Hockey fans woke up today rubbing their eyes at the scoreboard. It wasn't just that some teams won; it was how they did it. If you were looking for tight, defensive battles, Friday night mostly had other plans for you. We saw a powerhouse fall where they never fall, a blowout that felt like a video game on "rookie" mode, and a winning streak that died in a shootout.
Basically, it was chaos on ice.
The biggest story from the hockey scores last night nhl slate has to be in Denver. The Colorado Avalanche have been untouchable at Ball Arena all season. Before last night, they hadn't lost a single game in regulation on their home pond. That's a 19-0-3 record wiped away by a Nashville Predators team that decided to play spoiler. Ryan O'Reilly led the charge with a hat trick, proving that the veteran still has plenty of gas in the tank. Nashville didn't just win; they hung seven goals on the best team in the league. Final score: 7-3.
The Hurricanes turned Raleigh into a track meet
If you think the Colorado score was wild, look at what happened at Lenovo Center. The Carolina Hurricanes absolutely dismantled the Florida Panthers 9-1. It started out competitive enough, with the score sitting at 1-1 early in the second period after Florida’s Uvis Balinskis tied it up. Then, the wheels didn't just come off for the Panthers—they disintegrated.
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Nikolaj Ehlers was the star of the show. He picked up his first hat trick in a Hurricanes sweater, and honestly, the Panthers had no answer for Carolina’s power play. The Canes netted four goals on the man advantage. Poor Sergei Bobrovsky was left out to dry, stopping 26 of 35 shots. It’s rare to see a defending champ get bullied like that, but Carolina looked like a team possessed, scoring six times in the third period alone.
Snapshots from across the league
- Detroit edges San Jose: The Red Wings stayed hot with a 4-2 win over the Sharks. Dylan Larkin got the go-ahead goal in the third. It was also a big night for Marco Kasper, who finally snapped a 37-game goal drought with an empty-netter.
- The streak is over: Tampa Bay arrived in St. Louis riding an 11-game winning streak. They left with a "1" in the loss column. The Blues took them to a shootout where Jordan Kyrou was the only skater to find the back of the net. St. Louis won 3-2, playing the role of the ultimate giant-killer.
- Late night in LA: The Freeway Face-off went the distance. The Anaheim Ducks beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 in a shootout. Lukas Dostal was solid, and the Kings just couldn't solve him when it mattered most.
Why these hockey scores last night nhl matter for the standings
We are deep enough into the 2025-26 season that these "statement" wins actually change the math. Nashville’s win in Colorado isn't just a fluke; it's a message to the Central Division. The Preds are currently 22-20-4, and while they're hovering in the middle of the pack, beating a team like the Avs (33-5-8) on the road shows they can compete in a playoff series.
On the flip side, the Florida Panthers are going to want to burn the game tape from Raleigh. Losing 9-1 is embarrassing for any team, let alone one with Cup aspirations. They are 24-18-3 now, and while they're still in a good spot, the gap between them and the top-tier Atlantic teams like the Lightning (29-13-3) feels a bit wider today.
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Performance of the night
It has to be Ryan O'Reilly. Or maybe Nikolaj Ehlers. Kinda hard to choose between two hat tricks on the same night. O'Reilly's was arguably more impressive because of the opponent. Colorado’s defense, led by Cale Makar, usually doesn't give up that much space. But O'Reilly, Steven Stamkos, and Filip Forsberg played a heavy, physical game that seemed to rattle the Avs' transition game.
Juuse Saros also deserves a massive shout-out. He faced 42 shots from a desperate Colorado team and turned aside 39 of them. When you're playing the Avalanche, you know you're going to face a barrage. Saros stood tall during a frantic second period where the Avs tried to mount a comeback.
What we learned about the current NHL landscape
The league is shifting. A month ago, it felt like Colorado and Tampa Bay were on a collision course for another final. Now? The Blues are showing they can shut down high-octane offenses, and the Hurricanes are proving they have a gear most teams can't reach.
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Detroit is another team to watch. They've won five of their last six. Lucas Raymond is playing like a superstar, picking up three assists last night. If the Wings can keep this momentum, the wild card race in the East is going to be a bloodbath.
How to use last night's data for your next move
If you’re a bettor or just a hardcore fan tracking stats, keep an eye on "bounce-back" potential. Teams like Florida and Colorado rarely stay down for long.
- Watch the Avalanche next home game: They’ll likely be playing with a massive chip on their shoulder after losing that home regulation streak.
- Monitor the Blues' goaltending: If Joel Hofer and Jordan Binnington can keep this level of play up, St. Louis is a dangerous "under" team.
- Ride the Hurricanes power play: They are clicking at a terrifying rate right now. If an opponent takes more than three penalties, they’re basically cooked.
Check the schedule for tonight. We’ve got a massive 13-game slate coming up, including the Leafs and Jets going at it in Winnipeg. If last night was any indication, keep the coffee brewing because this season is getting weird in the best way possible.