โ† The Slate Sheet
Daily Research Notes

The Slate Sheet: NHL Edges for October 5, 2026

NHL research for October 5, 2026: shot-volume surges, back-to-back spots, power-play mismatches and goalie form, with the sample behind every number.

Slatery Research DeskOctober 5, 20263 min readslate: 2026-10-05

The NHL spots worth your attention for Monday, October 5, 2026. We scan every game for shot volume that ice time backs up, tired-legs schedule spots, special-teams mismatches and goalie form, and only the clear outliers make the sheet.

NHL ยท Pp Mismatch

Stars power play (27.9%) vs a 66.1% kill

Sharks at Stars ยท Puck drop 8:00 PM EDT

League norms sit near 21% on the power play and 79% on the kill. This one is hot on one side and leaky on the other.

MeasureNumberWhat it is
Stars power play27.9%Conversion rate ยท last 20 games
Sharks penalty kill66.1%Kill rate ยท last 20 games

Sample: Last 20 team games.

Last-20 samples can include 2025-26 games. Penalty counts swing nightly.

Slatery NHL special-teams report ยท source slate 2026-10-05. Open the full NHL report

NHL ยท Shot Surge

Claude Giroux: 3.0 shots a game over his last 5

Senators at Bruins ยท Puck drop 7:30 PM EDT

Up from 1.8 across 86 games, with 1.6 more minutes a night. A shot line built on the long average is behind him.

MeasureNumberWhat it is
Last 5 games3.0 SOGShots on goal per game
Since Sep 20251.8 SOGShots on goal per game ยท 86 games

Sample: Last 5 games vs since Sep 2025.

Early-season windows can include 2025-26 games. Deployment can change nightly.

Slatery NHL player-form report ยท source slate 2026-10-05. Open the full NHL report

NHL ยท Shot Surge

Nikita Kucherov: 4.2 shots a game over his last 5

Flyers at Lightning ยท Puck drop 7:00 PM EDT

Up from 3.1 across 82 games, with 2.0 more minutes a night. A shot line built on the long average is behind him.

MeasureNumberWhat it is
Last 5 games4.2 SOGShots on goal per game
Since Sep 20253.1 SOGShots on goal per game ยท 82 games

Sample: Last 5 games vs since Sep 2025.

Early-season windows can include 2025-26 games. Deployment can change nightly.

Slatery NHL player-form report ยท source slate 2026-10-05. Open the full NHL report

NHL ยท Pp Mismatch

Penguins power play (25.0%) vs a 74.0% kill

Jets at Penguins ยท Puck drop 7:30 PM EDT

League norms sit near 21% on the power play and 79% on the kill. This one is hot on one side and leaky on the other.

MeasureNumberWhat it is
Penguins power play25.0%Conversion rate ยท last 20 games
Jets penalty kill74.0%Kill rate ยท last 20 games

Sample: Last 20 team games.

Last-20 samples can include 2025-26 games. Penalty counts swing nightly.

Slatery NHL special-teams report ยท source slate 2026-10-05. Open the full NHL report

How the sheet is built

Shot surges need both more shots and more ice time over the last five games, so a lucky week on a fourth line doesn't qualify. Rest spots compare a team on the second night of a back-to-back with an opponent coming off three or more days off. Special-teams notes use each team's last 20 games against league norms of roughly 21% on the power play and 79% on the kill.

Early in the season, these windows still include 2025-26 games. Each observation keeps its original numbers and source date; earlier observations stay readable after puck drop as a record of the pregame research, not live updates.

Keep researching

Make the next slate easier.

Read new editions here, or follow The Slate Sheet in your feed reader. A free account also opens the dayโ€™s selected reports.