Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4 Winnipeg Jets
The Tampa Bay Lightning (8-3-1) may be the NHL's most overlooked teams, as they have gotten off to another red-hot start in 2026/27, but against the Winnipeg Jets (4-6-3) at home on Thursday, it was anything but comfortable for them. Despite racing out to a 5-1 lead at the end of the second period, the Jets fought hard on the road, with Kyle Connor's first of the night with three minutes remaining gave them every opportunity to get back in the game.
From there though, the Lightning shut it down, with Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel both tallying three-point nights as Tampa Bay sealed the deal with an empty net goal as they remain undefeated at home this season with a record of 6-0-0.
Utah Mammoth 4-3 Pittsburgh Penguins
The Utah Mammoth (9-5-0) are loaded with proven talent, but they do have one of the most exciting young groups in the NHL, and on Thursday, they proved just how much potential they have as a unit. It wasn't easy though, as Ben Kindel scored with 25 seconds left to give the Pittsburgh Penguins (5-6-2) the lead, but with just one second left on the clock, Logan Cooley tied this game up, sealing his hat-trick in the process.
In overtime, it was Mikhail Sergachev that played the hero, scoring on a pass from Barrett Hayton as Utah seal a victory in one of the craziest games we've seen early in the 2026/27 campaign.
Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 Columbus Blue Jackets
The Carolina Hurricanes (11-2-2) haven't missed a beat early in 2026/27, and while they aren't blowing teams away early, they've continued to grind out victories, which is exactly what they did on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets (5-6-0). 16 seconds into the third period, the 'Canes scored through Mark Jankowski giving them a 3-0 lead, but from there Columbus tried their hardest to claw things back, as Kent Johnson made it a one-goal game midway through the final frame.
Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets, Pyotr Kochetkov made 24 saves on 26 shots, and it was enough for the defending Stanley Cup Champions to pick up the win as they move to 4-1-1 through six games at home this season.
Detroit Red Wings 4-1 Chicago Blackhawks
The Detroit Red Wings (6-4-3) have been a pleasent surprise for many early in the 2026/27 season, and while most had them as a favorite for last place in the Eastern Conference, they've picked up 15 points through their first 13 games played. On Thursday, they battled the endlessly rebuilding Chicago Blackhawks (4-9-0), and while Connor Bedard tallied his fourth of the season, that's where the positives began and ended for the Original Six franchise.
That came early, and then the Red Wings reeled off four straight goals, with an empty net goal to Viktor Arvidsson sealing his first hat-trick of the season, and in doing so, sent the Blackhawks to a winless 0-5-0 away from home early in the year.
