Jacob Petrarca
Staff Writer
In this issue:
MLB Wild Card + Division Series Recap
NFL Week 5 + 6 Recap
Early Reactions to the NHL Season
Yordan Alvarez and Joe Musgrove have been among their teams’ most influential stars through the first two rounds of the postseason.
Flickr user thatlostdog–, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (top)
Ryan Casey Aguinaldo, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (bottom)
The 2022 MLB postseason began on Friday, October 7, with the Wild Card Series- a format never before tried (with the exception of 2020, where all 16 teams played due to the COVID-shortened 60 game season). This edition of the round featured 8 teams- four in each league.
In the American League, the Central division champion Cleveland Guardians took on the Tampa Bay Rays, who finished 3rd in a stacked East, while the Toronto Blue Jays, who finished second in that division, hosted the West runner-up Seattle Mariners. The Houston Astros and New York Yankees recieved byes. In the National League, the Central champion St. Louis Cardinals hosted the Philadelphia Phillies (who finished a distant 3rd in the East behind the Mets and Braves) while the San Diego Padres (who stood no shot at overtaking the powerhouse Dodgers in the West, went to Queens and took on the New York Mets, who lost the division on a tiebreaker to Atlanta. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves recieved byes.
The festivities kicked off with a 4-game slate on Friday. Cleveland and Tampa Bay rode strong starts in the battle of Shanes from Bieber (7 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 8 strikeouts) and McLanahan (7 innings, 7 hits, 2 runs, 5 strikeouts) as Cleveland pulled away with a 2-1 victory on the strength of a Jose Ramirez 2-run home run in the 6th inning. Jose Siri provided Tampa Bay’s offense with a solo shot in the top half of the 6th.
Seattle-Toronto was the next game on the schedule, and after a 3-run first capped by a 2-run homer by regular season hero Cal Raleigh, against Blue Jays’ starter Alek Manoah, Seattle used 7 shutout innings from deadline acquisition Luis Castillo to a sound, 4-0 win in Game 1, for Seattle’s first postseason victory since 2001.
The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals battled to the tune of six scoreless innings, when a pinch-hit, two run homer by Juan Yepez of St. Louis gave the Redbirds a 2-0 lead which stayed until one out in the 9th. A bases-loaded hit by pitch for Alec Bohm from the arm of Cardinals closer Ryan Helsely forced in one run for Philadelphia. After a pitching change (replacing Helsely with Andre Pallante) Jean Segura, who had previously held the record for most regular season games without a postseason appearance, gave Philadelphia the lead with a 2-run single which resulted in a 6-run Phillie ninth when all was said and done. The Cardinals managed to bring the tying run to the plate after scoring once in the bottom half, but Yadier Molina struck out to end the game and give Philadelphia their first playoff win in over a decade.
The finale provided the most intriguing matchup, but the least interesting game, as 4 Padres home runs against Mets free-agent prize Max Scherzer helped San Diego roll to a 7-1 win in the bright lights of New York City.
Saturday’s games were equally as exciting. The second Tampa Bay-Cleveland game provided even less offense than the first, as the two teams stuck it out for five hours and fifteen long innings before Oscar Gonzalez took emergency reliever Corey Kluber deep, leading off the 15th inning. Kluber, normally a starter, was brought into pitch against the team with whom he won the American League’s Cy Young Award twice, in 2014 and 2017. Cleveland advanced for a date with the Yankees in the ALDS.
In the second game from the Rogers Centre in Toronto, for the longest time it appeared as though Toronto would roll to an easy win and a third game to be played on Sunday. Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman was pulled with the Blue Jays leading 8-1, with two outs in the 6th inning and the bases loaded. Instead of giving Gausman a chance to tightrope out of danger, manager John Schneider (who replaced Charlie Montoyo in July) elected to take his chances with Tim Mayza. A wild pitch scored Ty France, and Carlos Santana ripped a 1-1 sinker into the left-center field seats to cut the deficit to three. The Blue Jays added one in the bottom of the 7th on a Danny Jansen base hit, but a four run Seattle 8th, capped by a JP Crawford bloop that fell between three Toronto defenders (resulting in a collision which injured center fielder George Springer) that tied the game at 9. Seattle took the lead in the top of the 9th on an Adam Frazier double, and won the game 10-9 for the largest comeback in an elimination game in MLB postseason history. They advanced to face the West champion Astros in the AL Division Series.
