NHL Roundup: Panthers Rout Kraken 8-3, Islanders Beat Leafs 4-1

The Florida Panthers scored eight goals and the New York Islanders won 4-1 in Toronto to headline a busy Saturday in the NHL on October 17, 2026. Ten games finished across the league. Tampa Bay, Montreal, Dallas and Columbus also won, and Carolina got a late winner from a familiar face in Winnipeg.

Panthers run away from Kraken in Sunrise

Florida beat the Seattle Kraken 8-3 in Sunrise, the highest score of the night. The Panthers turned the game into a rout and gave the home crowd plenty to cheer. Seattle could not slow Florida down once the goals started to come in bunches.

An eight goal night early in the season sends a clear message. Florida can score in waves, and teams that fall behind against the Panthers face a long night trying to climb back.

Holmstrom and Sorokin lead Islanders in Toronto

The Islanders beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 in Toronto. Simon Holmstrom scored twice for New York. Bo Horvat added a goal and an assist.

Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves in goal for the Islanders. He held Toronto to one goal and closed the door late. Road wins are hard to get in Toronto, and New York earned this one with scoring balance and steady goaltending.

Kucherov lifts Lightning past Canucks

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-2. Nikita Kucherov scored twice for Tampa Bay. Jake Guentzel scored the game winner early in the third period. Brayden Point had assists for the Lightning.

Tampa Bay found its winner when the game was still tight. Kucherov set the tone, Guentzel delivered the key goal, and the Lightning held on for the two points.

Canadiens edge Sabres in overtime

The Montreal Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3 in overtime in Montreal. Montreal outshot Buffalo 34-26.

Buffalo tied the game in the third period through Tage Thompson and forced overtime. Montreal still found the extra goal in overtime and took the win at home. The Sabres leave with a point, but the Canadiens got the result their shot edge suggested.

Ehlers beats his former team, Strome wins it for Washington

The Carolina Hurricanes won 3-2 at the Winnipeg Jets. Nikolaj Ehlers scored the winner in the third period against his former team. Mark Scheifele scored for Winnipeg in the loss.

The Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Dylan Strome scored the game winner for Washington. Both Carolina and Washington closed out tight third periods on the road and at home, the kind of finish that matters as the early season table takes shape.

Stars shut out Chicago, Columbus blanks Rangers

The Dallas Stars won 4-0 at the Chicago Blackhawks. Dallas kept a clean sheet on the road and controlled the game from start to finish.

The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the New York Rangers 1-0. One goal was enough. Columbus defended the lead and shut out New York in the lowest scoring game of the night.

Red Wings and Flyers close the night

The Detroit Red Wings beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3. Detroit held off San Jose in a one goal game.

The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1. Philadelphia kept Ottawa to one goal and finished the job in a controlled win.

What Saturday showed

Saturday gave a clear early season picture. Florida showed the highest ceiling in attack with eight goals. The Islanders and Stars showed that strong goaltending travels well. Montreal and Detroit won close games, while Columbus proved that one goal and a shutout can still be enough.

The next set of games will test whether these results were one strong night or the start of a run. For now, the Panthers and Islanders own the headlines.