High-scoring games mark NHL season start amid sloppy play
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 8, 2026, 5:13 PM
Last updated Oct 8, 2026
Early-season NHL games see high scores, with Edmonton and Vancouver playing 6-5 and 9-7 matches. Pittsburgh routed Philadelphia 7-0, while Colorado outscored Los Angeles 8-4. Coaches note the play is loose, attributing this to shorter training camps. The first 110 games feature 344 total goals, with an average of 6.26 goals per game, slightly up from last year. Player fitness remains strong; however, injuries may still arise as teams adapt to the season's pace.
- •NHL's first three days recorded scores reminiscent of the 1980s.
- •Power plays are successful at a 20.9% rate, up from 19.8% last year.
- •Average save percentage is.890, continuing a trend of low goaltending effectiveness.
- •Teams have scored 22 games decided by three or more goals.
- •Coaches are prioritizing key areas for focused improvement this season.
- 5:13 PMYahoo Sports — Shorter NHL training camps don't change much about early-season hockey, it's still sloppy
"The first three days of the earliest leaguewide start in NHL history delivered scores straight out of the 1980s.Edmonton and Vancouver played 6-5 and 9-7 games.
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