This NHL summary covers a range of exciting matches, highlighting key performances and significant outcomes across the league. The New York Islanders' commanding 9-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils stands out, featuring a record-breaking shutout by Ilya Sorokin and a remarkable hat trick from Anthony Duclair. Other notable events include the Vegas Golden Knights' overtime triumph, the Tampa Bay Lightning's extended winning streak, and the Edmonton Oilers' dominant offensive display. The Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Seattle Kraken, and San Jose Sharks also contributed to a night of compelling hockey action, each securing crucial wins.
The New York Islanders delivered an exceptional performance against the New Jersey Devils, securing a dominant 9-0 shutout win. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin was a central figure in this victory, achieving his 26th career shutout, a new team record for the Islanders, surpassing Glenn "Chico" Resch. Sorokin effectively blocked 44 shots from the Devils throughout the game. Complementing Sorokin's defensive mastery was Anthony Duclair, who, despite being scratched in the two previous games and having only four goals in 39 contests this season, exploded with a natural hat trick and two assists, culminating in a five-point night. This marked his fourth career hat trick and first since December 2019. The Islanders' victory tied for the most lopsided shutout in their franchise history, a feat last achieved against the Pittsburgh Penguins in January 1986. The team's recent form has been strong, winning five of their last seven games. Other contributors to this significant win included Casey Cizikas with two goals and an assist, Mathew Barzal and Tony DeAngelo each adding a goal and an assist, and goals from Calum Ritchie and Simon Holmstrom, with Ryan Pulock providing two assists. In contrast, the Devils' Jacob Markstrom made 15 saves, but his team has struggled, losing six of their last eight games.
In other league action, the Vegas Golden Knights ended a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets. Tomas Hertl scored the decisive power-play goal with just 12.8 seconds remaining in overtime, capping off a comeback victory. Hertl also had an assist, while Mark Stone, Brett Howden, and Reilly Smith also found the net. Marner contributed two assists, and Carter Hart made 17 saves. For the Jets, Cole Perfetti, Luke Schenn, and Kyle Connor scored, with Gabriel Vilardi adding two assists. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots, but his personal winless streak now stands at nine games, and the Jets have lost 10 consecutive matches. The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their NHL-best winning streak to eight games by defeating the Colorado Avalanche 4-2. Brandon Hagel scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and assisted on Anthony Cirelli's empty-netter, reaching the 20-goal mark for the season. Nikita Kucherov extended his point streak to eight games with two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves. Colorado's goals came from Parker Kelly and Brock Nelson, with Nelson extending his point streak to six games. Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves for the Avalanche, who suffered their first consecutive regulation losses of the season.
The Edmonton Oilers showcased a potent offense in their 6-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, led by Connor McDavid's hat trick. Leon Draisaitl added a goal and two assists, Kasperi Kapanen contributed a goal and an assist, and Curtis Lazar also scored for the Oilers. Vasily Podkolzin recorded two assists, and Connor Ingram made 24 saves. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins achieved his 500th career assist. For the Predators, Ryan O'Reilly and defenseman Nick Blankenburg scored, and Juuse Saros stopped 37 shots. This game marked the end of a seven-game road trip for Nashville. The Buffalo Sabres held on for a 5-3 win against the Vancouver Canucks, despite the Canucks narrowing a four-goal deficit in the third period. Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 32 saves. Ryan McLeod, Zach Metsa, Josh Doan, and Tage Thompson also scored for the Sabres, who have won 11 of their last 12 games overall and five straight at home. Jake DeBrusk, Elias Pettersson, and Liam Ohgren scored for the Canucks, and Thatcher Demko made 15 saves. This loss marked Vancouver's fourth straight and an inauspicious start to their longest road trip of the season.
The Carolina Hurricanes secured a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars, with K'Andre Miller scoring two goals and an assist, and Seth Jarvis, returning from injury, adding a goal and an assist. Shayne Gostisbehere, Logan Stankoven, and William Carrier also scored for Carolina, while Andrei Svechnikov had four assists and Nikolaj Ehlers contributed three assists. Brandon Bussi made 20 saves, improving his record to 15-2-1. Dallas' goals came from Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, and Wyatt Johnston. Robertson also had two assists for a three-point night, but the Stars extended their losing streak to a season-worst six games. The Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-2, with Trevor Zegras scoring twice against his former team. Cam York and Nikita Grebenkin each had a goal and an assist, Travis Sanheim also scored, and Dan Vladar made 16 saves. Cutter Gauthier scored his team-leading 20th goal for the Ducks, while Lukas Dostal made 34 saves. The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Florida Panthers 4-1, with Matthew Knies contributing a goal and an assist in his 200th career game. Easton Cowan, Auston Matthews, and Bobby McMann (empty net) also scored for Toronto. Joseph Woll made 31 saves. Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 19 shots. The Seattle Kraken dominated the Boston Bruins with a 7-4 victory, with Berkly Catton scoring his first two NHL career goals. Kaapo Kakko had two goals and an assist, Jared McCann had one of each, Jordan Eberle and Ben Meyers also scored, and Matty Beniers, Vince Dunn, and Freddy Gaudreau each had two assists. Joey Daccord made 32 saves, extending the Kraken's point streak to nine games. David Pastrnak scored twice for the Bruins, who saw their two-game winning streak snapped. The San Jose Sharks topped the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2, with Alexander Wennberg recording a goal and two assists. Mario Ferraro had a goal and an assist, and Pavol Regenda, Zack Ostapchuk, and Macklin Celebrini also scored. Alex Nedeljkovic made 34 saves for San Jose. Zach Werenski and Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets, and Jet Greaves made 31 saves.
Across the National Hockey League, a series of compelling matchups unfolded, delivering a diverse range of outcomes. From historic shutout victories and individual scoring explosions to dramatic overtime finishes and extended winning streaks, the night's games demonstrated the unpredictable and competitive nature of professional hockey. Goaltenders delivered stellar performances, while offensive leaders stepped up to guide their teams to success, solidifying standings and creating memorable moments for fans.