Top player from Thursday in the NHL
Jacob Markstrom, Calgary Flames
There might not be a player that has been better this week across the entire NHL than the Flames goaltender.
Markstrom helped the Flames complete a perfect road trip and extend their current winning streak to five games with an impressive 45-save shutout in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
That is his second shutout in the past three games, a stretch that has seen him allow just one total goal.
Sure, the Penguins lineup is playing without its top five players but they still generated some great looks on Thursday and Markstrom was more than up to the challenge all night.
Highlights from Thursday in the NHL
Sean Couturier wasted no time getting the Philadelphia Flyers on the board in Vancouver. He is having a fantastic start to the season.
Johnny Gaudreau has been really good so far for this season for the Flames and he finally got rewarded with his first goal of the season on Thursday, and it was a beauty of a play.
The Buffalo Sabres let a 3-0 lead slip away in Anaheim but then still won in overtime to continue their surprising start.
Jordan Binnington certainly earned his 10-minute misconduct:
Three Takeaways from Thursday in the NHL
Andersen helps Hurricanes stay unbeaten
Frederik Andersen has been sensational for the Carolina Hurricanes so far this season and is a big reason they are now 6-0 on the season.
He stopped all 33 shots he faced in a 3-0 shutout win on Thursday, while also recording an assist.
He has played in all six Carolina games this season and after Thursday’s shutout has a save percentage in the .950 range.
Goaltending was always going to be the big question mark for this Hurricanes team this season given the questions around Andersen and Antti Raanta. Could they rebound from down years? Would they stay healthy? Will they be the goalies to get them to the Stanley Cup Final? So far Andersen has been more than ready for the challenge.
Pierre-Luc Dubois is having a bounce back season
This is a huge development for the Winnipeg Jets. After a disappointing start to his Jets career following the trade from Columbus a year ago, Dubois is having an incredible start to the season and continued that on Thursday with a pair of goals to help the Jets pull off a 3-2 win in Los Angeles.
With that effort on Thursday he now has six goals and nine total points in the Jets’ first seven games this season.
He has always been a top-line talent with enormous potential, and if he puts it all together for the Jets that gives them another impact player at the top of the lineup.
Jake Allen shines for Canadiens
Josh Anderson had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens in their 4-0 win over San Jose, but it was Jake Allen that stole the show stopping all 45 shots he faced for the shutout.
A lot of things have gone wrong for the Canadiens so far this season, but this performance was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal start. Allen has had to take over the starting role with Carey Price currently sidelined, and given the shortcomings of the roster they are going to need more performances like that to turn their season around.
Friday’s big story
It is in Detroit where the Red Wings are hosting the Florida Panthers. The Panthers are in the spotlight for all of the right and wrong reasons.
They are looking to improve to 8-0 on the season and run their current winning streak to eight games. They are also playing their first game following the resignation of coach Joel Quenneville on Thursday after the damning Chicago Blackhawks report that was released on Tuesday.
Quenneville had to go, and his resignation on Thursday -- as well as his apology and the Panthers’ statement -- leads to even more questions as to why he was allowed to coach on Wednesday night against the Boston Bruins.
Thursday’s NHL scores
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Arizona Coyotes 1
Calgary Flames 4, Pittsburgh Penguins 0
Carolina Hurricanes 3, Boston Bruins 0
Colorado Avalanche 4, St. Louis Blues 3
Philadelphia Flyers 2, Vancouver Canucks 1
Buffalo Sabres 4, Anaheim Ducks 3 (OT)
Seattle Kraken 4, Minnesota Wild 1
Winnipeg Jets 3, Los Angeles Kings 2
Montreal Canadiens 4, San Jose Sharks 0
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.