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Thursday night in the NHL delivered pivotal wins, dramatic finishes, and standout performances from across the league. The New York Islanders ended the Colorado Avalanche’s 17-game point streak, while the Flames handled the Wild and Steven Stamkos sealed a tight overtime victory for Nashville. Elsewhere, the Oilers overwhelmed Seattle with a nine-goal outburst and the Bruins dominated St. Louis.
Here is a complete recap of every NHL game from Thursday, with insight for fans and bettors. If you’re looking to sharpen your edge, visit SportsHub’s hockey picks section or browse our computer-generated plays.
Islanders 6, Avalanche 3
Mathew Barzal recorded a goal and two assists to help the New York Islanders snap Colorado’s 17-game point streak. Anders Lee and Bo Horvat each added a goal and an assist. The Islanders scored six goals on 42 shots, and Ilya Sorokin stopped 35 shots.
For Colorado, Valeri Nichushkin, Martin Necas, and Artturi Lehkonen found the net, but it wasn’t enough. Mackenzie Blackwood, filling in for Scott Wedgewood, made 36 saves.
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Flames 4, Wild 1
Matt Coronato broke a 1-1 tie in the third period and added an assist to lead Calgary to victory. Rasmus Andersson also had a goal and an assist while Dustin Wolf made 26 saves.
Yakov Trenin scored Minnesota’s only goal. The Wild saw their 12-game point streak end as goaltender Filip Gustavsson allowed four goals on 31 shots.
Penguins 4, Lightning 3
Evgeni Malkin scored twice and added an assist, including the game-winner late in regulation, as Pittsburgh edged Tampa Bay. Ville Koivunen and Ben Kindel also scored for the Penguins, and Tristan Jarry made 37 saves.
Brandon Hagel scored twice for the Lightning, and Nikita Kucherov added a goal and assist. An apparent late goal by Kucherov was overturned due to a hand pass.
Blue Jackets 6, Red Wings 5 (SO)
Columbus erased a late deficit as Adam Fantilli tied the game with 91 seconds left, and Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko scored in the shootout. Sean Monahan and Zach Werenski recorded three assists each.
Detroit had goals from Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane, Dylan Larkin, Alex DeBrincat, and James van Riemsdyk. Cam Talbot stopped 26 shots in the loss.
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Handicappers Recap
Top-performing teams like Boston and Toronto continued to deliver for bettors, with the Bruins covering comfortably and the Maple Leafs cashing as short road underdogs. Underdog wins from the Islanders and Blue Jackets provided strong ROI for sharp bettors, especially those following SportsHub’s expert insights and computer-generated plays. Edmonton’s blowout win rewarded puck line backers, while Nashville’s overtime victory in Florida gave plus-money value in a spot many overlooked. For more winning angles, explore the leaderboard and our proven NHL service plays.
Bruins 5, Blues 2
Pavel Zacha scored twice in a three-goal second period, and Morgan Geekie recorded three points as Boston rolled past St. Louis. Joonas Korpisalo earned his first win in nearly a month with 37 saves.
St. Louis got goals from Pavel Buchnevich and Pius Suter, but struggled defensively and has now dropped two in a row.
Predators 2, Panthers 1 (OT)
Steven Stamkos scored with 57 seconds left in overtime to lift Nashville past Florida. Ryan O’Reilly also scored and Juuse Saros made 30 saves.
Carter Verhaeghe scored the lone goal for Florida, which has now lost five straight home games and four in a row overall.
Maple Leafs 5, Hurricanes 1
Bobby McMann scored twice, and Auston Matthews added his 21st goal of the season to lead Toronto over Carolina. Joseph Woll left with an injury after stopping 22 of 23 shots; Dennis Hildeby was perfect in relief.
Seth Jarvis scored Carolina’s only goal, and Frederik Andersen gave up four goals on 22 shots in his return.
Rangers 4, Senators 2
Artemi Panarin had a goal and assist, J.T. Miller added three assists, and the Rangers continued their strong road form with a win in Ottawa. Mika Zibanejad, Vladislav Gavrikov, and Will Borgen also scored.
Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens had the goals for the Senators, while Leevi Merilainen stopped 23 shots.
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Oilers 9, Kraken 4
Connor McDavid scored three goals and added an assist, leading Edmonton to a blowout win. The Oilers were 4-for-5 on the power play. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists, and five others also scored.
Seattle got goals from Eeli Tolvanen, Freddy Gaudreau, Jared McCann, and Jani Nyman. Both Kraken goaltenders struggled, combining to allow nine goals on 32 shots.
Blackhawks 2, Kings 1
Spencer Knight made 26 saves and Chicago held on to beat Los Angeles. Connor Bedard and Wyatt Kaiser scored for the Blackhawks, who had lost six of seven.
Trevor Moore scored for the Kings, and Darcy Kuemper made 34 saves in a losing effort.
FAQ: NHL Thursday Night Highlights
What was the biggest upset of the night?
The Islanders beating the Avalanche 6-3 to end their 17-game point streak was the most notable result.
Who scored the most points?
Connor McDavid had a hat trick and one assist for four total points in the Oilers’ 9-4 win
Which goalie had the best night?
Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves against Colorado, helping the Islanders defeat one of the NHL’s hottest teams.
How did the Bruins win?
Boston used a dominant second period and multiple-point games from six players to cruise past the Blues.
Where can I get expert NHL picks and insights?
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