One week down, 83-ish games to go. Here's what mattered, what didn't, and who's already panicking.
Week 1 of the 2026-27 NHL season had a banner raising that got spoiled, a goalie scoring a goal, a 9-7 game, and a captain getting booed in his own building. Welcome back, hockey. Here's everything you need to know.
The Banner Night That Wasn't
Carolina raised its 2026 Stanley Cup banner on opening night and then lost 1-0 in overtime to the Florida Panthers. Gustav Forsling blasted a one-timer past Brandon Bussi with 4.3 seconds left in OT. Jacob Markstrom made 15 saves for the shutout in his first game back with Florida, and the Panthers became just the fifth team in NHL history to shut out the defending champs in the season opener.
The Panthers also chose to sit on their bench and watch the whole banner ceremony instead of staying in the locker room. Petty or respectful? Yes.
Brady Tkachuk made his Florida debut with 16:33 of ice time, one shot, five hits, and a goalie-interference penalty for running into Bussi. That's on brand.
The Bad News in Florida
Aleksander Barkov was back, and then he wasn't. He got hurt again in Florida's 4-3 overtime loss to San Jose and was placed on long-term injured reserve, so he'll miss at least 10 games. The team says it doesn't expect a season-ending injury, but after he missed all of last season with a torn ACL, every update matters.
Some good news: Brad Marchand made his season debut Sunday and scored the late tying goal against Anaheim. The Ducks still won 3-2 in overtime on a Mikael Granlund winner, with Cutter Gauthier scoring twice.
Chirp check: We picked Barkov to win the Selke. That's looking shaky.
Goalie Goal Alert
Igor Shesterkin scored the first goalie goal in New York Rangers history, an empty-netter in a 5-1 win over Tampa Bay, and outplayed reigning Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy in the process. Then he added an assist on another empty-netter in a 4-2 win over Utah. One goal and two points through the first week means he's on pace for 28 goals.
The Rangers lost opening night to Boston and then won three straight to finish the week 3-1-0, at the top of the East.
The Oilers' Goalie Problem Is Already Back
Edmonton started 2-0-1, but nobody's talking about the record. They lost 6-5 in overtime to Vancouver, then beat the Canucks 9-7 two nights later. Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi both had rough nights before Levi settled down in a 3-1 win over Seattle.
Evan Bouchard leads the league with eight points (four goals) and Connor McDavid leads in assists with six. They'll outscore their problems most nights. Not every night.
The Trade That Opened the Season
Toronto and Columbus made a big trade on September 28, one day before the season started. Kirill Marchenko went to the Leafs and Matthew Knies went to the Blue Jackets, along with other pieces. Early results look good for both sides: Marchenko has a goal and an assist in three games, and Knies has two goals and four points in two.
The Leafs as a team? 1-2-0. Toronto starts slow again.
Larkin Gets Booed at Home
Dylan Larkin asked for a trade this summer, and because Detroit still hasn't hired a new GM, he's still a Red Wing. The fans let him hear it during introductions at the home opener. Detroit is 0-2-0, and Elliotte Friedman reported that unsigned restricted free agent Simon Edvinsson also wants out. It's getting bleak in Hockeytown.
Celebrini Is Off and Running
San Jose opened its season with a 4-3 overtime win over Florida. Macklin Celebrini had three assists, including stealing the puck from Matthew Tkachuk to set up a shorthanded goal. Will Smith scored twice and set up Luca Cagnoni's first NHL goal for the overtime winner. Ivar Stenberg, the No. 2 overall pick, played 13:35 in his NHL debut.
The Sharks are 2-0-0. Our Hart Trophy pick is already making his case.
Hot Starts
- Pittsburgh Penguins (2-0-0): 13 goals in two games, including a 6-5 overtime win over Montreal.
- Colorado Avalanche (2-0-0): 14 goals for, 5 against, including a 6-1 win over St. Louis.
- Utah Mammoth: Started 2-0, allowing just one goal, before losing to the Rangers.
- Minnesota Wild (2-0-0): Beat Boston 4-1.
- Seattle Kraken: Beat Calgary twice, including 6-1 in their home opener. Berkly Catton and Mackie Samoskevich are rolling.
Cold Starts
- Chicago Blackhawks (0-3-0): Three road losses and 15 goals against.
- Calgary Flames (0-3-0): Lost twice to Seattle by a combined 12-2. Dustin Wolf has been shelled.
- Dallas Stars (0-2-0): One goal in two games from one of the deepest rosters in the West.
- Philadelphia Flyers (0-1-2): At least they're getting points out of it.
- Detroit Red Wings (0-2-0): See above.
It's one week. Don't panic. (Calgary, you can panic a little.)
The Chirp of the Week
Florida waited through a 15-minute banner ceremony, watched Carolina celebrate with the Stanley Cup at center ice, then shut them out in their own building and flew to California. That's the coldest thing anyone did in Week 1.
Next Week
Watch Barkov's status, whether the Oilers' goaltending holds up, and whether the Rangers can keep the Garden rocking. The Monday Chirp drops every Monday all season.
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