October 31’s NHL slate offers three different kinds of intrigue: a model-market disagreement in San Jose, a meeting of established offensive forces on Long Island, and a Western Conference matchup where Colorado’s projected scoring advantage sets a high bar for Calgary. The records are tight enough to keep each game interesting, but the player projections provide plenty of individual storylines to follow.
Ottawa Senators at San Jose Sharks
The Ottawa Senators arrive at 8-6, one win ahead of the 7-7 San Jose Sharks. Vegas lists Ottawa as the favorite, yet GameSim sees a narrow opening for San Jose: the model projects a 3.7–3.0 Sharks win and gives the home side a 55% win probability across 200 simulations. That gap between the market’s favorite and the model’s pick makes this cross-conference meeting an especially compelling watch. See the full Ottawa–San Jose prediction.
San Jose’s projected attack has several contributors. Macklin Celebrini leads the listed Sharks in expected points at 1.6, with 1.4 assists projected, while Will Smith is forecast for 0.7 goals. Ottawa’s Drake Batherson, meanwhile, is projected for 0.6 goals and 1.3 points. If the Senators’ top threat can make his finishing count, he could challenge a Sharks side the simulation expects to edge out a close one.
Edmonton Oilers at New York Islanders
The 9-4 Edmonton Oilers take their stronger record into a cross-conference test against the 7-6 New York Islanders. GameSim projects Edmonton to win 3.8–3.2, but its 54% win probability points to a competitive contest rather than a comfortable call. Explore the Edmonton–New York matchup.
Connor McDavid is projected for 2.0 points, including 1.8 assists, while Leon Draisaitl’s forecast features 0.8 goals and 1.5 points. New York has a notable projected response in Matthew Schaefer, at 1.3 points, and Bo Horvat is forecast for 0.5 goals. The Islanders will need their projected production to keep pace with an Edmonton attack carrying multiple high-end point expectations.
Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche
The 6-7 Calgary Flames visit the 7-6 Colorado Avalanche in the slate’s same-conference matchup. Colorado is projected to take it 4.9–3.6, with a 59% win probability in 200 simulations. The projected score suggests an attack-minded game, though the outcome is far from guaranteed. View the Calgary–Colorado prediction.
Nathan MacKinnon headlines Colorado’s projections at 2.0 points, with 1.0 goal and 1.1 assists. Calgary’s Joel Farabee is forecast for 1.6 points, driven by 1.3 assists, while Matthew Coronato is projected for 1.5. Those Flames playmakers give Calgary a route to test the Avalanche’s edge if they can turn their expected setup work into goals.
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