5 Biggest NHL Surprises After First Month of 2023-24 Season

The NHL’s opening month has delivered some jaw-dropping surprises, with the Pittsburgh Penguins leading the pack in the most unexpected way possible.

Written off as rebuilding candidates before the season, the Pens have stormed to an impressive 8-2-2 record. They’re sitting pretty at the top of the league with 18 points – not bad for a team many thought would be racing to the bottom for a shot at draft prospect Gavin McKenna.

First-year coach Dan Muse has found the perfect recipe: combining the still-brilliant play of veterans Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson with some exciting young talent.

Speaking of young talent, 18-year-old Ben Kindel has been turning heads. Free-agent pickups Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha have clicked perfectly with Malkin on what’s become a dangerous second line.

But that’s not even the craziest story of the season so far.

Vancouver’s Kiefer Sherwood has somehow found himself tied for the NHL goal-scoring lead. This is a guy who had just 43 goals in 265 career games before this year. He’s already buried 9 goals in October alone.

Sure, his 37.5% shooting percentage isn’t sustainable – nobody maintains that kind of accuracy over a full season. But those goals are already in the bank, and he’s well on his way to smashing his career-high of 19.

The Montreal Canadiens are getting an unexpected boost from rookie netminder Jakub Dobes. He’s been perfect so far with a 6-0-0 record and a sparkling .930 save percentage – fourth-best among regular goalies.

In Philadelphia, Dan Vladar is finally giving the Flyers something they’ve desperately needed: reliable goaltending. His .939 save percentage ranks second in the league among regular starters, making Philly’s offseason gamble look pretty smart right now.

Out west, the Mammoth are lighting up scoreboards thanks to young guns Logan Cooley and Dylan Guenther, while veteran Nick Schmaltz is having a renaissance year. Add in newcomer JJ Peterka, and they’ve become must-watch hockey.

It’s still early, but these surprising starts are making for one heck of an entertaining season.