* Max Pacioretty produced a franchise first Sunday after the Golden Knights forward found the back of the net for the sixth consecutive game.
* Andre Burakovsky’s first career hat trick guided the Avalanche to victory in a contest between two of the NHL’s three highest-scoring teams this season.
* Troy Terry scored a penalty-shot goal in overtime – a Ducks player now accounts for three of the NHL’s 18 total instances.
GOLDEN KNIGHTS OUTLAST WILD WITH SIX-GOAL OUTBURST
The trio of Chandler Stephenson (0-4—4), Max Pacioretty (1-2—3) and Mark Stone (1-2—3) ignited the Vegas offense as the Golden Knights (16-11-0, 32 points) scored at least six goals for the second time this month and defeated the Western Conference-leading Wild (19-8-1, 39 points). Colorado (3) is the only team with more six-goal outings than Vegas since Dec. 1.
* Pacioretty and Stone both extended their point streaks to eight contests, one shy of Alex Tuch’s franchise-record nine-game run during the 2018-19 campaign. Pacioretty, meanwhile, pushed his goal streak to six consecutive games – the longest by a Golden Knights player in team history and tied for the lengthiest of his career (also 6 GP in 2014-15 w/ MTL).
* The 2021-22 campaign marks the fourth in the last 26 years to feature at least three players with 10 or more goals through their first 10 games of a season, joining 2018-19 (3: Elias Pettersson, David Pastrnak & Auston Matthews), 2006-07 (3: Martin Havlat, Chris Drury & Marian Hossa) and 1995-96 (5: Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Alexander Mogilny, Tomas Sandstrom & Brian Savage).
BURAKOVSKY PROPELS AVALANCHE TO ANOTHER VICTORY AT BALL ARENA
In a contest between two of the NHL’s three highest-scoring teams, Andre Burakovsky (3-0—3) netted his first career hat trick, and his second multi-goal game in as many outings, to lead the Avalanche (16-7-2, 34 points) to their seventh consecutive victory at Ball Arena – three shy of the longest home win streak in franchise history.
* Burakovsky, with the NHL’s 30th hat trick of the season and seventh in the month of December, has scored multiple goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Only three players in Avalanche/Nordiques history extended their streak to three contests: Joe Sakic (3 GP in 2002-03 & 1999-00), Michel Goulet (3 GP in 1984-85) and Peter Stastny (3 GP in 1982-83).
PREDATORS, CANUCKS SURVIVE ONE-GOAL GAMES TO EXTEND WIN STREAKS
The Predators (17-10-1, 35 points) and Canucks (12-15-2, 26 points) each edged out their opposition Sunday to extend their win streaks to five and four games, respectively. While Nashville owns the NHL’s longest active win streak, Bruce Boudreau became the first coach in Canucks history to earn a victory in each of his first four contests with the franchise.
#NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES FEATURES TERRY’S PENALTY-SHOT OT GOAL
A five-game Sunday in the NHL saw Troy Terry score twice, including the tying goal and the overtime winner on a penalty shot, as the Ducks (16-9-5, 37 points) halted the Blues’ home winning streak to move atop the Pacific Division. Click here to read more from the latest edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.
QUICK CLICKS
* 2022 NHL All-Star Game fan vote now open online
* Canada announces roster for IIHF World Junior Championship
* U.S. set to open select camp for World Junior Championship
* Rookie Watch: Cole Caufield, Trevor Zegras among best born in United States
KANE EYES 700TH ASSIST WHEN BLACKHAWKS HOST FLAMES
The NHL’s only game Monday will pit the Flames (15-7-6, 36 points) against the Blackhawks (10-15-2, 22 points), with Patrick Kane (411-699—1,110) one helper shy of becoming the League’s fifth active player to collect 700 career assists and the third player to hit the milestone with the franchise.
