The Colorado Avalanche proved they weren’t infallible throughout Week 9 of the 2025-26 NHL season as they sustained their first regulation loss in additional than a month. Nonetheless, the defeat wasn’t sufficient to supplant the Avalanche from the highest spot on this week’s scores.
Colorado, which suffered its first regulation lack of the marketing campaign on Oct. 25, a 3-2 setback in opposition to the Boston Bruins, entered Week 9 with a degree streak that it prolonged to 17 video games (14-0-3) with final Tuesday’s 3-1 overcome the Vancouver Canucks. The membership stumbled at first of its four-game street journey, permitting the primary 4 objectives of its contest in opposition to the New York Islanders en path to a 6-3 loss however shortly received again on target with 3-2 victories in opposition to the New York Rangers in additional time and Philadelphia Flyers.
The Vegas Golden Knights have been the one staff with an ideal report in Week 9, successful all three of their video games, whereas the Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals, Detroit Pink Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs all went 3-0-1. In the meantime, the New Jersey Devils’ struggles with out Jack Hughes continued as they scored a complete of 1 objective whereas shedding three contests final week to increase their shedding streak to 5 video games after having gained 4 of their first seven with out the star ahead.
No staff had a worse week than the Tampa Bay Lightning, who misplaced 4 video games and have been shut out within the final two. The slide precipitated the Lightning to drop out of this week’s prime 10 after a seven-game successful streak helped put them within the No. 3 spot final week.
Every week in the course of the season, I am going to rank the league’s prime 10 groups primarily based on each the earlier week’s performances and general physique of labor in 2025-26. I am going to additionally give temporary synopsis for every membership that explains why they’re ranked the place they’re.
Let’s dive into the ability scores after Week 9 of the 2025-26 NHL season and spotlight a couple of of the groups’ notable accomplishments.
NHL Week 9 energy scores
1. Colorado Avalanche (3-1-0 in Week 9; 21-2-6 general)
Sure, the Avalanche confirmed they have been human in Week 9, however additionally they demonstrated that they nonetheless are the perfect staff within the NHL this season with three extra victories. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar additionally saved chugging alongside as they every recorded not less than one level in three of Colorado’s 4 video games, and each have landed on the scoresheet in 24 of the membership’s 29 contests in 2025-26. The 2024 Hart Trophy winner, MacKinnon posted a pair of two-goal performances and likewise notched an help to extend his league-leading totals to 24 tallies and 49 factors. In the meantime, two-time Norris Trophy recipient Makar arrange three objectives as he raised his season numbers to 26 assists and 35 factors, each of that are tops amongst NHL defensemen. Martin Necas’ efforts can’t be ignored, because the 26-year-old Czech heart had a objective and 5 assists final week, has registered 4 multi-point performances in his final seven video games and is tied for fifth within the league with 39 factors. The Avs are 11-0-2 at house this season and play two of their three Week 10 contests at Ball Area, so we in all probability can count on them to occupy the highest spot of the scores once more subsequent week.
2. Dallas Stars (3-0-1; 20-5-5)
The Stars’ week could not have gotten off to a worse begin as they squandered a late lead and dropped a 3-2 determination to the New York Rangers in additional time, a setback that ended their four-game successful streak. As well as, they misplaced Tyler Seguin for what seemingly would be the the rest of the season to a torn ACL. However Dallas displayed its resiliency, successful its remaining three contests of the week to increase its factors streak to 10 video games (8-0-2). Mikko Rantanen collected three objectives and three assists over the staff’s 4 outings and enters Week 10 with a six-game level streak, whereas Jason Robertson scored in two contests to provide him objectives in 11 of his final 14. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen has tallied in three straight video games, Roope Hintz (factors in eight of his final 9) and Wyatt Johnston (factors in 5 of his final six) each are scorching and captain Jamie Benn has racked up 9 factors in 11 outings after lacking the Stars’ first 19 contests with a collapsed lung. Dallas can’t be ignored as it is just three factors behind Colorado within the general standings.
3. Washington Capitals (3-0-1; 18-9-3)
Like Dallas, the Capitals gained three video games and misplaced one after regulation final week. Additionally just like the Stars, Washington misplaced a key participant as defenseman John Carlson missed the staff’s final three contests with an upper-body damage. The staff rolled on with out him, nevertheless, sandwiching victories in opposition to the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets round a shootout loss to the Anaheim Geese. Rugged ahead Tom Wilson continued to supply offensively, recording two objectives and an help final week to provide him not less than one level in eight of his final 9 video games and 11 of the previous 14. Within the crease, Logan Thompson went 1-0-1 as he allowed solely 4 objectives on 102 pictures and lowered his goals-against common to 1.96, which is second-best within the league behind Minnesota Wild rookie Jesper Wallstedt (1.95). The 28-year-old Thompson turned apart all 39 pictures he confronted in opposition to Columbus on Sunday en path to his seventh profession shutout and a centesimal NHL victory.
