With practically two months of the 2025-26 NHL season full, the Boston Bruins are close to the highest of the Atlantic Division and in the course of the pack within the general league standings. However they will brag about one achievement no different staff has achieved — they’re the one membership that has defeated the Colorado Avalanche in regulation this marketing campaign.
Boston registered a 3-2 house victory on Oct. 25, ending Colorado’s season-opening eight-game level streak (5-0-3). Since then, the Avalanche have earned factors in 16 consecutive contests (13-0-3), together with each of their outings throughout final week’s abbreviated four-day span as they misplaced to the Minnesota Wild in a shootout earlier than clobbering the Montreal Canadiens 7-2 on Saturday.
4 groups gained each of their video games final week, whereas 4 others joined Colorado with a victory and a post-regulation defeat. A complete of six golf equipment did not get within the win column, however the Utah Mammoth had the hardest time as they started a six-game highway journey with three regulation losses.
Every week through the season, I am going to rank the league’s high 10 groups based mostly on each the earlier week’s performances and general physique of labor in 2025-26. I am going to additionally give transient synopsis for every membership that explains why they’re ranked the place they’re.
Let’s dive into the ability scores after Week 8 of the 2025-26 NHL season and spotlight a couple of of the groups’ notable accomplishments.
NHL Week 9 energy scores
1. Colorado Avalanche (1-0-1 in Week 8; 18-1-6 general)
The Avalanche gave up two targets in every of their two contests final week, extending their streak of permitting fewer than three tallies to 5 video games. They scored 9 occasions in these two outings, rising their NHL-leading whole to 103 targets as they’ve produced not less than 4 in eight of their final 11 contests. Nathan MacKinnon posted a pair of multi-point performances, recording a objective and an help in opposition to Minnesota earlier than netting one tally and establishing two others versus Montreal. The 2024 Hart Trophy winner, who has been stored off the scoresheet in solely 4 of Colorado’s 25 video games, leads the league in each targets (20) and factors (44). Captain Gabriel Landeskog, who missed the final three common seasons attributable to a knee damage, collected three factors within the win over the Canadiens and has notched 5 over his final three contests after amassing simply seven in his first 22 outings in 2025-26.
2. Dallas Stars (2-0-0; 17-5-4)
Dallas was one of many 4 groups that gained each of their video games in Week 8, extending its profitable streak to 4 and level streak to 6 (5-0-1). Wyatt Johnston has been on hearth of late, registering 5 factors final week and 9 over his final 4 contests. The 22-year-old heart scored the game-winning objective in opposition to the Mammoth final Friday earlier than recording his fourth profession hat trick and likewise including an help within the Stars’ 6-1 overcome the Ottawa Senators two days later. It was the second four-point effort in 4 video games for Johnston, who recorded only one level over his earlier six outings. Captain Jamie Benn scored in each video games final week and is driving a four-game level streak whereas Roope Hintz had his four-game goal-scoring run ended by Ottawa however notched a pair of assists to increase his level run to 5 contests. Jason Robertson, who had two targets and two assists final week, has netted not less than one tally in 9 of his final 10 video games and recorded a degree in 13 of his previous 15. Mikko Rantanen additionally was productive in Week 8, amassing 5 assists in Dallas’ two contests.
3. Tampa Bay Lightning (2-0-0; 16-7-2)
The Lightning prolonged their general profitable streak to seven video games and their highway run to 5 with victories over the Detroit Purple Wings and New York Rangers final week. They scored a complete of 10 targets in these two triumphs and have tallied not less than 4 occasions on 5 events throughout their seven-game profitable streak. Tampa Bay additionally has allowed fewer than two targets in 5 of these contests. Brandon Hagel enters Week 9 with a five-game goal-scoring streak and posted his third two-tally efficiency throughout that run within the triumph in opposition to the Rangers. Defenseman Darren Raddysh got here up with a pair of three-point efforts in Week 8 and has landed on the scoresheet in seven of his final eight outings. The 29-year-old is on tempo to shatter the profession excessive of 37 factors he registered in 73 video games final season as he has amassed 16 in 19 contests this marketing campaign. Nikita Kucherov is driving a nine-game level streak throughout which he has racked up 4 targets and 14 assists after establishing 5 tallies in Week 8.
4. Carolina Hurricanes (2-0-0; 16-7-2)
The Hurricanes are the third straight staff on this week’s scores that gained each of its video games in Week 8 as they cruised previous the Winnipeg Jets 5-1 earlier than edging the Calgary Flames 1-0 in time beyond regulation. Seth Jarvis was the offensive star in opposition to Winnipeg as he registered his second profession hat trick to extend his club-leading season whole to fifteen targets. In the meantime, Nikolaj Ehlers, who is ready to look in his 700th NHL sport Thursday in opposition to the Toronto Maple Leafs, ended his six-game drought by scoring the lone objective within the overcome Calgary. Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and Andrei Svechnikov got here up with multi-point efforts in opposition to the Jets as each recorded a pair of assists.
