NHL Week in Review: 10/16-10/22

With the formalities of Opening Week behind us, we could finally start getting into the grind of the 82-game season as teams began to get more games under their belt. There were plenty of surprises, upsets, and fun times as the new season continued. 

Monday 10/16

• Connor Bedard and the Blackhawks beat Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs in a battle of generational #1 picks. 

Tuesday 10/17

• Egor Zamula scores his first NHL goal, and Sean Couturier scores his first goal in almost 2 years in a 2-0 shutout win for Carter Hart and the Flyers.
• Pierre-Luc Dubois scores his first goal with the Kings in his return to Winnipeg. 
• Kirby Dach will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL & MCL. 
• Cale Makar becomes the fastest defenseman in NHL history to reach 250 points, needing 241 games. 
• The Colorado Avalanche matched the NHL record for the longest road winning streak (14, with the 2006 Sabres) with their 4-1 win over Seattle.

Wednesday 10/18

• In his first game since January, Josh Norris scores twice for the Ottawa Senators in a win over Washington. 

Thursday 10/19

• Vegas earns its 5th win of the season to start 5-0-0, the best start for a defending champion since the 1985-86 Edmonton Oilers. 
• Leo Carlsson returns from injury and scores in his NHL debut against Dallas. 
• Tye Kartye scores his first goal in the regular season as the Kraken offense explodes for seven goals in their first win of the season. 

Friday 10/20

• Jack Hughes' four-point night is punctuated by an overtime winner in a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders. 

Saturday 10/21

• Serenaded by boos in his return to Ottawa, Alex DeBrincat and the Red Wings extend their win streak to 4 games behind Joe Veleno's first multi-goal game. 
• Connor Bedard nets a goal in his home opener in Chicago. 
• Matthew Knies scores his first two NHL goals, and William Nylander scores twice to complete a three-goal comeback as the Maple Leafs beat the Lightning 4-3 in overtime. 
• Adam Fantili scores his first NHL goal against Minnesota. 
• Anze Kopitar becomes the Los Angeles Kings' franchise leader in games played (1,297). 
• Vegas sets a new NHL record for a start by a defending Stanley Cup Champion, starting 6-0-0 with a 5-3 win in Chicago. 

Sunday 10/22

• Alex DeBrincat records his first hat trick with the Red Wings in a 6-2 win over the Calgary Flames. 
• Matthew Poitras scores the first two goals of his career to help keep Boston perfect in a 3-1 win against Anaheim. 

Team of the Week- Detroit Red Wings

One of the few teams to play four games this week, the Red Wings were a perfect 4-0-0. They began with a 4-0 shutout victory from James Reimer in his team debut against Columbus. Then, the offense took over, scoring at least five goals in their following three wins over Pittsburgh, Ottawa, and Calgary. This was an entire team effort. 18 different players recorded points, including nine scoring goals. Dylan Larkin led the way with nine points. Alex DeBrincat recorded his first hat trick with the team, scoring five goals during the week. Reimer and Ville Husso each won two games, and Reimer was particularly impressive. Along with his shutout win, he allowed two goals in his next start and stopped 52 of the 54 shots he faced overall. It's too early to tell whether this is permanent, but the Yzerman Plan seems to be working to start the season. 

Disappointing Team of the Week- Carolina Hurricanes

This one hurts me as a Hurricanes fan, but this week was bad for them. Concluding a five-game west coast swing, the Hurricanes went 1-2-0, allowing 16 goals to San Jose, Seattle, and Colorado. It's been a concerning trend to begin the season for Carolina, which has allowed a league-high 32 goals through six games. For a team known for its incredible defense, it's been a major disappointment for the Hurricanes. I can't pinpoint the exact problem, but it could be a big problem if it isn't corrected quickly. 

Surprising Team of the Week- Philadelphia Flyers

We sang this song last season with the Flyers when they started the season on a heater. Philadelphia started 7-3-2 in 2022-23 before winning just four of their next 23 games, eventually ending the season in 7th in the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers went 2-0-1 this week, led by two phenomenal performances by Carter Hart. Hart allowed one goal on 49 shots, shutting out Vancouver and giving up one to Vancouver. The offense pulled its weight, too, getting multi-goal weeks from Tavis Konecny, Joel Farabee, Cam Atkinson, and Sean Walker. 

Three Stars of the Week

3rd Star- Seth Jarvis (CAR)- 4 goals, 2 assists in 3 games

With Sebastian Aho out of the lineup for the Hurricanes this week, Seth Jarvis stepped up, recording two multi-goal games. His four goals and six points tied him for third in the league, while his three PPGs were tied for first. He's been incredible to begin the season as he looks poised for a breakout year in his third campaign.

