Snap Shots: NHL Season's Early Action

Selected photos from the first weeks of action during the 2014-15 NHL season.

Snap Shots: NHL Season's Early Action

Alex Stalock and Rick Nash

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Sharks' goalie jumps to avoid a sliding Nash during the Sharks-Rangers game at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 19.

Matt Hunwick and Logan Couture

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Rangers defenseman Matt Hunwick reaches to stop the puck from crossing the goal line as the Shark's Logan Couture hits the ice during a game at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 19.

Jhonas Enroth

Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images

A goal by Jack Skille of the Columbus Blue Jackets sends water splashing from the bottle behind Jhonas Enroth of the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 9.

Milan Lucic

Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images

Boston's burly winger, who infamously uttered a death threat at the Canadiens' Dale Weise in the handshake line after their playoff series last spring, was feeling all warm and fuzzy when the teams met for the first time this season in Montreal on Oct. 16. Along with this bout against Alexei Emelin, Lucic was fined $5,000 by the NHL for making a lewd gesture at the Habs' faithful after he took a penalty in the Bruins' loss. He later apologized.

Devils and Flyers

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The upstart Devils spoiled the Flyers' home opener at Wells Fargo Center with a 6-4 win on Oct. 9.

Ducks fans

John Cordes/Icon Sportswire

Anaheim greeted the new season in style before the Ducks' home opener against the Wild on Oct. 17.

Wayne Simmonds

Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images

Simmonds jumps as he attempts to set up a screen for Claude Giroux's shot against Ducks goalie Frederik Anderson on Oct. 14 in Philadelphia.

Maple Leafs fans

Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images

There was unbridled excitement at Toronto's Air Canada Centre as the Maple Leafs fell to Detroit, 4-1, on Oct. 17.

Panthers fans

AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee

Plenty of good seats available: Crickets and owls outnumber the 7,311 fans who showed up at the BB&T Center to watch the hometown Florida Panthers take on Ottawa. The smallest NHL crowd in three years was treated to a 1-0 barn burner won by the Senators.

Prudential Center

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Speaking of barn burners, the Devils unveiled their spiffy new 3D projection system before their home opener against the Sharks at the Prudential Center in bucolic Newark, NJ, on Oct. 18.

Tomas Hertl and Drew Doughty

Mark J. Terrill/AP

Hertl is pushed into the boards by Doughty during the Sharks-Kings game on Oct. 8 in Los Angeles. Doughty received a penalty for boarding on the play.

Flyers Ice Girl

AP Photo/Tom Mihalek

Many Philly fans were delighted when the team decided to reinstate its all-female ice maintenance crew after it had been shelved during the preseason. Alas, an all-male version had not been warmly received.

Wayne Simmonds and Claude Giroux

Tom Mihalek/AP

Simmonds and Giroux celebrate after Simmonds scored his second goal 56 seconds after his first against the Devils on Oct. 9 in Philly.

Paul Gaustad and Jonathan Toews

Bill Smith/NHLI via Getty Images

The ever elusive puck slipped through the ref's five hole at Chicago's United Center as the Predators battled the host Blackhawks on Oct. 18.

Andrew Ference and Ben Scrivens

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

It's been a rough start for the perpetually promising but perennially disappointing Oilers, who saw their goaltenders allow 27 pucks into their net—including seven in this Oct. 15 tilt against the Coyotes—during the team's first six games.

Rick Nash

AP Photo/Frank Franklin II

The red-hot Nash became a Broadway Smash by scoring seven goals in his first six games. One tally came four seconds after teammate Martin St. Louis lit the lamp against San Jose, the duo setting a franchise mark for fastest goals without an empty-netter.

Jarred Tinordi vs. Cody McLeod

Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images

An exchange of fistic pleasantries at the Bell Centre in Montreal on Oct. 18.

Maple Leafs Zamboni

David Cooper/Toronto Star via Getty Images

Some wags suggested that it's only apt that the Maple Leafs, who currently own the NHL's longest Stanley Cup drought by a non-expansion team, employ a giant deodorant to resurface the ice in their home arena. The Leafs lost their first two games at Air Canada Centre en route to a 2-3-1 start.

T.J. Oshie

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Blues winger T.J. Oshie shows off with a little puck juggling during warm-ups before a game against the Kings in Los Angeles on Oct. 16.

Joffrey Lupul and Justin Abdelkader

Steven King/Icon Sportswire

We have lift off: Winger Justin Abdelkader (8) of the Red Wings sent Leafs winger Joffrey Lupul into the boards during their game in Detroit on Oct. 18.

Frederik Andersen

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The Ducks' answer to New York's dapper netminder Henrik Lundqvist greeted fans before the team's home opener against Minnesota at on Oct. 17. Andersen was named the NHL's Second Star of the Week.

Justin Peters

Katherine Frey/The Washington Post via Getty Images

The Doh! moment: The shootout game-winner by San Jose's Joe Pavelski eluded Capitals goalie Justin Peters but not the attention of his team's fans at DC's Verizon Center on Oct. 14.

Linden Vey and J.T. Brown

Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

The Canucks and Lightning chase the biscuit at Vancouver's Rogers Arena on Oct. 18.

Brandon Kozun

Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images

A painful start: Leafs winger Brandon Kozun displayed the unpleasant effects of being checked into the end boards during a game against the Red Wings on Oct. 17 in Toronto. Kozun suffered a high ankle sprain and was expected to be out at least six weeks.

Canadiens vs. Avalanche

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Alex Tanguay of the Avs was welcomed to Montreal by Canadiens defenseman Tom Gilbert on Oct. 18.

Drew Doughty

Harry How/Getty Images

The Sharks got a leg up on defenseman Drew Doughty and the Kings during their season opener in Los Angeles. San Jose's 4-0 win exacted a measure of revenge for last spring's bitter playoff defeat at the hands of their Pacific Division rivals

Roberto Luongo

Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images

Caged Panther: Goalie Roberto Luongo was trapped by Ottawa's Zack Smith at the BB&T Center on Oct. 13.

Flames vs. Jets

Lance Thomson/NHLI via Getty Images

There's nothing like a little contretemps to get everyone's attention.

Matt Fraser

Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Glass act: Capitals defenseman Karl Alzner cashed a check on the Bruins winger at Boston's TD Garden on Oct. 11.

Nassau Coliseum

AP Photo/John Minchillo

The old barn's final season opened on Oct. 11 as the surprising Islanders hosted Carolina.

Ben Bishop

Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images

The Lightning's towering goalie warmed up outside Tampa Bay's dressing room before a game against the Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Oct. 18.

Edmonton Oilers

Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images

The Oilers salute their fans after winning their first game, six games into the season, on Oct. 20 against the Lightning.