MIN won the clearest game of the day, and the result landed in the right place for a team already carrying a NHL playoff odds profile in the 70–80% band. Minnesota (4-2, 70–80%) beat Florida 4-1, while Florida (2-3, 50–60%) took a step back in a season that has not yet settled into a reliable trend.
Minnesota Wild 4, Florida Panthers 1
The Wild’s four-goal night pushed their projected finish to 101 points, a clean early-season base for a team that is still only six games into an 84-game schedule. Florida’s 94-point projection and 50–60% band leave more room for recovery, but a loss like this is exactly how an early playoff position can turn from manageable to shaky if it keeps happening.
St. Louis Blues 5, Columbus Blue Jackets 3
St. Louis (2-3, 40–50%) needed offense and got it in a three-goal margin win over Columbus (2-2, 30–40%). The Blues are still below water in the standings, but the 91-point projection gives them a better path than a 2-3 record suggests; Columbus remains in the same crowded mid-tier band, where a single result does not yet separate it from the pack.
Edmonton Oilers 3, San Jose Sharks 1
Edmonton (4-1, 80–90%) did what an early favorite should do against a 20–30% team, and the Oilers’ 105-point projection reflects that they have already built real separation. San Jose (3-2, 20–30%) stays competitive in the standings, but the loss keeps the Sharks in the group that still needs more than a hot start to convert into a secure playoff position.
Boston Bruins 5, Philadelphia Flyers 1
Boston (4-2, 60–70%) turned a lopsided result into a better-looking early profile, and the five-goal output fits a team projected for 99 points. Philadelphia (0-6, 0–10%) is still buried by the record, and a 78-point projection leaves little room to argue otherwise this early.
Montréal Canadiens 1, Detroit Red Wings 0
Montréal (3-2, 30–40%) got the night’s tightest result, a shutout win that mattered more for points than style. Detroit (1-4, 20–30%) needed something to stabilize an ugly start, but the 86-point projection and 20–30% band show how quickly an early skid can squeeze a team in the East.
Utah Mammoth 4, Buffalo Sabres 1
Utah (4-2, 60–70%) kept pace with the upper half of the playoff race, and the 99-point projection matches a club that has already banked four wins. Buffalo (2-3, 30–40%) has enough time to recover, but the Sabres’ 88-point projection is the kind of number that keeps them in the same traffic jam as Montréal and Columbus.
New Jersey Devils 4, Vancouver Canucks 1
New Jersey (2-2, 30–40%) picked up an important road result against a Vancouver team that now sits at 2-4 and 10–20%. The Devils’ 90-point projection still leaves them in the middle of the pack, but Vancouver’s 82-point projection looks tougher to trust after a sixth game and another two points dropped.
Anaheim Ducks 4, Calgary Flames 2
Anaheim (4-1, 50–60%) stayed near the top of the West’s early surprise list, and the Ducks’ 95-point projection backs that up. Calgary (0-5, 0–10%) remains the clearest problem team in the set, with a 76-point projection and no wins to lean on through five games.
The next game that matters most
The most important follow-up is Florida Panthers versus the next team that can test whether this 2-3 start is a blip or a trend. At 50–60%, Florida still sits in reach of a playoff spot, but results like a 4-1 loss to Minnesota are how that range starts to shrink.