The NHL playoff odds board is still early, but Ottawa Senators made one result stand out: a 4-1 home win over the New Jersey Devils that nudged a 5-1 start deeper into contention. Ottawa sits in the 70–80% playoff band at 100 projected points, while New Jersey remains in the 30–40% range at 88 projected points after another road loss.
Ottawa Senators 4, New Jersey Devils 1
Ottawa’s 5-1 record is the cleanest early case in the East outside Carolina. The Senators have banked points at a pace that supports their 70–80% band, and New Jersey’s 2-3 start has left the Devils in a cluster where every dropped game matters more than the calendar would suggest in week one.
Buffalo and Minnesota win on the road
Buffalo Sabres beat Florida Panthers 5-3, a useful road result for a team sitting in the 30–40% playoff band at 90 projected points. Florida fell to 2-4 and stays in the 40–50% range at 92 projected points, a reminder that its margin over the pack is already narrower than the model expected.
That same Monday card also saw Minnesota Wild handle Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Minnesota is 4-2 and holds a 70–80% playoff band with 102 projected points, while Vegas is 5-2 and still solidly in the 80–90% range at 104 projected points.
Seattle, Washington, and New York keep pace
Seattle Kraken took a 5-3 win over Washington on October 11, giving Seattle a 4-2 start and a 50–60% playoff band at 95 projected points. Washington Capitals dropped to 3-2 and sit in the 60–70% range at 97 projected points; the loss trims some of the cushion they had after a steady opening week.
New York Rangers followed with a 6-2 win over Vancouver, and the score line matched the early standing gap. New York is 5-2 with a 70–80% playoff band and 100 projected points, while Vancouver Canucks fell to 2-5 and remain a long shot in the 10–20% band at 80 projected points.
Carolina keeps the top line; Anaheim answers Calgary
Carolina Hurricanes beat Philadelphia 4-1 on October 11 and still look like the league’s safest early bet at 5-2, 90–100%, and 107 projected points. Philadelphia’s 0-7 start leaves it in the 0–10% band at 76 projected points, a hole that is already too deep for the opening week to ignore.
Anaheim Ducks handled Calgary Flames 4-2 on October 10. Anaheim’s 4-1 record and 60–70% playoff band at 96 projected points look legitimate; Calgary’s 0-5 start keeps it stuck in the 0–10% range at 76 projected points.
New Jersey’s next test comes against Vancouver
The Devils do not get much time to recover from the 4-1 loss to Ottawa. Their next relevant check is the type of game that can still steady an early 2-3 start, while Vancouver’s meeting with New Jersey is the kind of matchup that can either rescue a 10–20% team or sink it further.