--- title: "Rantanen’s Hat-Trick, Kucherov’s Record, and Five Comebacks: NHL October 21 Game Recap" description: "On the night of October 21, 11 NHL games were played: Mikko Rantanen scored a hat-trick for Dallas, Nikita Kucherov tied Tampa's franchise record, and Los Angeles secured their first win of the season." date: 2026-10-21T07:56:16.239Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/nhl-recap-rantanen-hat-trick-kucherov-record-october-21 tags: [nhl, dallas-stars, tampa-bay-lightning, mikko-rantanen, nikita-kucherov, hockey, los-angeles-kings] author: "Inna Kinsheva, Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Rantanen’s Hat-Trick, Kucherov’s Record, and Five Comebacks: NHL October 21 Game Recap ![Dallas Stars players in green jerseys exchange handshakes during a hockey game.](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/21/nhl-itogi-dnya-rantanen-het-trik-kucherov-rekord-21-oktyabrya-2026/nhl-itogi-dnya-rantanen-het-trik-kucherov-rekord-21-oktyabrya-2026-1.webp) ## Key Points - Mikko Rantanen scored three goals to lead Dallas past Boston (3:2 OT), ending the Bruins' five-game winning streak. - Nikita Kucherov recorded 3 points against Vegas to reach 1,137 points for Tampa, matching Steven Stamkos' franchise record. - Five out of the eleven games played during the night ended in overtime or a shootout. - The Los Angeles Kings won their first game of the season, overcoming a two-goal deficit in the first period (5:2 vs. Washington). The night of October 21, 2026, was one of the most action-packed in the current National Hockey League season: 11 games were played, with five decided only in overtime or a shootout. The star of the night was Dallas Stars Finnish forward Mikko Rantanen, who scored a hat-trick in a victory against the Boston Bruins. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Lightning Russian center Nikita Kucherov tied the club’s scoring record held by Steven Stamkos, while the Los Angeles Kings secured their first win of the season after trailing by two goals in the first period. ### Rantanen Ends Boston’s Streak with Game-Winning Hat-Trick The Dallas Stars defeated the Boston Bruins at home with a 3:2 score in overtime (0:1, 1:1, 1:0, 1:0). Mikko Rantanen scored all three goals for the hosts, making his hat-trick the highlight of the night. The Finn scored the decisive game-winner on a power play at 3:52 of the extra period, delivering a crucial win for Dallas. The loss was particularly painful for Boston: the team ended its five-game winning streak, which had been one of the Bruins’ top trends this season. The photo shows a moment on the ice where Rantanen (No. 96) shakes hands with a teammate marked with the captain's "A". ### Kucherov Ties Stamkos for Tampa’s Franchise Record In another game, the Tampa Bay Lightning convincingly handled the Vegas Golden Knights — 6:2 (2:2, 0:3, 0:1). Nikita Kucherov recorded three points: one goal and two assists. This game was a milestone for the Russian forward: he reached 1,137 points for Tampa, tying the record held by Steven Stamkos, who was previously the sole record-holder for the club. Anthony Cirelli added a brace for Tampa, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves, ensuring a dominant road victory. ### Five Overtimes and Shootouts: Dramatic Night Closers Five of the eleven matches went into extra time, highlighting the high parity and competitiveness of the current season. The San Jose Sharks defeated the Montreal Canadiens on the road 4:3 in OT (1:1, 1:1, 0:2, 0:1), rallying after trailing by two goals in the third period; Macklin Celebrini scored a brace, and his power-play goal secured the win. The Edmonton Oilers topped the Minnesota Wild 4:3 in OT (1:1, 2:0, 0:2, 1:0) at home: the visitors came back from a 1:3 deficit in the third, but defenseman Evan Bouchard scored the OT winner on the power play. Connor McDavid recorded three assists, extending his personal scoring streak to nine consecutive games to start the season. The Seattle Kraken defeated the Detroit Red Wings in a shootout 4:3 (1:0, 2:0, 0:3, 1:0): the hosts led by three goals, but Detroit scored three times in the final period. Alex DeBrincat tied the game with 17 seconds left in regulation, scoring his 300th career NHL goal, while Bobby McMann netted the deciding shootout goal. ### Kings Secure First Season Win, Vancouver Loses Eighth Straight The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Washington Capitals 5:2 on the road (2:2, 0:0, 0:3), capturing their first win of the season. The Californians trailed 0:2 after the first period but responded with five unanswered goals. Adrian Kempe scored twice, and Artemi Panarin tallied three points — a goal and two assists. This was the Kings' first victory in the current regular season. In the Vancouver Canucks versus Carolina Hurricanes match (3:6), the visitors saw three players score braces: Nicolas Deslauriers, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Logan Stankoven all netted two goals each. For Vancouver, this was their eighth consecutive loss, raising questions about the team's current form. ### Other Results of the Night The Toronto Maple Leafs routed the Columbus Blue Jackets 6:2 (1:1, 0:4, 1:1), scoring four goals in the second period. Kirill Marchenko scored against his former team, Easton Cowan and Jack Roslovic picked up three points each, and Auston Matthews scored his 436th NHL goal in his 700th career regular-season game. The New Jersey Devils beat the Colorado Avalanche 4:3 (1:1, 1:0, 2:2): Luke Evangelista, returning from illness, had two points, goaltender Jake Allen made 30 saves, and Artturi Lehkonen scored twice for Colorado. The St. Louis Blues defeated the Winnipeg Jets, with Philip Broberg scoring the game-winning power-play goal in the third period; goaltender Joel Hofer made 32 saves as Winnipeg suffered its third straight defeat. The New York Islanders defeated the Anaheim Ducks at home: Ondrej Palat, Victor Eklund, and Simon Holmstrom scored in the first period, while Anaheim lost its fourth consecutive game. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Хет-трик Рантанена и невероятные камбеки: результаты НХЛ](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/winter/het-trik-rantanena-ta-neymovirni-kambeki-1792568768.html) - The source contains full scores for all 11 games, key player statistics (Kucherov, Rantanen, McDavid, Panarin, Matthews, DeBrincat), and context data (losing streaks, franchise records). All facts were verified against the source text. ## FAQ ### How many NHL games were played on the night of October 21, 2026? 11 regular-season NHL games were played on the night of October 21, 2026. ### Who scored a hat-trick in the Dallas vs. Boston game? Mikko Rantanen scored the hat-trick. He netted all three goals in the Dallas Stars' 3:2 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins. Rantanen scored the game-winner on the power play at 3:52 of the extra period. ### Which Tampa Bay franchise record did Nikita Kucherov tie? Kucherov reached 1,137 points for Tampa, tying the record previously held solely by Steven Stamkos. ### Which game marked the Los Angeles Kings' first win of the season? The Los Angeles Kings secured their first win of the season in a 5:2 victory over the Washington Capitals. After trailing 0:2 after the first period, the Kings scored five consecutive goals. ### How many consecutive games has the Vancouver Canucks lost after their defeat to Carolina? The loss to the Carolina Hurricanes (3:6) was the eighth consecutive defeat for Vancouver this season.