It was a night of close finishes, standout performances, and milestones in the NHL as Clayton Keller led the Utah Hockey Club to an overtime victory against the New York Rangers, while David Pastrnak and Devon Levi helped their teams secure important wins. Here’s a breakdown of the most exciting action from Saturday night:
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Clayton Keller’s OT Winner Propels Utah Over Rangers
Utah’s Historic Start to the Season
Clayton Keller scored his second goal of the night in overtime, lifting the Utah Hockey Club to a thrilling 6-5 victory over the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Keller’s third goal of the season came with 55 seconds left in the extra period as he wrapped around the net and backhanded the puck past Igor Shesterkin to seal Utah’s third straight win.
With the victory, Utah became just the 18th team in NHL history, and only the third since 1994, to start a season by scoring five or more goals in each of its first three games, per Hockey-Reference.com.
Panarin Shines for Rangers in Defeat
Artemi Panarin scored twice for New York, including a first-period goal that tied the game at 1. Panarin’s second goal briefly gave the Rangers a 4-3 lead in the third period, but Utah’s high-powered offense kept the game close and ultimately forced overtime.
Key Stats:
- Clayton Keller: 2 goals, including the OT winner.
- Artemi Panarin: 2 goals for New York.
- Igor Shesterkin: 30 saves for the Rangers.
Bruins Edge Kings in OT Behind Pastrnak’s Goal
Boston Earns OT Win
David Pastrnak scored at 3:07 of overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. After trailing 1-0 in the second period, the Bruins tied the game in the third and then completed the comeback in OT. Pastrnak finished off a give-and-go play with defenseman Mason Lohrei for the game-winner, securing Boston’s second straight win.
Kings’ Strong Start Not Enough
Trevor Moore scored for the Kings in the second period, while goalie Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves. However, Los Angeles couldn’t hold off the Bruins in overtime, suffering their first loss of the season after opening with a win against Buffalo.
Key Stats:
- David Pastrnak: OT game-winner for Boston.
- Mason Lohrei: 1 assist on the game-winning goal.
- Trevor Moore: 1 goal for Los Angeles.
Devon Levi Helps Sabres Snap Losing Streak Against Panthers
Buffalo Bounces Back
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Devon Levi made 23 saves, leading his team to a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers, marking their first win of the season. Buffalo ended a five-game losing streak against Florida with goals from Jordan Greenway, Tage Thompson, Henri Jokiharju, Mattias Samuelsson, and Alex Tuch (empty-netter).
Panthers Struggle on Power Play
Florida’s Sam Bennett and Nate Schmidt found the back of the net, but the Panthers continued to struggle with the man advantage, going 1-for-10 on the power play through their first two games of the season.
Key Stats:
- Devon Levi: 23 saves for Buffalo.
- Sam Bennett: Scored Florida’s first power-play goal of the season.
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Cam Talbot’s 42 Saves Lead Red Wings to Shutout Win
Talbot’s Strong Debut for Detroit
In his first start for the Detroit Red Wings, Cam Talbot stopped 42 shots to record his 32nd career shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Nashville Predators. Talbot’s stellar performance helped Detroit earn its first win of the season, with goals from J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp, and Dylan Larkin.
Predators’ Saros Solid in Return
Juuse Saros, who missed Nashville’s season opener due to injury, returned to make 19 saves, but the Predators couldn’t solve Talbot or generate consistent offense.
Key Stats:
- Cam Talbot: 42 saves for the shutout.
- Juuse Saros: 19 saves in his season debut for Nashville.
Kraken Beat Wild in Shootout for First Win of the Season
Eberle Leads the Way
Jordan Eberle scored twice in regulation and notched the decisive goal in the shootout as the Seattle Kraken earned their first win of the season, defeating the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Jared McCann’s late third-period goal forced overtime, and Eberle sealed the victory in the shootout.
Kaprizov Shines, But Wild Fall Short
Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists for Minnesota, but the Wild were unable to finish the game in regulation or overtime. Kaprizov failed to convert during the shootout as Seattle’s Joey Daccord made key saves to secure the win.
Key Stats:
- Jordan Eberle: 2 goals, including the shootout winner.
- Kirill Kaprizov: 1 goal, 2 assists for Minnesota.
Additional NHL Results:
- Blue Jackets 6, Avalanche 4: Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov each had a goal and two assists to lift Columbus past Colorado. Sean Monahan also added a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets.
- Blackhawks 5, Oilers 2: Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and added two assists as Chicago snapped its two-game skid with a win over Edmonton. Connor Bedard tallied a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks.
- Canadiens 4, Senators 1: Cole Caufield scored twice to help Montreal snap a nine-game losing streak against Ottawa.
- Maple Leafs 4, Penguins 2: William Nylander scored two goals to lead Toronto past Pittsburgh in their home opener.
- Devils 5, Capitals 3: Paul Cotter scored twice as New Jersey spoiled Washington’s season opener.
- Stars 3, Islanders 0: Jake Oettinger posted a 34-save shutout as Dallas won its home opener.
- Flames 6, Flyers 3: Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each scored twice to lead Calgary over Philadelphia.
- Ducks 2, Sharks 0: Isac Lundestrom and Trevor Zegras scored in the third period to lift Anaheim over San Jose.
Postgame Reactions and Key Takeaways
Clayton Keller on Utah’s Historic Start
Keller expressed excitement over the team’s hot start: “It feels great to be a part of history, but we’re just focused on playing our game and continuing this momentum.”
David Pastrnak on OT Winner
Pastrnak praised his teammates for setting up the game-winning play: “Mason [Lohrei] made a great pass, and I just had to finish it. It was a good team win.”
Devon Levi on Beating Florida
Levi, who faced his former team, said, “It was a special win, but more importantly, we played a complete game as a group. Hopefully, we can build off this.”
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Looking Ahead: What’s Next for These Teams
Detroit Red Wings: Detroit will try to ride Cam Talbot’s hot hand into their next game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Utah Hockey Club: Utah will look to continue their perfect start as they return home for a matchup against the defending champions, Vegas Golden Knights.
New York Rangers: The Rangers aim to bounce back when they face the New Jersey Devils in a highly anticipated rivalry game.
Boston Bruins: Boston heads to Pittsburgh next, looking to keep their winning streak alive.