5. Minnesota Wild (1-0-1; 14-7-5)
Minnesota went to a shootout in each of its video games final week, defeating Colorado on Friday earlier than dropping to the Buffalo Sabres a day later. The Wild, whose level streak has reached 11 video games (9-0-2), scored a complete of 4 regulation targets in these contests — with Kirill Kaprizov producing three of them. The 28-year-old Russian left wing enters Week 9 with a five-game goal-scoring streak and tallies in eight of his final 11 outings. Kaprizov has gone with no objective in back-to-back video games simply as soon as since Oct. 28 as he has transformed in 11 of his previous 16. Matt Boldy netted Minnesota’s different tally final week, scoring in opposition to the Sabres after recording the decisive shootout objective within the victory over the Avalanche. Since enduring a six-game drought from Oct. 25-Nov. 4, the 24-year-old has scored in eight of his final 12 contests. Veteran Norwegian proper wing Mats Zuccarello notched an help in every of the Wild’s video games final week, giving him not less than one level in six of his final eight outings.
6. Washington Capitals (2-0-0; 15-9-2)
The fourth and ultimate staff to go 2-0-0 final week was the Capitals, who defeated Toronto 4-2 and the New York Islanders 4-1 to increase their general profitable streak to 4 video games. Tom Wilson joined Connor McMichael with a objective and an help in opposition to the Maple Leafs earlier than netting two tallies and establishing one other versus the Islanders. The 31-year-old proper wing has notched not less than one level in 5 consecutive contests and 7 of his final eight. Wilson is six targets shy of 200 for his profession and desires one to tie Bengt Gustafsson for seventh place on Washington’s all-time listing. 9-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin, who’s first in NHL historical past with 909 tallies and counting, has notched not less than one level in 11 of his final 14 video games whereas defenseman Jakob Chychrun was stored off the scoresheet by the Isles after registering a five-game goal-scoring streak and a 10-game level run throughout which he collected seven tallies and 6 assists.
7. Anaheim Geese (2-1-0; 16-9-1)
The Geese performed three video games final week and gained two of them, edging the Los Angeles Kings in a shootout and bouncing again from a loss to the Chicago Blackhawks with a 4-1 overcome the St. Louis Blues. Chris Kreider scored in every of Anaheim’s three contests following a 10-game stretch throughout which he tallied simply as soon as. Leo Carlsson recorded two targets and 4 assists in Week 8 to increase his level streak to seven video games. A 20-year-old Swedish heart who was the second general choose within the 2023 NHL Draft, Carlsson has amassed three tallies and 7 assists throughout his run and is tied for fourth within the league with 36 factors. Troy Terry had his seven-game level streak halted in Monday’s win at St. Louis, however 19-year-old proper wing Beckett Sennecke prolonged his to eight contests with an help. In doing so, he tied Paul Kariya for the longest run by a rookie in franchise historical past and have become the second-fastest Duck to achieve 20 factors, conducting the feat in 26 video games. Kariya owns the membership mark as he notched 20 factors in 24 contests in 1994-95. In the meantime, Mason McTavish collected a objective and three assists final week, giving him not less than one level in six of his final seven outings.
8. Los Angeles Kings (1-0-1; 12-6-7)
Los Angeles has earned not less than one level in 9 of its final 10 video games after going 1-0-1 in Week 8 with a shootout loss at Anaheim and a 2-1 time beyond regulation overcome the Vancouver Canucks. The Kings are hoping Adrian Kempe is about to interrupt out of a prolonged stoop as his OT winner in opposition to Vancouver was simply his third objective in his final 16 contests. The 29-year-old Swedish proper wing additionally notched his first help in seven video games in that triumph, whereas Brian Dumoulin continued his uncharacteristic offensive surge by establishing a tally. The 34-year-old defenseman additionally notched a pair of assists within the shootout loss to the Geese and has registered 4 factors in as many contests after choosing up solely two in his first 21 outings this season.
9. New Jersey Devils (1-2-0; 16-9-1)
New Jersey dropped 5-3 choices to the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets to finish final week at 1-2-0 and fall to 4-5-0 since star ahead Jack Hughes suffered a finger damage in an off-ice incident that’s prone to hold him sidelined for eight weeks. Captain Nico Hischier and Timo Meier each enter Week 9 having scored a objective in 5 of the contests throughout their six-game level streaks. The primary general choose within the 2017 NHL Draft, Hischier has registered six tallies and 6 assists on his run, whereas Meier has collected 5 and three, respectively.
10. Vegas Golden Knights (1-1-0; 11-6-8)
Vegas started final week with its fourth straight setback (0-2-2), a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens on Friday, however ended the slide the next day with a 4-3 overcome the San Jose Sharks. Captain Mark Stone scored the lone objective in opposition to Montreal and notched an help versus San Jose, giving him not less than one level in every of the 9 video games during which he has performed this marketing campaign. Tomas Hertl tallied twice within the victory in opposition to the Sharks to extend his season whole to 11 targets and pull even with Jack Eichel and Pavel Dorofeyev for the staff lead.
