The key facts
- Kantserov scored against Los Angeles (2:1) and leads Trevor Connelly by one goal
- Torpedo beat SKA 4:3 and sits fourth in the West; SKA is eighth
- Nichushkin and Gritsyuk earned points; Hellebuyck debuted for New Jersey
Kantserov has moved into first place among NHL rookies in the goal race
Russian forward of the Chicago Blackhawks, Roman Kantserov, scored his fifth goal of his debut NHL season and moved into first place among rookies in goals. This happened in a regular-season game against the Los Angeles Kings, which Chicago won 2:1 — as reported by Life.ru. The hosts opened the scoring in the third minute through Samuel Helenius, Kantserov tied the game in the 37th minute, and defenseman Wyatt Kaiser scored the winning goal in the 48th minute.
What matters in this statistic
Notably, the goal was Kantserov's second in a row, and he regained the lead in the rookie goal race: he now has five goals — one more than Vegas Golden Knights forward Trevor Connelly. At the same time, his team remains in eighth, last place in the Central Division: eight points after 12 games. Los Angeles is seventh in the Pacific Division with the same eight points, but after 11 games. Chicago's next game will be played overnight into October 30 Moscow time, away against Detroit.
Other games of the day: Nichushkin, Gritsyuk and Hellebuyck's debut
In other games of the day, Columbus forward Valeri Nichushkin recorded his fifth assist of the season — his team beat Philadelphia 4:3 in overtime. New Jersey goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made his debut for the club after his transfer from Winnipeg: in the away game against Dallas he made 17 saves, and his team won 5:1. Forward Arseni Gritsyuk recorded his fourth assist and has now earned points in six straight games.
Torpedo beats SKA for the fifth time in a row
A separate streak in the KHL: Nizhny Novgorod's Torpedo has beaten St. Petersburg's SKA for the fifth time in a row in the regular season — 4:3 in St. Petersburg. Egor Vinogradov scored two goals for the winners, with Daniil Seroukh and Viktor Fyodorov adding one each; for SKA, Matvei Korotky scored a brace and Danil Aimurzin added one goal. The St. Petersburg team has been unable to beat the Nizhny Novgorod side since March 22, 2025. The game also counted toward the 'Cup of the Firsts,' dedicated to the 80th anniversary of domestic hockey.
Standings
After 19 games, Torpedo has 26 points and sits fourth in the Western Conference, while SKA, with 19 points, is in eighth place. Thus, the gap between the teams after this game is seven points.
