The NHL showed in October that many problems could be solved by waiting until the end of the month.
The San Jose Sharks went winless in their first nine games and looked like they might make it 10 after trailing 4-1 with five minutes left before rallying. Now they’re one of the hottest teams with a three-game winning streak.
Edmonton Oilers forward Zach Hyman, a 54-goal scorer last season, was snakebitten with no goals on 28 shots. Then he scored on a breakaway for the Oilers’ final goal of a 5-1 win in their final game of the month.
Some teams, though, haven’t caught on, particularly the low-scoring New York Islanders and the underperforming Boston Bruins.
Here are the winners and losers of the first months of the NHL season.
WINNERS
Columbus Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason
The Blue Jackets went through an unspeakable tragedy when star Johnny Gaudreau was killed when his bicycle was hit by a car. But Evason has the team in a playoff position heading into November. They rank seventh in scoring this season after being 25th last season.
Winnipeg Jets’ Kyle Connor
There are plenty of reasons the Jets have started 9-1: goalie Connor Hellebuyck could push for another Vezina Trophy, defensemen Josh Morrissey and Neal Pionk are thriving and there’s balanced scoring. Connor has points in his first 10 games and 17 points overall. With nine goals, he could push for his first 50-goal season. He was always going to make the U.S. team for the 4 Nations Face-Off and now he could be a go-to scorer at the tournament.
New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin
He’s a pending free agent and he reportedly turned down an $11 million-a-year offer, which would set a record for goaltenders. He’s making his case for more, ranking second in the league in MoneyPuck’s Goals Saved Above Expected.
Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin
With five goals in nine games, he’s on pace to top the 42 goals he needs to break Wayne Gretzky’s record. What a change from last season when he didn’t get his fifth goal until Game 15, then went through a 14-game goal drought afterward.
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke
If the Kings were to survive the preseason injury to defenseman Drew Doughty, it would take everyone on the blue line to step up. Clarke is taking care of the offensive numbers, ranking second on the team with 11 points. He also made the highlight reel with a spin move and assist on Anze Kopitar’s goal.
Florida Panthers
The defending champions lead the Atlantic Division even with captain Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk missing time earlier in the season. Sam Reinhart, a 57-goal scorer last season, is leading the offense and Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett have chipped in. Now everyone is back.
LOSERS
New York Islanders
General manager Lou Lamoriello made only smaller offseason moves after the teams finished 22nd in scoring last season. Anthony Duclair and Maxim Tsyplakov had the potential to help, but Duclair is hurt and the Islanders are last in scoring. They’ve been shut out four times. Adding to their woes: The team announced that three-time All-Star Mathew Barzal was sent back to Long Island with an upper-body injured. A timeframe will be announced after doctors see him.
Boston Bruins
The star-studded Bruins’ best players have been fourth-liners Mark Kastelic, Cole Coepke and John Beecher. Free agent signee Elias Lindholm hasn’t caught on yet. The Bruins mixed up their lines on Thursday and were promptly crushed 8-2 by the Carolina Hurricanes. They’re sitting at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.
Nashville Predators
A team adding Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei shouldn’t start the season 0-5. They’re playing a little better but they’re still tied for the worst record in the league.
Macklin Celebrini’s delayed start
Celebrini showed in his NHL debut why he was drafted No. 1 overall, recording a goal and an assist. But an injury that bothered him in training camp got worse and he has missed the past 11 games. That likely leaves him out of the rookie of the year race, especially with Philadelphia’s Matvei Michkov and Dallas’ Logan Stankoven off to solid starts.
Colorado Avalanche’s injury bad luck
Colorado couldn’t do much in the offseason because the team had to account for the potential returns of injured captain Gabriel Landeskog and suspended Valeri Nichushkin. But Artturi Lehkonen was also unavailable and forwards Jonathan Drouin, red-hot Ross Colton and Miles Woods got hurt. Add a two-game suspension to rookie Mark Stienburg for charging. The Avalanche have trouble fielding a lineup. Fortunately, Cale Makar, reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are off to hot starts. The overall result, though, is a sub-.500 record.
Goaltenders’ save percentages
A .900 save percentage was considered average and that number had been creeping up in recent years. But now there are some players who are way below. Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry is in the American Hockey League after recording a .836 save percentage. Colorado’s Alexandar Georgiev is at .822. Vancouver Canucks playoff hero Arturs Silovs is at .797. All told, more than 40 goalies are below .900.
This story has been updated with new information.
