Boston Bruins go 1-0-1
On Monday, Oct. 14, the Boston Bruins defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2, as right-wing forward David Pastrnak picked up all four of the goals. Bruins goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 30 saves on 32 shots. Left-wing forward Brad Marchand and defenseman Torey Krug each had two assists on the night.
On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Bruins fell short to the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in a shootout. Pastrnak had two goals and an assist, center forward Patrice Bergeron had a goal and an assist and goaltender Tuukka Rask made 33 saves for the Bruins, who went 3-for-5 on the power play.
On Saturday, Oct. 19, the Boston Bruins fell to a tough Toronto team 4-3 in overtime, with left-wing forwards Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen both collecting goals. Pastrnak then tied the game 3-3 for Boston with four minutes remaining to put the game into an overtime period. Defenseman Morgan Rielly for the Maple Leafs scored the game-winner in overtime with only one minute left to give the Maple Leafs the win and two points.
Top-Ranked Teams
Just like last season, the Buffalo Sabres are off and running out of the gates. They have played eight games this season, going 6-1-1 and are currently in the top spot of the Eastern Conference. They have tallied wins against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Columbus Blue Jackets and the New Jersey Devils. Forward Jack Eichel leads the team with ten points in eight games and rookie forward Victor Olofsson leads the team with six goals.
The Edmonton Oilers are the top-ranked team in the National Hockey League with a record of 7-1-0 and 14 points. They have played and beat the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers and the Devils. Center forward Connor McDavid is currently tied with Washington Capitals forward John Carlson for the league leader in points at 17.
The Colorado Avalanche have started the season off hot. They are currently in second place in the Western Conference with a record of 6-0-1. They are just one point behind the first-place Oilers. They have beat the Bruins and Washington Capitals, who are two top teams in the Eastern Conference and their only loss came in overtime against the Penguins. Center forward Nathan MacKinnon and right-wing forward Mikko Rantanen lead the Avalanche in points, goals and assist with ten points, six goals and four assists each.
Low Ranked Teams
The Minnesota Wild are currently the last place team in the National Hockey League with a record of 1-6-0. In the seven games they have played they have been outscored 29-14 by opponents. Their only win of the season was against the Ottawa Senators who are currently second to last place in the league. Defenseman Brad Hunt currently leads the team with four points, two goals, and two assists.
The Ottawa Senators are right where they left off last season, at the bottom of the league. Their record is currently 1-4-1 as they are the last-place team in the Eastern Conference. They have been outscored by their opponents 22-14. They have lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Wild.