10/01 Schedule Strength, Next Three Weeks
This one comes out midweek on purpose. In head to head leagues we tend to think in Monday to Sunday blocks, but the schedule does not, and some of the best streaming windows straddle two scoring weeks: a team with four games from Thursday to the following Wednesday helps you twice, once to close this week and once to open the next.
Rest of this week, tonight through Sunday Oct 4, most games: CGY (3), NYR (3), SEA (3), UTA (3); fewest: COL (1), LAK (1), MTL (1), NYI (1). Next week (Oct 5 to Oct 11), most: CAR (4), OTT (4), PHI (4), PIT (4); fewest: CBJ (2), CGY (2), EDM (2), FLA (2).
The schedule grid cuts any window you like, not only the seven-day grind: the rest of this week, the next fourteen days, or a custom start and span, with light nights shaded. Schedule analysis has the season views underneath: games and light nights week by week, back to backs, and every five-in-eight and two-in-eight stretch.
The next three weeks (October 1 to October 22) by volume and difficulty. Most games: PHI (11), NYR (11), MIN (11). Most light nights: ANA (6), NYR (5), WSH (5). Opponent strength is the average points percentage of the teams faced, from last season (2025-26).
What stands out
- CAR: 11 games, 3 on light nights, opponents at 0.517.
- VGK: 11 games, 3 on light nights, opponents at 0.529.
- UTA: 11 games, 2 on light nights, opponents at 0.542.
Five games in eight days, and two
Rolling eight-day windows, the view a Monday-to-Sunday calendar hides. Five games in eight days is a stretch where every roster spot that team fills plays roughly twice; two in eight is where a rostered skater quietly costs you starts.
Five in eight, starting in the next three weeks: UTA Oct 1 to Oct 8; WPG Oct 2 to Oct 9; OTT Oct 3 to Oct 10; PIT Oct 3 to Oct 10; BUF Oct 6 to Oct 13; CAR Oct 6 to Oct 13; MIN Oct 6 to Oct 13; VGK Oct 6 to Oct 13; COL Oct 7 to Oct 14; WSH Oct 7 to Oct 14; PHI Oct 8 to Oct 15; VAN Oct 8 to Oct 15.
Two in eight: CBJ Oct 1 to Oct 3; CHI Oct 15 to Oct 17; WSH Oct 20 to Oct 24.
Full lists for the season: schedule analysis.
Team by team
Every team's next three weeks (Oct 1 to Oct 22). The first three columns are the busy stretches, where skaters pile up games and the starting goalie usually sits one (a 3 in 4 inside a 5 in 8 is not repeated). The last two are the quiet ones, where a rostered player costs you starts. Stretches are listed without overlap.
Show the full table · 32 rows
| Team | Games | 5 in 8 | 3 in 4 | Back to backs | 1 in 5 | 2 in 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANA | 10 | - | Oct 7-10, Oct 19-22 | Oct 9-10, Oct 19-20 | Oct 11-15 | - |
| BOS | 10 | - | Oct 2-5 | Oct 2-3, Oct 16-17 | Oct 11-15 | - |
| BUF | 10 | Oct 6-13 | - | Oct 12-13 | Oct 16-20 | - |
| CAR | 11 | Oct 6-13 | Oct 17-20 | Oct 2-3, Oct 10-11, Oct 17-18 | Oct 12-16 | - |
| CBJ | 8 | - | Oct 17-20 | Oct 9-10, Oct 17-18 | Oct 2-6, Oct 11-15 | - |
| CGY | 9 | - | Oct 1-4 | Oct 3-4 | Oct 5-9, Oct 16-20 | - |
| CHI | 8 | - | - | - | Oct 16-20 | - |
| COL | 9 | Oct 7-14 | Oct 13-16 | Oct 7-8, Oct 13-14, Oct 19-20 | Oct 1-5 | - |
| DAL | 10 | - | Oct 2-5 | Oct 2-3, Oct 13-14 | Oct 15-19 | Oct 6-12 |
| DET | 10 | - | - | Oct 9-10 | - | - |
| EDM | 9 | - | - | - | Oct 2-6, Oct 8-12 | - |
| FLA | 10 | Oct 10-17 | - | Oct 12-13, Oct 21-22 | Oct 5-9, Oct 16-20 | - |
| LAK | 7 | - | - | - | Oct 1-5, Oct 7-11, Oct 12-16 | - |
| MIN | 11 | Oct 6-13 | - | Oct 12-13 | - | - |
| MTL | 8 | - | - | Oct 13-14 | Oct 1-5, Oct 15-19 | - |
| NJD | 10 | Oct 10-17 | - | Oct 12-13 | Oct 4-8 | - |
| NSH | 9 | - | - | - | Oct 16-20 | - |
| NYI | 9 | - | - | - | Oct 1-5 | - |
| NYR | 11 | - | Oct 1-4 | Oct 1-2 | - | - |
| OTT | 11 | Oct 3-10 | Oct 10-13 | Oct 5-6, Oct 12-13, Oct 21-22 | Oct 16-20 | - |
| PHI | 11 | Oct 8-15 | - | Oct 10-11 | - | - |
| PIT | 10 | Oct 3-10 | Oct 16-19 | Oct 9-10, Oct 16-17 | Oct 11-15 | - |
| SEA | 11 | - | Oct 1-4 | Oct 3-4 | - | - |
| SJS | 11 | Oct 13-20 | - | Oct 19-20 | - | Oct 6-12 |
| STL | 10 | - | - | Oct 2-3 | - | - |
| TBL | 9 | - | - | - | Oct 18-22 | Oct 6-12 |
| TOR | 10 | Oct 13-20 | - | Oct 19-20 | Oct 1-5 | - |
| UTA | 11 | Oct 1-8 | - | Oct 3-4 | - | - |
| VAN | 11 | Oct 8-15 | Oct 1-4 | Oct 3-4, Oct 10-11 | Oct 5-9 | - |
| VGK | 11 | Oct 6-13 | - | Oct 12-13 | - | - |
| WPG | 10 | Oct 2-9 | - | Oct 4-5 | Oct 8-12 | - |
| WSH | 9 | Oct 7-14 | - | Oct 2-3, Oct 13-14 | Oct 4-8, Oct 15-19 | - |
How it works
Light nights have fewer than eight games on the NHL slate, when a streamer is most likely to fill an empty lineup slot. Back-to-backs count consecutive-day pairs.