From the hallowed grounds of Busch Stadium in St. Louis, the Phillies-Cardinals series continued. This time, it was Philadelphia (with a Bryce Harper home run) holding a 2-0 lead in the 9th inning. A Yadier Molina base hit brought the winning run to the plate, but Zach Eflin induced a popup from Tommy Edman, and the Phillies won their first playoff series since the 2010 NLDS. It was also the final game for Cardinals icons Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols, both of whom picked up hits in their final trips to the plate, and the latter of whom hit his 700th career home run earlier this season, one of only four players to do so in the history of the game. Also likely retiring from the game for St. Louis is Adam Wainwright, who did not get to pitch in the postseason. The victorious Phillies would face the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS.
It was the last hurrah for three St. Louis baseball legends- Molina, Pujols, and Wainwright, left to right, who have joined the likes of Rogers Hornsby, Stan Musial, and Bob Gibson in Cardinals lore.
Barbara Moore on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop), CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (left)
Barbara Moore, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (center)
Dave Herholz on Flickr (Original version) UCinternational (Crop), CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (right)
The Mets looked to strike back in their Game 2 against the Padres, and they did. Jacob deGrom dazzled, limiting the San Diego bats to a mere 2 runs in 6 innings as the younger New York team coasted to a 7-3 win as Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso hit home runs and the Mets evened up the series, the only team on Saturday to force a decisive third game.
However, it was all San Diego once again in Game 3. No home runs were hit, but the Padres capitalized on a pair of 2-RBI games from Austin Nola and Juan Soto to roll the Mets, 6-0. On the mound, Joe Musgrove was simply fantastic, allowing a mere one hit in his seven innings of work, and he was so good that veteran Mets manager Buck Showalter had the umpires check Musgrove for illegal substances, going so far as to check his ear, which looked a little shinier than normal, but nothing was found and Musgrove was allowed to remain in the game. San Diego would move on to face the Los Angeles Dodgers, who won the most games in baseball history since the 2001 Mariners’ 116, with 111 of their own.
With the four Division Series matchups set, the final eight teams squared off. The Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies matched up in the National League Division Series, and Philadelphia rode an early 6-1 lead to a 7-6 win in Game 1 in Atlanta. The Braves evened the series on the strength of 6 shutout innings by major league wins leader Kyle Wright, who allowed just 2 hits in an eventual 3-0 win for the defending champs. However, when the series shifted back to Philadelphia, it was all Phillies. Wins by the score of 9-1 and 8-3 put Philadelphia in the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2010, and continued the streak of 22 failed defending champions dating all the way back to the 2001 New York Yankees for baseball. In the series, last year’s NL MVP, Bryce Harper, hammered two home runs. The Phillies also put up their second 6-run inning of the postseason, peppering Spencer Strider in the third inning of Game 3 for those runs, punctuated by Rhys Hoskins’ three run home run with one of the most enigmatic bat spikes in all of baseball history.
Meanwhile, out west, in the other NLDS, it was the Los Angeles Dodgers, owner of one of five 111+ win seasons in baseball history, taking on the team that finished second in their division, the San Diego Padres. As many expected, the Dodgers won Game 1, 5-3, with a home run by Trea Turner. As many didn’t expect, however, that would be the last game the Dodgers would win in 2022. Three close victories for San Diego (5-3, 2-1, and 5-3) put the Padres in the NLCS for the first time since 1998. In Game 2, a goose landed on the Dodger Stadium grass, which the Padres fanbase later named the “Rally Goose” as the Padres held on to win that game and didn’t lose for the rest of the series. Joe Musgrove was once again stellar in the deciding game, limiting Los Angeles’ vaunted lineup to just two runs across six innings.
