NHL stars, streaks and shutouts: McDavid and Kochetkov headline a weekend of one-sided wins

October's monthly stars

Connor McDavid has been named the NHL's First Star of the Month after a record-breaking October. He led the NHL with 27 assists in October, led the league in even-strength points with 20 and power-play points with 14, and recorded 35 points in the month, the third-most by any player in a single October in NHL history. m:…5030

The assist streak behind those totals is itself a record. McDavid extended his season-opening assist streak to 14 games, surpassing the previous league record of 12 contests, and no player in NHL history has recorded more assists within their first 14 games of a season. Edmonton, meanwhile, finished October with a 10-2-1 record, so the individual totals arrived inside a strong team month. m:…5030

In goal, Pyotr Kochetkov was named the NHL's Third Star for the month of October 2026. He achieved a 9-0-0 record in October, the longest season-opening win streak in Hurricanes franchise history, a streak tied for the third-longest season-opening win streak in NHL history. He also recorded one shutout in October, stopping all 24 shots faced against St. Louis on October 24, and he is the sixth-fastest active NHL goaltender to reach 80 career wins, doing so in 134 games. m:…2398

The monthly podium was completed by Kirill Kaprizov, named the month's Second Star alongside McDavid and Kochetkov. The three names together describe October's shape: record assists, a second-star honor, and a goaltender who did not lose a game all month. m:…2398

Carolina's rout, Edmonton's shutout

Kochetkov's unbeaten run continued past October. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Jets 7-0 at Lenovo Center, their fourth consecutive win, with Kochetkov recording a 26-save shutout and moving to 10-0-0 this season. He also set the franchise record for the longest winning streak by a goaltender, and the Hurricanes have now scored seven goals in a game twice this season. m:…3311

The scoring was spread across the lineup. Sean Walker scored a shorthanded goal, Juuso Valimaki scored 1:55 into the second period, and Sebastian Aho scored a power-play goal 24 seconds after Valimaki's goal. Logan Stankoven scored a goal assisted by Jackson Blake, Mark Jankowski scored his eighth goal in his last nine games, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored a goal assisted by Eric Robinson. Carolina also held a 10-3 shot advantage in the first period, so the scoreline reflected the run of play from the start. m:…3311

Edmonton produced its own shutout at the other end of the weekend. The Oilers defeated the Islanders 4-0, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scoring two goals and Tristan Jarry making 18 saves in the shutout victory. Jarry has now gone 126:17 without allowing a goal, and McDavid extended his season-opening assist streak to 14 games in the same match, tying the weekend's two storylines together. m:…2601

The Islanders, for their part, went 0-4 on the power play in the loss, and Matthew Schaefer's point streak ended at six games. The game drew 16,587 at UBS Arena, and Edmonton improved to 10-2-2 overall this season while the Islanders stood at 7-5-2. The shutout was a team result built on goaltending and a quiet night for the home power play. m:…2601

Washington's offense at even strength

Washington's recent form looks different from a single shutout or rout: it is a sustained even-strength surge. The Capitals have scored 10 goals at 5-on-5 in their last three games and are currently on a three-game winning streak, averaging 2.75 goals per game at 5-on-5 this season. The recent scoring outburst coincides with the return of centers Pierre-Luc Dubois and Justin Sourdif, a reminder that lineup continuity can matter as much as any single hot scorer. m:…5825

The defense has joined in. The Capitals' defense has amassed 30 points in the first dozen games of the season, so the offense is not confined to the forward lines. Logan Thompson has won two of his last three starts, giving Washington stability in goal to match the scoring, while Jesper Wallstedt leads the NHL in appearances and starts with 13 each, a separate workload note from around the league. m:…5825

Washington also moved to shore up its goaltending depth, acquiring goaltender Remi Poirier from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2027 seventh-round draft choice. The move follows the loss of goaltender Clay Stevenson to the Winnipeg Jets via waivers on September 28. Taken together, the weekend's picture is consistent: stars at the top of the monthly honors, streaks and shutouts in Carolina and Edmonton, and a Capitals team winning through depth and even-strength scoring. m:…5825