Connor McDavid produced one of the biggest individual performances of the young NHL season as the Edmonton Oilers defeated the Vancouver Canucks 9-7.
McDavid scored one goal and registered four assists, giving him five points on the night.
It was the 15th five-point performance of his career, tying him for seventh place on the NHL's all-time list for games with at least five points.
The Oilers built a large early advantage before Vancouver fought back. Edmonton eventually held on for a two-goal victory in a game that produced 16 goals.
Leon Draisaitl was another major contributor for Edmonton, scoring twice and adding an assist.
Evan Bouchard also had a memorable night. The Oilers defenseman scored a goal and recorded two assists, taking his season total to eight points after the opening two games.
That total established a new NHL record for the most points by a defenseman through the first two games of a season.
Bouchard had already produced a hat trick and two assists during Edmonton's season-opening overtime loss to Vancouver earlier in the week.
The Canucks also received strong individual performances.
Marco Rossi scored twice and added an assist, while Elias Pettersson recorded one goal and two assists.
Despite Vancouver's offensive production, the Canucks were unable to recover from Edmonton's early advantage.
The game was one of several dramatic NHL contests played Thursday night.
In New York, Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin produced one of the most unusual moments of the evening by scoring his first NHL goal as the Rangers defeated Tampa Bay 5-1.
Shesterkin stopped 24 shots before sending the puck into an empty Tampa Bay net late in the third period.
The goal made him part of NHL history and added another unusual moment to the opening days of the season.
The San Jose Sharks also opened their season with a dramatic victory, defeating the Florida Panthers 4-3 in overtime.
Luca Cagnoni scored the overtime winner, while Will Smith contributed two goals and an assist.
New Jersey also began its season with an overtime victory. Jack Hughes scored late in overtime as the Devils defeated Philadelphia 3-2.
Seattle produced one of the night's biggest margins, defeating Calgary 6-1.
Utah also recorded a shutout, beating Chicago 6-0, while Columbus defeated Buffalo 6-3.
Minnesota completed the night's results with a 3-1 victory over Nashville.
The opening games of an NHL season often produce unusual statistics and record performances because players are still establishing their rhythm.
McDavid's five-point performance and Bouchard's record, however, immediately stand out.
For Edmonton, the most important aspect will be converting offensive production into consistent victories.
The Oilers have one of the league's most dangerous attacking combinations, but their defensive performance against Vancouver also showed that high-scoring games can create uncertainty.
For fans, however, the 9-7 contest delivered an extraordinary start to the season.
McDavid once again demonstrated his ability to influence a game across every offensive category, while Bouchard added a record of his own.
