In what literally is a once-per-season event, all 32 NHL teams are in action Tuesday night, taking part in the League’s “Frozen Frenzy.”
Beginning at 6 p.m. ET and running through 11 p.m., games have staggered starts – including 15-minute intervals from 6:30 to 9:30 – meaning that the night’s action likely won’t end until after 1:30 in the morning on the East Coast. It’s a hockey lover’s dream. ESPN will air three games and show highlights during the evening on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Every team, every star in action on the same night.
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Key facts from all 16 NHL games for “Frozen Frenzy”
Here’s a look at all 16 games on the busiest night of the NHL season (all times Eastern).
Washington Capitals at Philadelphia Flyers (6 p.m. ET, ESPN)
The Capitals are off to a surprising 3-1-0 start, including their 6-5 overtime road win against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday that saw Alex Ovechkin score his first goal of the season. He’ll be trying for the 50th goal of his career against the Flyers, who are 1-3-1 after laying an egg in a 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in their home opener. These teams will meet again in Washington on Wednesday in the only game on the NHL schedule.
Minnesota Wild at Florida Panthers (6:30 p.m.)
Minnesota’s defense has played a major role in the Wild’s 3-0-2 start, surrendering just 11 goals in five games. The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers are 4-2-1 and have more points than anyone in the Atlantic Division despite being outscored 24-23 in their seven games. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart is tied for the NHL scoring lead with 12 points (five goals, seven assists).
Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils (6:45 p.m.)
The Lightning have lost consecutive games after a 3-0-0 start, including a 5-2 road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Don’t be surprised if backup goalie Jonas Johansson gets his first start of the season after Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled in the second period against the Maple Leafs. The Devils are 5-2-1 and will be playing their ninth game of the season, more than any other team in the League.
Dallas Stars at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET)
Dallas has won five of its first six games largely because of its ability to keep the puck out of its net; the Stars have allowed just nine goals in their six games. Defense has been a problem for the Sabres, who’ve coughed up 26 goals in seven games during a 2-4-1 start – hardly what they need if they hope to end a non-playoff streak that dates to 2011.
New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (7:15 p.m.)
At 4-0-1, the Rangers are the only team in the East that hasn’t lost a game in regulation. They’ve been carried by goalie Igor Shesterkin (3-0-1, 1.97 goals-against average) and forward Artemi Panarin, who’s tied with Florida’s Reinhart for the NHL scoring lead. Like most young teams, the Canadiens (2-3-1) have been had their ups and downs this season; defense (21 goals allowed in six games) has been an issue.
Toronto Maple Leafs at Columbus Blue Jackets (7:30 p.m. ET)
The Maple Leafs are off to a hot start with four wins in six games, including the drubbing of Tampa Bay on Monday, despite getting just two goals from Auston Matthews, who scored 69 last season. Columbus has alternated losses and wins through its first five games; the Blue Jackets have allowed at least three goals – but no more than four – in all five games.
Detroit Red Wings at New York Islanders (7:45 p.m. ET)
Two of the League’s most erratic teams will meet at UBS Arena. Detroit is 2-0-0 against the Nashville Predators but 0-3-0 in its other three games and allowed at least four goals in all three. The Islanders have gone past regulation in three of their five games, losing twice in overtime before a 4-3 shootout win against Montreal on Saturday. The best news on Long Island is that starting goalie Ilya Sorokin has looked sharp in his first two games after offseason back surgery. The bad news is that top-line forward Anthony Duclair is out long term with a lower-body injury.
Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m.)
The Jets are a perfect 5-0-0 after a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday completed a 4-for-4 homestand. Two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goalie Connor Hellebuyck has allowed just five goals in his four starts. The Blues are 4-2-0 despite scoring and allowing 17 goals. Backup goalie Joel Hofer is making an argument for more playing time with a 3-0-0 record that includes a 1-0 overtime shutout against the Islanders last Thursday.
Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks (8:15 p.m.)
Vancouver has won its past two games after an 0-1-2 start – not bad when you consider that starting goalie Thatcher Demko is out with a knee injury and has no definite return date. Year 2 of the Connor Bedard era in Chicago is off to a bumpy start (2-3-1), although the star center has seven points (one goal, six assists) in the Blackhawks’ first six games as he prepares to face his hometown team for the second time in his career.
Colorado Avalanche at Seattle Kraken (8:30 p.m., ESPN)
The Avalanche may be righting the ship, having won their past two games after losing their first four. Nathan MacKinnon has assists and points in all six games, and he leads the NHL with five multiple-point games. Seattle is off to a 4-2-0 start under new coach Dan Bylsma, riding a three-game winning streak that includes a 2-1 overtime win against Calgary on Sunday, the first loss for the Flames this season.
Boston Bruins at Nashville Predators (8:45 p.m.)
The Bruins hope goalie Jeremy Swayman’s magic at Bridgestone Arena continues. Swayman is 3-0-0 all-time against the Predators and has shut out them out in his two games in Nashville. The Predators are still looking for their first win of the season after five straight losses; the good news is that their big free-agent signing, forward Steven Stamkos, finally scored his first goal Saturday – though a 5-2 loss to Detroit dropped them to 0-5-0.
Carolina Hurricanes at Edmonton Oilers (9 p.m.)
Carolina plays the third of a six-game road trip as it begins a four-game swing through the Northwest. The Hurricanes are coming off a 4-3 loss in St. Louis that saw them come out without a point despite outshooting the Blues 40-19. The Oilers (2-4-0) have won two of their past three after an 0-3-0 start. They are still waiting for Zach Hyman, who had a hat trick against Carolina during a 54-goal season in 2023-24, to find the back of the net.
Ottawa Senators at Utah Hockey Club (9:15 p.m.)
The Senators pay their first-ever visit to Delta Center, where Utah will be trying to become the first franchise since the 1926-27 New York Rangers to win each of its first three home games. Ottawa is 3-2-0 but has played four of its first five games at Canadian Tire Centre and is seeking its first road win of the season. Utah is 4-1-1 despite playing four of its six games away from Salt Lake City.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Calgary Flames (9:30 p.m.)
Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are off to fast starts for the Penguins (3-4-0), but keeping the puck out of their net has been an issue – they’ve allowed 31 goals in seven games, the most in the NHL. The Flames won their first four games before an OT loss at Seattle on Saturday, but their five-game season-opening points streak is their longest in more than a decade and tied for the second-longest in team history.
San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks (10:15 p.m.)
The Sharks, who finished last in the overall standings in 2023-24, have yet to win a game; they’ve lost four times in regulation and twice in overtime. San Jose’s minus-14 goals differential is the worst in the NHL. The Ducks are 2-2-1 largely thanks to the play of goalie Lukas Dostal, who shut out the Sharks 2-0 in their season-opener at San Jose 10 days ago. This is Anaheim’s last home game until Nov. 3. The Ducks begin a four-game Eastern trip on Saturday.
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights (11 p.m., ESPN)
It’s the end of a seven-game, season-opening road trip for the Kings, who are 3-1-2 and coming off back-to-back 4-1 wins at Montreal and Anaheim. Center Anze Kopitar continues to excel at age 37; he has eight points (three goals, five assists) in six games. The Golden Knights are glad to be back home, where they began the season 3-0-0, after an 0-2-1 road trip that ended with a 4-3 overtime loss at Florida on Saturday.
