Ovechkin's Final Nashville Visit and Kaprizov's October Record Chase Headline Thursday's NHL Slate
The NHL schedule features eleven games, with the biggest stories centering on career milestones and a goalie duel between Montreal and Dallas.
By Alexei Brooks ·
The 2026-27 NHL season has reached its one-month mark, and the Thursday slate offers a mix of career milestones and high-stakes matchups. Eleven games are scheduled, with the most prominent narrative involving veteran forwards chasing specific records against former teams.
Alex Ovechkin will play his final career game against the Nashville Predators. The Washington Capitals visit the home of the future Hall of Famer Steven Stamkos, who is currently pacing the league with 15 points through 12 games. Ovechkin has scored 20 goals against Nashville in 31 career games, including seven in his last ten matchups there.
In Minnesota, Kirill Kaprizov enters the game against the New York Islanders needing two goals to tie the NHL record for most goals scored in a single October. The current mark stands at 16, a figure achieved twice by Mario Lemieux. Kaprizov holds 14 goals and will not play again until Sunday, making this his final opportunity to break the record this month.
The evening marquee feature is the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Dallas Stars. The matchup pits two American goalies against each other: Montreal's Jacob Fowler and Dallas's Jake Oettinger. Both teams are considered contenders, with Montreal's Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield leading their attack while Mikko Rantanen drives offense for Dallas.
Other notable storylines include Patrick Kane returning to Detroit to face the Red Wings, a team he has played against many times in his career. The Chicago Blackhawks also feature Connor Bedard, who has recorded six points in five career games against Detroit. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets travel to Tampa Bay, where they have lost six straight games, to face a Lightning team that is undefeated at home.
The season has produced mixed results for several squads. The Los Angeles Kings, who lost their first six games, have won three of their last five. The Vancouver Canucks are on pace for 42 points, a mark that suggests a continued rebuild, while the San Jose Sharks aim to solidify their playoff positioning with a win over Vancouver.
Betting odds from DraftKings show Detroit as a -180 favorite against Chicago and the Stars as -162 against Montreal. The total goals for the Canadiens and Stars game is set at 5.5, while the Jets and Lightning total is 5.5. Fans can watch the games via the NHL streaming hub or the ESPN app.
