With their shootout win against the Chicago Blackhawks last night, Vancouver is officially back in a playoff spot. Here’s how they’re performing compared to the rest of the NHL five games into the season.

The NHL takes a breather on Friday night with just four games on the docket. However, despite the small slate, there are plenty of bets worth making throughout

A big contributor to those wins has been Auston Matthews. He’s recorded at least one point each time he’s faced the Kraken, recording 14 total points in eight games, registering four multi-point nights over the last five meetings against them.

The Vancouver Canucks are officially at the five-game mark of the 2025-26 season. Overall, it has been a mixed bag when it comes to results as Vancouver is 3-2-0 to start the year. As for some team leaders, Brock Boeser, Filip Chytil and Kiefer Sherwood each have three goals, while Conor Garland and Quinn Hughes lead the team with four points.

Expert recap and game analysis of the Winnipeg Jets vs. Nashville Predators NHL game from October 18, 2025 on ESPN.

Pittsburgh Penguins rookie Ben Kindel skated with fellow Vancouver-area natives Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard this summer

Charlie Stramel, Shane Vansaghi, Eric Nilson and Cayden Lindstrom scored goals and Trey Augustine stopped 16-of-18 shots.

Expert recap and game analysis of the New York Rangers vs. Montreal Canadiens NHL game from October 18, 2025 on ESPN.

Jagr, 53, began his 38th professional hockey season playing for his hometown Kladno Knights in the Czech league on Friday. Jagr had 10:08 in ice time during Friday’s game and joined the power-play unit in a season debut that was delayed because of a muscle problem.

Saturday's slate is well-rounded, featuring six games in the early window and four games starting after nine o'clock. The Dallas Stars head to St. Louis in one of the better early-start games, while the night finishes with a potentially sneaky shootout between the Penguins and the plucky San Jose