The Phillies and Padres have never met in the postseason prior to this season’s NLCS matchup. It is also the first time that two Wild Card teams (and sub-90 win teams) met in the Championship Series round, due to the expanded postseason.
Seattle’s T-Mobile Park saw MLB postseason action for the first time in two decades.
MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
In the American League, there was another battle for West supremacy between the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners. The Mariners appeared poised to win Game 1, as they held a 7-3 lead that had been cut down to 7-5 entering the 9th inning with an Alex Bregman 2-run home run. With two outs and two on, Seattle manager Scott Servais made the surprising move to turn to starting pitcher Robbie Ray, who had gotten shelled by Toronto in the Wild Card Series, following meltdowns by relivers Andres Munoz and Paul Sewald. Historically, Ray does not have good numbers against Houston, and he held a 6.86 ERA in 40 and 2/3 career innings against the Texas-based team prior to this appearance. Yordan Alvarez, Houston’s most feared slugger and the 2019 AL Rookie of the Year, crushed an 0-1 sinker from Ray deep into the right center field stands, giving Houston an 8-7 Game 1 win. While Houston has had lots of recent success, they’re particularly effective in the first game of the postseason, holding an 8 game win streak, which stretches all the way back to their time in the National League. The streak can be seen below.
2022 ALDS Game 1: W 8-7 over Mariners
2021 ALDS Game 1: W 6-1 over White Sox
2020 ALWC Game 1: W 4-1 over Twins
2019 ALDS Game 1: W 6-2 over Rays
2018 ALDS Game 1: W 7-2 over Indians (now Guardians)
2017 ALDS Game 1: W 8-2 over Red Sox
2015 ALWC Game: W 3-0 over Yankees
2005 NLDS Game 1: W 10-5 over Braves
2004 NLDS Game 1: W 9-3 over Braves
Last Loss: 2001 NLDS Game 1: L 7-4 to Braves.
In Game 2, Alvarez played hero again, this time with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 6th against Luis Castillo that proved the difference, giving Houston a 3-2 lead in an eventual 4-2 win. However, nothing could prepare either team for what happened in Game 3. Houston held a 2-0 lead, but that didn’t matter to Seattle fans, who had the pleasure of attending the first baseball playoff game in the city since the Seahawks played in the AFC. For 17 long innings, the two teams were kept off the scoreboard as it became the longest game in MLB playoff history to be scoreless through that amount of time. The game was so long, in fact, that despite a 4:08 ET first pitch, Game 3 of the New York-Cleveland series was in the 8th inning (despite starting 3 hours after) and Game 4 of the Los Angeles-San Diego series, despite rain pushing back the start time to roughly 10 Eastern, had already begun by the time (following a Jeremy Pena home run against Penn Murfee, Seattle’s final reliever available, in the top of the 18th) Julio Rodriguez lined out to center field to end the Mariners’ season and send Houston to a 6th straight ALCS trip, where they would take on the New York Yankees.
