Three cross-conference games give Monday’s NHL slate a wide-open feel, with early-season records offering different kinds of pressure. The Anaheim Ducks and New York Rangers meet in the closest forecast, the Pittsburgh Penguins visit a stronger-starting Utah Mammoth team, and the San Jose Sharks head to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs.
Ducks-Rangers: A narrow margin in New York
At 4-3, Anaheim arrives with a winning record, while New York is 6-4. The model sees little daylight between them: its 200 simulations give the Rangers a 52% win probability and project a 2.5-2.2 home result. That slim edge makes this the slate’s tightest prediction, even as the Vegas spread lists New York at -1.5. The total is 6.5.
Leo Carlsson is projected for 1.2 points, including 0.9 assists, giving the Ducks a central playmaking angle. Beckett Sennecke’s 0.4-goal projection makes him another name to watch. For the Rangers, Adam Fox is forecast for 0.7 assists, while J.T. Miller is projected for 0.6 points. See the Ducks-Rangers prediction.
Utah looks to keep its strong start rolling
The records set up a clear test for Pittsburgh: the Penguins are 3-6, while Utah is 6-3. Yet the simulation only gives the Mammoth a 52% chance to win, projecting a 3.0-2.8 finish. The modest forecast gap contrasts with a -1.5 Vegas spread for Utah; the listed over/under is 6.5.
Pittsburgh’s projected production is distributed across several contributors. Benjamin Kindel leads the listed Penguins with 0.7 goals and 0.9 points, while Samuel Girard and Erik Karlsson are each forecast for 1.0 point. Utah’s Mikhail Sergachev projects for 0.4 goals and 0.6 assists. Explore Penguins-Mammoth projections.
Toronto’s scoring projections meet San Jose
Toronto enters at 3-6, one win behind San Jose’s 4-4 mark, but the model projects a 3.9-2.6 Maple Leafs result and assigns the home side a 58% win probability. William Nylander’s forecast—0.8 goals, 1.0 assist and 1.8 points—tops the player projections across these matchups. Auston Matthews is close behind at 1.7 points, with Easton Cowan projected for 1.4.
The 6.5 total leaves room for an entertaining scoring display, though the Leafs’ projected attack is the headline draw. View Sharks-Maple Leafs predictions.
Detailed projected player stats for all games are available exclusively to GameSim+ subscribers. Learn more and subscribe.
