The Sabres skated to their first win of the season and did so thanks to an eight-goal showing. The offensive outburst was ignited by three players with multiple goals and eight players with multiple points.
* Connor Bedard collected three assists as the Blackhawks scored eight goals against the Blues for the eighth time in the history of the rivalry and first since Oct. 26, 1993.
* Matthew Schaefer and Connor McDavid, Erie Otters alumni and No. 1 picks in their respective NHL Drafts, will go head-to-head for the first time when the Islanders and Oilers clash in a game broadcast nationally on ESPN+ in the United States and SN360 in Canada.
SABRES SCORE GOALS GALORE IN FIRST WIN OF 2025-26
Thirteen different players found the score sheet – and eight had multi-point outings – as the Sabres scored eight goals and earned their first win of the 2025-26 season. Buffalo, which benefited from four special-team goals in a single game for the first time since March 31, 2018 (4 PPGs), recorded its fifth straight win against Ottawa since Nov. 5, 2024 – the club’s longest active run versus one opponent.
* The Sabres had three different skaters with multiple goals for the fifth time since 2000-01 and also had at least eight different players with multiple points in the same game for the fifth time during that same span. The others: Jan. 27, 2009 (10), Jan. 18, 2008 (9), March 2, 2007 (9) and Nov. 3, 2018 (8).
* Rasmus Dahlin (0-2—2), one of six players named to Team Sweden’s preliminary roster for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, collected his 50th career multi-assist outing and became the fourth active Swedish blueliner to reach the benchmark. The others: Erik Karlsson (136), Victor Hedman (119) and John Klingberg (57).
BEDARD SHINES IN CHICAGO’S EIGHT-GOAL OUTBURST
Connor Bedard (0-3—3) factored on three of eight Blackhawks tallies and helped Chicago score eight goals in a game for the first time since March 8, 2022 (8-3 W vs. ANA) and first in their longstanding rivalry with the Blues since Oct. 26, 1993. Bedard (2-4—6 in 5 GP) has six points through his first five games of a season for the second time (also 1-6—7 in 2024-25) and is one of two Blackhawks players age 20 or younger to accomplish the feat multiple times, alongside Denis Savard (1981-82 & 1980-81).
* Bedard posted his 10th career three-point game and passed Jonathan Toews (9) for the fifth most by a Blackhawks skater before age 21. He also recorded his third career three-assist game – only three other players have as many with Chicago before age 21: Savard (9), Eddie Olczyk (4) and Stan Mikita (3).
MORE FROM A FOUR-GAME WEDNESDAY
* Three different players scored as Utah improved to 7-0-0 against Calgary; the Flames are one of four franchises the Mammoth are perfect against (also: 6-0-0 vs. VAN, 4-0-0 vs. PHI & 4-0-0 vs. BUF). The Mammoth became the sixth franchise to win each of their first two home openers, alongside the Kings (3-0-0), Hurricanes/Whalers (2-0-0), Coyotes/Jets (2-0-0), Flyers (2-0-0) and Rangers (2-0-0).
* Patrick Kane scored one of four Detroit goals as the Red Wings defeated the reigning Stanley Cup champions on home ice; their 14 total goals are tied with the Panthers for the fourth most among all Eastern Conference teams this season behind the Maple Leafs (17), Hurricanes (15) and Canadiens (15). Kane netted his 82nd career game-winning goal and moved within one of Zach Parise (83) for the fourth most by an American player in NHL history.
* Jake Neighbours scored to record his 100th career point (60-40—100) and became the third Blues skater in the past decade to reach the 100-point milestone before age 24, following Robert Thomas (60-169—229) and Jordan Kyrou (46-76—122).
QUICK CLICKS
* NHL aims to expand efforts to grow game outside of North America
* Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown attends first Red Wings game
* Mammoth mascot Tusky emerges from block of ice before home opener
* Nick Foligno taking leave of absence from Blackhawks for daughter’s heart surgery
* #NHLStats: Live Updates for October 15
SCHAEFER TO FACE McDAVID FOR THE FIRST TIME
A pair of first-overall picks, selected a decade apart from the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League, will meet for the first time when Connor McDavid and the Oilers visit Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders in a game broadcast nationally on ESPN+ in the United States and SN360 in Canada. Schaefer (1-2—3 in 3 GP) and McDavid (0-4—4 in 3 GP) have both found the score sheet in every game this season.
* Schaefer will be tested by a forward selected with the first-overall pick for the third time in four NHL games – he faced Sidney Crosby in his NHL debut (Oct. 9) and then Alex Ovechkin two days later (Oct. 11). Tonight, he is set to face two forwards who were drafted first overall in McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins.
* McDavid opened the season with a multi-assist effort and needs two more such outings to become the 23rd player in NHL history to reach 200 multi-assist games – the only active player on that list is Crosby (255). It could be another milestone year for McDavid, who is in reach of 400 goals (39 away), 800 assists (75 away) and 1,100 points (14 away) in 2025-26. McDavid (715 GP) is tracking among the fastest players in NHL history to reach 1,100 points – only Wayne Gretzky (464 GP), Mario Lemieux (550 GP) and Mike Bossy (725 GP) did so in fewer than 750 games played.
* Schaefer and McDavid were both drafted out of the OHL’s Erie Otters, a program that has produced multiple current NHLers including Ryan O’Reilly (NSH), Alex DeBrincat (DET), Dylan Strome (WSH) and Connor Brown (NJD). As told to NHL.com prior to the 2025 NHL Draft, Schaefer was in the building when the Otters retired McDavid’s No. 97 on Jan. 10 and McDavid gave Schaefer some advice on the collarbone injury he was going through at the time. Schaefer was asked to speak at the ceremony and has laughed while telling the story that he ran out of things to say and just said “I’m proud of you.” The two crossed paths again at the 2025 Stanley Cup Final when the top prospects visited for Game 3.
You must be logged in to post a comment.