Finally, the New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians met in the postseason for the 6th time since 1997, with New York holding a 3-2 series advantage to this point. Gerrit Cole was lights-out in Game 1, recovering strongly from his last postseason start last October 5th in Fenway Park, where a sore hamstring led to a short start against the rival Red Sox in a 6-2 defeat. In this start, Cole allowed just 4 hits in 6 1/3 innings, and only a Steven Kwan home run could provide Cleveland with any offense, as Harrison Bader (becoming the first player to hit his first Yankees home run in the postseason) and Anthony Rizzo both went deep in a 4-1 Yankees win. Cleveland bounced back, however, after a 2-run Giancarlo Stanton home run gave the Yankees an early lead in Game 2. Cleveland scored 1 in the 4th inning and 1 in the 5th, and the game stayed tied going to extra innings. Yankees manager Aaron Boone made the surprising move to go to starting pitcher Jameson Taillon out of the bullpen, who allowed two runs. The Yankees couldn’t score in the bottom of the 10th, and Cleveland evened the series with a 4-2 win. The series shifted to Cleveland, and after trailing 2-0 early, New York rallied to tie it and take the lead on a pair of 2-run home runs by Aaron Judge and Oswaldo Cabrera. The teams each scored one more run and the Yankees led 5-3 entering the bottom of the 9th.. Previously, the Yankees were 167-0 when they led by at least 2 runs entering the 9th inning of a postseason game, but 5 singles and 3 runs by Cleveland, capped by an Oscar Gonzalez walk-off single, gave the Guardians a 6-5 win and a 2-1 lead in the series. With the Yankees’ backs against the wall in Game 4, Gerrit Cole was excellent, going 7 strong innings in a 4-2 win that saw Harrison Bader hit his third home run, setting up a decisive Game 5 at Yankee Stadium. In the game, delayed one day by rain, both Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge hit early home runs to carry New York to a 5-1 win and a rematch with the Houston Astros in the ALCS. This is the fourth time the two teams will be meeting in the postseason in the last eight seasons, with Houston winning all three prior matchups.
And so the final four teams in baseball are set. Two familiar foes, and two up-and-coming bright young teams will square off to see who gets to lift the commissioner’s trophy in two weeks.
The National Football League is getting into full swing, yet no clear Super Bowl favorites have emerged. After a lackluster Thursday Night game in which the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver Broncos in overtime, 12-9, on an incompletion by Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson broken up by Colts defender Stephon Gilmore, the NFL went back to London for the second straight week as the New York Giants upset the Green Bay Packers to improve to 4-1. The Detroit Lions had the NFL’s highest scoring offense, but were blanked, 29-0, by a Patriots team looking to find their footing following consecutive losses to the Ravens and Packers. Incidentally, the Patriots were down to their third string quarterback following injuries to starter Mac Jones and backup Brian Hoyer. The Cleveland Browns fell below .500 against the LA Chargers to 2-3, as a missed field goal as time expired cost them another victory. AFC East blowouts were the name of the game in Week 5. In addition to the Patriots’ win, the Buffalo Bills obliterated Pittsburgh, 38-3, and the New York Jets, ran all over Miami for five rushing touchdowns, two for Michael Carter, in a 40-17 win. Tom Brady continued to be undefeated against the Atlanta Falcons, as a controversial roughing-the-passer penalty in the game extended a Tampa Bay drive, as they won, 21-15. The Minnesota Vikings improved to an NFC North-best 4-1 as they took down the division rival Bears, 29-22. The week concluded with a pair of exciting finishes. Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker made a game winning, 43-yard field goal, as the Ravens took sole possession of first place in the AFC North with a 3-2 record on Sunday Night Football. And on Monday Night, the Kansas City Chiefs, who have made four consecutive AFC Championships, showed their mettle against the Las Vegas Raiders, coming back from a 20-7 deficit and taking the lead on Travis Kelce’s 4th touchdown of the evening with just under 7 minutes to go in the fourth quarter, and holding on for a 30-29 win.
Justin Tucker has been near-automatic for the Baltimore Ravens since his rookie season in 2012, and won them another game in Week 5.
Au Kirk, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Week 6 began the NFL’s string of bye weeks, as the Raiders, Lions, Texans, and Titans, all got a chance to rest. Meanwhile, the other 28 teams were still at it, and highest among them, the Philadelphia Eagles. On Sunday Night Football, the Eagles took down the 4-1 Cowboys, 26-17, to not only hold on to first place in the NFC East, but to improve to 6-0, the NFL’s only unbeaten record and the Eagles’ best unbeaten start since 2004, a season that saw them win the NFC Championship before becoming a mere footnote in the Tom Brady/Bill Belicheck legacy and becoming the third team in four years to fall to the duo in the Super Bowl.
Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers have struggled in the 2022 season thus far. Perhaps Father Time has finally come for those seemingly ageless quarterbacks?
All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (left)
All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Elsewhere around the league, Thursday Night Football was again a dud with an exciting finish, as Bears reciever Darnell Mooney was inches away from a touchdown that would have given Chicago the win, but was brought down at the 1-yard line by Commanders defender Benjamin St-Juste as Washington held on, 12-7. The New England Patriots offense, again led by Zappe, was again potent, defeating the Browns, 38-15.
The Baltimore Ravens continued to struggle holding onto leads, this time losing a 20-10 advantage over the New York Giants, who improved to 5-1 and second place in a surprisingly strong NFC East. Baltimore fell to 3-3, having lost leads of 21, 17, and 10 in their three defeats.
It was a rough week for the two oldest quarterbacks in the NFL. Tom Brady was limited to 243 yards and 1 touchdown, as Tampa Bay was beaten by Pittsburgh, 20-18. Aaron Rodgers’ Packers, already having lost a London game in which they were heavily favored and struggling to beat the middling Patriots the week prior, were defeated by the New York Jets as both inhabitants of MetLife stadium got to have fun with the green and gold. Aaron Rodgers, the 2-time defending NFL MVP, was held to 246 yards and one touchdown, as the defense crumbled to give New York a 27-10 win. The Jets improved to 4-2 in the AFC East, something little saw coming. In what’s been a frequent match-up in recent seasons, the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs faced off for the first time since the latter eliminated the former in the AFC Divisional Game last season. Buffalo got somewhat of a revenge this time, winning 24-20 and improving to a conference-best 5-1. Week 6 concluded in overtime on Monday Night Football, as the Los Angeles Chargers slogged it out against the Denver Broncos, winning 19-16 on a game winning field goal in overtime by Dustin Hopkins.
The NHL got its season underway with a pair of games across the pond in Prague on the 7th and 8th of October , as the San Jose Sharks and Nashville Predators showed North American ice hockey to the Czechs with Nashville winning both games, 4-1 and 3-2. Winger Keith Sherwood of the Preds scored the first goal of the season.
On American and Canadian soil however, the Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, and Carolina Hurricanes have shot out to the best starts, each winning their first three games. Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning, winners of the Stanley Cup Final in 2020 and 2021, and two wins away from a third straight Cup, have stumbled out of the gate to a 1-3 record. Of course, nothing can be determined from these early contests- it’s an 82 game season, after all. The Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers also have three wins each as they’re tied atop the Atlantic Division standings. Meanwhile the San Jose Sharks after getting swept in Prague, lost the next three games (against the Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Islanders) and are at the very bottom of the National Hockey League at 0-5. And with two overtime losses, the Seattle Kraken, in just their second season of existence after becoming the league’s 32nd team last year, are the league’s unluckiest team at this point, after allowing extra-time game-winners to Anaheim right wing Troy Terry and St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk.
Despite his team’s struggles, Steven Stamkos is the owner of the NHL’s goal lead with 6.
Lisa Gansky, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
That’ll do it this time for the Payoff Pitch. Final reactions to the baseball season will be in the next issue, which will come out shortly after the conclusion of the World Series. Weeks 7 and 8 of the NFL season will also be covered, and as the NHL and NBA seasons begin to take shape, more storylines will follow from those leagues as well.