4. Vegas Golden Knights (3-0-0; 14-6-8)
The Golden Knights are driving a four-game successful streak that has adopted a four-game skid after defeating the Chicago Blackhawks in a shootout, the Devils in regulation and the Rangers in additional time final week. Jack Eichel scored the successful objective within the additional session of Sunday’s triumph at Madison Sq. Backyard, giving him back-to-back two-point performances and factors in seven of his final 9 contests. Mitch Marner has landed on the scoresheet in 5 of his final six outings and Tomas Hertl has tallied 4 occasions in as many video games. Defenseman Shea Theodore recorded a objective and three assists in three contests final week whereas captain Mark Stone has picked up a degree in all 12 of his outings this season after notching 4 assists.
5. Anaheim Geese (2-1-0; 18-10-1)
The Geese received off to a tough begin in Week 9 as they have been trounced 7-0 by the Utah Mammoth, however they bounced again with a shootout overcome Washington and a dominant 7-1 victory in opposition to Chicago. Leo Carlsson scored twice in that contest to finish a two-game dry spell and provides him factors in eight of his final 10 video games. The 20-year-old Swedish heart is tied for seventh within the NHL with 38 factors and is seven away from matching his complete in 76 contests final season. In the meantime, Beckett Sennecke has recorded a objective and an help in every of his final two outings and has been saved off the scoresheet simply as soon as in his final 11 video games. The 19-year-old proper wing, who leads all NHL rookies with 24 factors, hasn’t gone back-to-back contests with out one since a four-game drought from Oct. 23-31.
6. Minnesota Wild (2-2-0; 16-9-5)
Minnesota endured a four-game street journey final week and had its 12-game level streak (10-0-2) halted with back-to-back setbacks in opposition to the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. The trek ended on a excessive notice, nevertheless, because the Wild topped the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Monday behind a three-point effort from Joel Eriksson Ek. The 28-year-old Swedish heart ended his five-game level drought with a objective and two assists, matching his output over his earlier 9 contests. Kirill Kaprizov netted his team-leading 18th tally in opposition to the Kraken, tying him for third within the league. Wallstedt allowed 4 objectives within the loss at Vancouver however made 33 saves in Edmonton final Tuesday to put up his league-high fourth shutout of the season, all of which got here throughout a six-game span.
7. Carolina Hurricanes (1-2-0; 17-9-2)
The Hurricanes fell three spots within the scores after shedding two of their three video games in Week 9. Carolina scored only one objective in each defeats however matched its season excessive in its 6-3 overcome the Nashville Predators. Nikolaj Ehlers and Jackson Blake registered three factors apiece within the win as 9 of the staff’s 12 forwards received on the scoresheet. The 22-year-old Blake went with no level in his earlier six contests. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere notched an help in all three video games and has recorded not less than one level in 10 of his final 13 outings.
8. Detroit Pink Wings (3-0-1; 16-11-3)
The Pink Wings entered Week 9 with a four-game shedding streak (0-3-1) and exited it with three wins and a shootout loss, a setback in opposition to the Columbus Blue Jackets final Thursday that kicked off a six-game street journey. Detroit adopted that with victories at Seattle and Vancouver, scoring 4 objectives in every. Captain Dylan Larkin netted his team-best sixteenth tally Monday in opposition to the Canucks and has registered not less than one level seven of his final eight outings. In the meantime, Lucas Raymond collected two objectives and three assists final week and has landed on the scoresheet in 13 of his previous 15 contests. Alex DeBrincat notched a degree in all 4 of Detroit’s video games, amassing two objectives and three assists, whereas defenseman Moritz Seider netted one tally and arrange 5 others.
9. Los Angeles Kings (2-2-0; 14-8-7)
Los Angeles started final week with losses to Washington and Chicago, scoring as soon as in every defeat, however erupted for a complete of 10 objectives in back-to-back triumphs over the Blackhawks and Mammoth. Adrian Kempe completed Week 8 by netting simply his third tally in 16 contests however now has three in his final 5 video games after changing in opposition to each the Capitals and Utah. The Kings acquired two-goal performances from a pair of unlikely sources of their wins as defenseman Brandt Clarke elevated his objective complete for the season to 5 with a pair in opposition to Chicago on Saturday and Joel Armia transformed twice in opposition to the Mammoth to finish his five-game level drought and provides him seven tallies in his first marketing campaign with Los Angeles following seven with the Montreal Canadiens.
10. New York Islanders (3-1-0; 16-11-3)
No, the Islanders aren’t making their first look within the prime 10 this season due to their 6-3 victory over the Avalanche this previous Thursday, though I doubt many would complain if that was the explanation. The membership additionally posted a pair of triumphs over what had been a red-hot Tampa Bay staff, ending the Lightning’s seven-game successful streak with a 2-1 triumph final Tuesday, and climbed inside 4 factors of division-leading Washington in a good Metropolitan that has the primary and last-place groups separated by solely seven factors. The Isles had balanced scoring in these three wins as eight gamers mixed for his or her 10 objectives, with Bo Horvat and Casey Cizikas every scoring twice. It was a uncommon offensive outburst by the 34-year-old Cizikas, who transformed in back-to-back video games after having tallied simply as soon as over his first 27 contests this season. Ilya Sorokin was in internet for every of the victories and stopped 97 of the 101 pictures he confronted. The 30-year-old Russian made 32 saves in opposition to Tampa Bay on Saturday for his third shutout of 2025-26 and the twenty fifth of his profession.
