calvin Pickard's 15 saves on 17 shots were enough for the Wild to close out a solid road win.