NHL Recap: Oilers, Knights, Predators Roll; Red Wings Beat Sharks In Shootout

Capitals Vs Devils

It was a statement Saturday across the NHL, with superstars taking over and streaks continuing on both ends. Connor McDavid exploded for five points to power the Oilers past the Mammoth, Mark Stone led nine Golden Knights onto the scoresheet, and the Bruins stayed red-hot to keep the Kings as the league's only winless team, while Detroit and Columbus needed extra time to get it done.

Early statement wins for Capitals, Hurricanes and Lightning...

It was a busy day in the NHL, with the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning all securing impressive early victories.

Capitals Overpower Devils in Metro Showdown

In the early game Saturday, two Metropolitan Division contenders clashed as Washington (5-3-0) hosted New Jersey (4-4-0) in a matchup with playoff implications for 2026/27. After a cagey start, the Capitals broke clear in the second period, with Ilya Protas, Dylan Strome and Boone Jenner all scoring to take a three-goal cushion into the third.

The deficit proved too much for the Devils. Timo Meier added a late consolation in the final frame, but with Logan Thompson stopping 29 shots, Washington held on to improve to 4-1-0 on home ice this season.

Ehlers Haunts Former Team As Hurricanes Stay Perfect On Road

The defending champions are showing no signs of a Stanley Cup hangover. Carolina (7-1-1) arrived in Winnipeg with a flawless road record and faced a tough test against the Jets (4-2-2) on Saturday. Locked at 2-2 after two periods, the game was decided early in the third when former Jet Nikolaj Ehlers struck the winner six minutes into the frame.

Winnipeg had positives to take, with Clay Stevenson turning away 34 of 37 shots, but Carolina's relentless pressure proved decisive as they sealed a clinical victory to move to 5-0-0 away from home this season.

Lightning Stay Perfect At Home With Win Over Struggling Canucks

Tampa Bay (6-2-0) have been the NHL's model of consistency through the 2020s, and even against a struggling Vancouver side (2-7-1), they showed that dominance again on Saturday. The Canucks kept it close at 3-2 late, but third-period goals from Jake Guentzel and Pontus Holmberg allowed the Lightning to pull clear and remain unbeaten at home at 5-0-0.

Dennis Hildeby did enough in net, holding Vancouver to just 14 shots on the night, while goals from Linus Karlsson and Elias Pettersson kept the Canucks in contention briefly before they slipped to another defeat in a difficult start to 2026/27.

Panthers' Offense Erupts In Rout Of Kraken

Florida (5-2-2) are finally close to full health and after a patchy start have caught fire, and that form continued against Seattle (5-3-1) on Saturday. After Brady Tkachuk scored hat-tricks in back-to-back games, he chipped in with two assists this time, while hat-tricks from Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe powered another scoring outburst.

Seattle's attack wasn't without spark, with Berkly Catton and Kaapo Kakko each recording two assists in a three-goal effort, but it was not enough against Florida's firepower as Joey Daccord conceded all eight goals on 37 shots in the Panthers' dominant win.

Islanders Stun Maple Leafs With Dominant Road Win

The Islanders (4-3-1) have made a steady start to 2026/27 and headed into Toronto on Saturday with a chance to upset the star-studded Maple Leafs (3-4-2). They delivered in commanding style, scoring in every period and closing out a 4-1 victory with a two-goal third from Simon Holmstrom.

Ilya Sorokin was excellent in net, stopping 28 of 29 shots, while at the other end Sergei Bobrovsky faced 10 fewer attempts but allowed three goals. Holmstrom's empty-netter sealed a complete performance from New York and condemned Toronto to a third straight loss.

Stars Blank Blackhawks Behind Hyry Brace

Dallas (4-3-1) entered 2026/27 with Stanley Cup ambitions, while Chicago (3-6-0) remain in a rebuild, and Saturday's meeting played out as expected with one-way traffic for the visitors. Arttu Hyry led the way with two goals as the Stars improved to 3-1-1 on the road early in the season.

There were small positives for Chicago, with Spencer Knight making 28 saves, but the gap in depth and star power was clear after years of rebuilding, as the Blackhawks were comfortably dismantled by a genuine contender.