2nd Star- Alexandar Georgiev (COL)- 3-0-0, 1.67 GAA, .940 SV% in 3 games

With his perfect performance to begin the season, Alexandar Georgiev has planted himself atop many early polls for the Vezina. He continued his perfect start this week, winning all three starts, recording a shutout against Chicago, and allowing just five goals on 84 shots. This start is an extension of his magnificent season last year after arriving in Colorado. 

1st Star- Dylan Larkin (DET)- 3 goals, 6 assists in 4 games

There were a few Red Wings to pick from, but I chose the player who led the league in scoring this week. Dylan Larkin posted a league-high nine points, six of which came on the power play. He's opened the season on a six-game point streak, including three straight multi-point efforts this week. The Red Wings captain has them off to an incredible start. 

My Top 16

16. St. Louis Blues (2-1-1 overall, 1-1-0 last week) (+3)- While the offense has been slow to start for the Blues, Jordan Binnington has returned to his 2018 postseason form. He boasts an impressive 1.26 GAA in three starts as the Blue move into the Top 16. 

15. Philadelphia Flyers (3-1-1 overall, 2-0-1 last week) (+15)- The second-largest move of the week, the Flyers have started strong again. The Flyers lead the Metropolitan Division by one point behind excellent goaltending from Carter Hart. 

14. Vancouver Canucks (3-2-0 overall, 1-2-0 last week) (-5)- The Canucks fell back to reality this week, losing two of its three games. Their stars continue to put up big numbers, and Casey DeSmith has looked solid in his first two starts with Vancouver. 

13. Los Angeles Kings (2-2-1 overall, 2-1-0 last week) (+2)- After a winless first week of the season, the Kings rebounded for two victories. Pierre-Luc Dubois has started to produce, with three goals and four points in five games. 

12. Ottawa Senators (3-2-0 overall, 1-1-0 last week) (+2)- It was a quiet week for the Senators. After putting up six goals in a runaway win against Washington, they were given the same treatment by the Red Wings, losing 5-2 on Saturday afternoon. 

11. Minnesota Wild (2-2-1 overall, 1-1-1 last week) (+1)- Without Matt Boldy in the lineup, the Wild needed to get scoring from all over the place. Thus far, they've gotten it from Joel Eriksson Ek and company, but the goaltending hasn't been up to par through two weeks. 

10. New York Islanders (2-1-1 overall, 1-1-1 last week) (+3)- In classic Islanders fashion, the offense has been stagnant, but the goaltending has been spectacular. New York has just nine goals in its first four games, but Ilya Sorokin has been able to keep them in games. 

9. New York Rangers (3-2-0 overall, 2-1-0 last week) (+1)- It's crazy to say, but things surrounding the Rangers have been pretty quiet thus far. They're playing fine. We haven't heard much about how good they've been, which is a welcome surprise. 

8. Carolina Hurricanes (3-3-0 overall, 1-2-0 last week) (-3)- Despite their defensive woes, the Hurricanes are still scoring at an incredible pace. Several players are hovering around a point-per-game, led by Seth Jarvis, Stefan Noesen, and Jaccob Slavin with seven points each. 

7. Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-0 overall, 1-2-0 last week) (-4)- After back-to-back hat tricks to begin the season, Auston Matthews was held scoreless this week. Thankfully, William Nylander and John Tavares have picked up the slack for a team that isn't getting much help defensively.  

6. Detroit Red Wings (5-1-0 overall, 4-0-0 last week) (+21)- The biggest mover of the week, the Red Wings are keeping pace with the big dogs in the Atlantic Division. The trade for Alex DeBrincat has proven fruitful, leading the league in goals (8) and points (12). 

5. New Jersey Devils (2-1-1 overall, 1-1-0 last week) (+2)- All of the attention will rightfully be on Jack Hughes as he continues to develop into a top star, but keep an eye on Jesper Bratt. He's turning into a specialist on the power play, scoring seven of his eight points with the man advantage. 

4. Dallas Stars (3-0-1 overall, 2-0-1 last week) (-2)- A shootout loss to the defending champions is the only mistake on the Stars' ledger thus far. They've had trouble finishing teams in regulation, needing overtime in three of their four games to start the season. 

3. Boston Bruins (5-0-0 overall, 3-0-0 last week) (+3)- After a record-setting season a year ago, the Bruins continue to defy expectations with a 5-0-0 start. Their goalie duo remains the best in the league, and David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand are shining through the first two weeks. 

2. Colorado Avalanche (5-0-0 overall, 3-0-0 last week) (+2)- Most of the work has fallen on Alexandar Georgiev to begin the year, but the offense is chugging along, too. One of the biggest surprises has been Logan O'Connor, who has scored short-handed goals in three straight games.  

1. Vegas Golden Knights (6-0-0 overall, 3-0-0 last week) (-)- The defending champions remain the hottest team in the league with another perfect week. They're the proud holders of a new record for the best starting to a defending title campaign at 6-0-0.