MLB Postseason Scores (through Division Series)
American League Wild Card Series: Cleveland defeats Tampa Bay, 2-0
Game 1: Guardians 2, Rays 1
Game 2: Guardians 1, Rays 0 (15 innings)
American League Wild Card Series: Seattle defeats Toronto, 2-0
Game 1: Mariners 4, Blue Jays 0
Game 2: Mariners 10, Blue Jays 9
National League Wild Card Series: Philadelphia defeats St. Louis, 2-0
Game 1: Phillies 6, Cardinals 3
Game 2: Phillies 2, Cardinals 0
National League Wild Card Series: San Diego defeats New York, 2-1
Game 1: Padres 7, Mets 1
Game 2: Mets 7, Padres 3
Game 3: Padres 6, Mets 0
American League Division Series: Houston defeats Seattle, 3-0
Game 1: Astros 8, Mariners 7
Game 2: Astros 4, Mariners 2
Game 3: Astros 1, Mariners 0 (18 innings)
American League Divison Series: New York defeats Cleveland, 3-2
Game 1: Yankees 4, Guardians 1
Game 2: Guardians 4, Yankees 2 (10 innings)
Game 3: Guardians 6, Yankees 5
Game 4: Yankees 4, Guardians 2
Game 5: Yankees 5, Guardians 1
National League Division Series: Philadelphia defeats Atlanta, 3-1
Game 1: Phillies 7, Braves 6
Game 2: Braves 3, Phillies 0
Game 3: Phillies 9, Braves 1
Game 4: Phillies 8, Braves 3
National League Divison Series: San Diego defeats Los Angeles, 3-1
Game 1: Dodgers 5, Padres 3
Game 2: Padres 5, Dodgers 3
Game 3: Padres 2, Dodgers 1
Game 4: Padres 5, Dodgers 3
NFL Standings (through Week 6)
| AFC East | W | L | T |
| Buffalo Bills | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Miami Dolphins | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| New England Patriots | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| AFC North | W | L | T |
| Baltimore Ravens | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| AFC South | W | L | T |
| Tennessee Titans | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Houston Texans | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| AFC West | W | L | T |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Denver Broncos | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Las Vegas Raiders | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| NFC East | W | L | T |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| New York Giants | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Washington Commanders | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| NFC North | W | L | T |
| Minnesota Vikings | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Green Bay Packers | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Chicago Bears | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Detroit Lions | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| NFC South | W | L | T |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Carolina Panthers | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| New Orleans Saints | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| NFC West | W | L | T |
| San Francisco 49ers | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Seattle Seahawks | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 2 | 4 | 0 |
NFL League Leaders (through Week 6)
Passing Yards: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills- 1,980
Passing Touchdowns: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills; Patrick Mahomes; Kansas City Chiefs, 17
Rushing Yards: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns, 649
Rushing Touchdowns: Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns, 7
Recieving Yards: Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins, 701
Recieving Touchdowns: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs, 7
Field Goals: Daniel Carlson, Las Vegas Raiders; Ryan Succop, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 15
Longest Field Goal: Harrison Butker, Kansas City Chiefs, 62 yards, Week 6
Interceptions: Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills; Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks, 4
Sacks: Alex Highsmith, Pittsburgh Steelers, 6.5
Eastern Conference
| Atlantic Div. | G | W | L | OTL | Points |
| Boston Bruins | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Florida Panthers | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Detroit Red Wings | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Buffalo Sabres | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Montreal Canadiens | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Ottawa Senators | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Metropolitan Div. | G | W | L | OTL | Points |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| New York Rangers | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| New York Islanders | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Washington Capitals | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| New Jersey Devils | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
Western Conference
| Central Div. | G | W | L | OTL | Points |
| Dallas Stars | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Colorado Avalanche | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Nashville Predators | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| St. Louis Blues | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Arizona Coyotes | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Minnesota Wild | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Pacific Div. | G | W | L | OTL | Points |
| Calgary Flames | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| Los Angeles Kings | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Seattle Kraken | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Anaheim Ducks | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| San Jose Sharks | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
NHL Stats Leaders (through 10/19)
Goals: Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning, 6
Assists: Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers, 8
Points: Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers, 10
Penalty Minutes: Max Comtois, Anaheim Ducks, 24
Goaltending Wins: Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers; Carter Hart, Philadelphia Flyers; Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars, 3
Goals Against Average: Craig Anderson, Buffalo Sabres; Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes; Anti Raanta, Carolina Hurricanes, Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars, 1.00
Save Percentage: Alex Stalock, Chicago Blackhawks, .973