Month two of the NHL season is in the books and what a month it was.  Here is a look back at some of the top stories from the NHL for November 2015.

Top 5 NHL Hockey Stories – November 2015

1. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid suffers a shoulder injury – if you do not think that the Oilers are cursed then think again.  The Edmonton Oilers have never had a Calder trophy winner as the NHL’s top rookie.  Not once, all that talent over the years, all of the recent top picks and not one Calder trophy winner.  Well this was to be the year right with 18 year old phenom Connor McDavid playing som great hockey to start his NHL career.  Connor looked to be an early favorite to win the Calder trophy as rookie of the year.  That is until the Philadelphia Flyers came to town.  On Tuesday, November third with the Flyers in town, McDavid came down the left wing, took a shot, was checked, fell, and then slid into the end boards with 1:44 remaining in the second period. He was being defended (tackled?) by Flyers defensemen Brandon Manning and Michael Del Zotto.  While he got up right away you could tell that this was a serious injury.  McDavid ended up requiring surgery to repair a broken clavicle.  McDavid, 18, had five goals and seven assists in 13 games for Edmonton this season.  He was named the NHL’s rookie of the month for October.  He is expected to be out for months.  However, he is young and competitive and I would put money on him coming back by mid-January.
2. The play of Patrick Kane – wow this guy is something isn’t he?  Patrick Kane was named the NHL’s first start of the month for November.  Kane led the NHL with 15 assists and 23 points, registering at least one point in all 13 November games to guide the Blackhawks (13-8-3, 29 points) to a 7-3-3 month and third place in the Central Division. In doing so, Kane extended his point streak to 19 games dating to Oct. 17 (11-20-31), the longest such streak by a U.S.-born player in NHL history and the longest such streak by any player since 2010-11.   Kane currently leads all NHL players in assists and points.
3. Class of 2015 NHL Hockey Hall of Fame inductees – Nicklas Lidstrom – famed defenseman of the Dtroit Red Wings, Chris Pronger the 2000 Hart trophy winner, Sergei Fedorov, the first player from Russia to hit 1,000 points in the NHL, Phil Housley a defenseman who second-most points of an American-born player in NHL history (behind Mike Modano), Angela Ruggiero considered the best American-born defenceman in the women’s game who registerers 6 goals, 9 assists, 15 points in 21 Olympic Games, Peter Karmanos Jr. and Bill Hay in the Builder’s category were all elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. 
4. The play of Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby – Holtby went 9-2-0 with a 1.99 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and one shutout to pace the NHL in wins and backstop the Capitals to a 9-3-1 month and second place in the Metropolitan Division. He allowed two or fewer goals in eight of 11 appearances, including a 33-save shutout Nov. 23 vs. the Edmonton Oilers. Holtby also recorded a career-high seven consecutive wins to close November, capped by a pair of 32-save victories over the final weekend of the month.  For his efforts in November, Holtby was named second star of the month. 
5. Dylan Larkin the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for November – Dylan Larkin has been playing amazing for the Detroit Red Wings.  Larkin, the 15th overall selection in the 2014 NHL Draft, recorded six of his seven goals in the final seven contests of the month (6-1-7), including a four-game goal streak Nov. 16-21 (4-0-4).  Dylan Larkin leads all rookies with 11 goals and a +20 rating; shares first with three game-winning goals; and ranks third with 18 points.  Dylan Larkin is trying to become first rookie to lead NHL in plus-minus.  Red Wings rookie Dylan Larkin has 11 goals and 11 assists in 28 games this season.  He has a +20 rating after 28 NHL games.