Caufield's OT Winner Lifts Canadiens Past Sabres In Thriller

Montreal (4-3-1) and Buffalo (4-3-2) both made major strides in 2025/26, and in such a tight Atlantic Division, every early-season point matters. On Saturday they went the distance in a wild showdown, with six different scorers making it 3-3 after regulation.

In the end it was Cole Caufield who delivered when it counted. Breaking away clean, No. 13 netted his second of the night to win it in overtime, ensuring both young, exciting sides took something from a chaotic and entertaining contest.

Flyers Finally Break Through With Upset Of Senators

Philadelphia (1-6-3) have endured a miserable start to 2026/27, and with the in-form Ottawa Senators (6-3-0) visiting, a first win looked unlikely. Instead the Flyers rediscovered their late-season spark from a year ago, as Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone each recorded a goal and an assist to build an early lead they would not relinquish.

Dan Vladar anchored the effort with 25 saves on 26 shots, giving Philadelphia its first win of the campaign while Ottawa dropped to 3-2-0 on the road after a surprisingly flat showing.

Red Wings Edge Sharks In Shootout Thriller

Detroit (3-3-2) and San Jose (4-3-1) are heading in different directions, but Saturday delivered a bruising, high-skill battle between the two. Macklin Celebrini stayed hot with a goal and three points, yet strong nights from Emmitt Finnie and Moritz Seider pushed the game to overtime knotted at 3-3.

Five extra minutes still couldn't settle it, so it went to a shootout where Lucas Raymond scored as Detroit's third shooter and the only goal of the skills competition, sealing the win behind a complete team effort.

Greaves and Garand Duel In Scoreless Regulation

The Blue Jackets (3-3-0) and Rangers (6-3-1) are fighting in the wide-open Metro Division for a playoff spot, and on Saturday both delivered elite defensive performances. Neither side could break through in 60 minutes as Jet Greaves and Dylan Garand stood tall, sending a tense night in Columbus to overtime.

It was rising star Kent Johnson who finally ended it, scoring his fourth of the season in overtime. The goal lifted Columbus back to .500 and gave them a chance to build the kind of consistency they showed throughout the 2025/26 campaign.

Veteran Trio Powers Predators Past Division Rival

Nashville (3-2-3) have been highly competitive to start 2026/27 and looked to keep it going at home against division rival St. Louis (3-4-1). The veteran trio delivered, with Jonathan Marchessault, Filip Forsberg and Ryan O'Reilly all scoring, while Juuse Saros turned aside 24 of 26 shots in a complete team win.

The loss drops St. Louis to 2-4-0 away from home this season. Mason McTavish and Jimmy Snuggerud continued their strong starts, but the Blues couldn't stay competitive in a 5-2 defeat.

Bruins Stay Red-Hot With Third-Period Burst In L.A.

The Kings (0-4-2) remain the NHL's only winless team, and that drought continued Saturday as they hosted the red-hot Bruins (7-2-0). On the second night of a back-to-back, Boston exploded in the third period, with goals from Marat Khusnutdinov, Elias Lindholm and JJ Peterka making the difference.

Jeremy Swayman was solid again with 25 saves. Los Angeles started well with Alex Laferriere opening the scoring for a 1-0 lead, but the offense dried up as the Kings slipped to just two points in six games without a win.

Stone Leads Nine Knights On Scoresheet In Rout

Vegas (7-2-0) have been one of the NHL's toughest home teams for a decade, and that continued Saturday to open 2026/27. They handled Pittsburgh (3-4-1) behind captain Mark Stone, who led the way with a goal and two assists as one of nine Golden Knights to hit the scoresheet.

Sidney Crosby was excellent again for the Penguins, but it wasn't enough. Vegas have now scored 17 goals across their last three games and improved to 4-1-0 at home on the year.

McDavid's Five-Point Night Fuels Oilers Rout

Edmonton (6-1-1) have been the NHL's top offensive team to start 2026/27 behind the league's best trio, and that continued Saturday against Utah (6-3-0). Connor McDavid powered the attack with another five points, pushing him to an absurd 23 points through just eight games.

Mammoth Offense Can't Overcome Tough Night In Net

Utah battled with goals from Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino, but allowing six goals on just 21 shots was too much to overcome. Despite a strong start to their own season, the Mammoth couldn't keep pace in the loss.