* While the Golden Knights and Kraken each extended their win streaks to keep pace atop the Pacific Division, the Devils also captured another two points to continue their recent string of success.
* The latest instalment of the “Battle of New York” featured a fifth consecutive road win for the Islanders, highlighted by Anders Lee capping a multi-goal, third-period rally.
* Wednesday features two Navy Federal Credit Union Veterans Appreciation Night games as part of a second straight NHL on TNT doubleheader.
TRIO OF CLUBS EXTEND STRINGS OF SUCCESS AFTER MISSING 2022 PLAYOFFS
The Golden Knights (12-2-0, 24 points), Devils (10-3-0, 20 points) and Kraken (8-4-2, 18 points) extended the three longest active winning streaks in the NHL as they continued strong starts after missing the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
* Vegas extended their winning streak to eight games – the longest in the NHL this season – by posting their League-best fourth third-period comeback win of the campaign. Reilly Smith, who cued the rally with his 10th shorthanded goal in a Golden Knights uniform, became the first player in NHL history to score both the tying goal and overtime winner while playing in his 700th career game.
* New Jersey missed the 2022 postseason by 37 points but currently sit two points out of first place in the Eastern Conference after pushing their winning streak to seven contests, tied with Boston for the second-longest in the League this season. The Devils matched the fewest games in franchise history to reach the 10-win mark in a single campaign after first achieving the feat in 1993-94 (13 GP) en route to a 47-win campaign, a second-place finish in the NHL’s overall standings and a Conference Finals appearance.
* Andre Burakovsky (1-2—3) factored on three of the Kraken’s four first-period goals and Morgan Geekie (0-1—1) factored on the game-winning goal for the third straight game as Seattle captured its fifth straight victory dating to Oct. 29 – outscoring the opposition 20-8 in those contests. The Kraken have led for 139:33 of playing time through their current win streak, behind only the Stars (172:47), Maple Leafs (165:51) and Devils (153:50) through that span.
LEE LIFTS ISLANDERS TO ANOTHER THIRD-PERIOD COMEBACK WIN
With his team trailing 3-1 to start the third period in the latest “Battle of New York”, captain Anders Lee capped his team’s rally by scoring the game winner with 5:30 remaining in regulation and helped the Islanders overcome a third-period deficit to win for the third time in 2022-23 – trailing only the Golden Knights (4) for the most among all teams.
* Tuesday witnessed the Islanders extend their road win streak against the Rangers to five games, the franchise’s longest such run in the history of the rivalry. Lee has scored a team-best two goals (tied) through that span, while Mathew Barzal – who assisted on the game-tying goal – leads the team with six points (2-4—6 in 5 GP).
CANADIAN CAPTAINS CONTINUE HIGH-SCORING PACE
A pair of Western Conference captains – who recently appeared alongside one another in an ad for an auto app – each padded their goal total to keep pacing in the early goings of the 2022-23 season.
* Connor McDavid (1-1—2) scored his League-leading 14th goal and now owns more multi-point games (8 GP) than outings with one point or fewer in 2022-23 (6 GP). Tuesday marked McDavid’s 150th contest dating to the start of the 2021-22 season and has registered an NHL-best 257 points through that time (91-166—257). The last player to accumulate as many points through a 150-game span was Mario Lemieux, who tallied 98-159—257 from Nov. 30, 1996 to Dec. 14, 2002 – a stretch during which Lemieux retired but returned in December 2000 after missing three entire seasons.
* Bo Horvat (2-0—2) scored multiple goals for the fourth time in five games to boost his totals over that stretch to 8-2—10, helping the Canucks improve to 4-1-1 in their past six outings. Horvat, who was tied for 20th in the NHL with four goals entering play Oct. 28, now trails only McDavid on the goals list. He is one of three Canucks in the past 26 seasons to score at least eight goals over a five-game span.
ROBERTSON’S GOAL STREAK FEATURED IN #NHLSTATS: LIVE UPDATES
The Tuesday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured more notes from the 11-game slate, including Stars forward Jason Robertson extending his career-high goal streak to six contests before the Jets responded with five unanswered tallies en route to victory. Robertson opened the scoring after he participated in a ceremonial puck drop during Winnipeg’s Filipino Heritage Night at Canada Life Centre.
QUICK CLICKS
*Gary Bettman, Pat LaFontaine, Henrik Lundqvist recognized for dedication to finding cure for ALS
* Riikka Sallinen’s historic Olympic career led to Hockey Hall of Fame
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* Ryan Reynolds receives warm welcome at Senators game
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* Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin still excelling with 63rd regular-season meeting on tap
CROSBY, OVECHKIN GO HEAD-TO-HEAD ON TNT
The 63rd all-time regular-season meeting between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin will be the first game of a TNT doubleheader when the Penguins (4-6-2, 10 points) visit the Capitals (6-6-2, 14 points) before the Ducks (4-8-1, 9 points) welcome the Wild (5-6-1, 11 points) to Honda Center.
* Crosby (523-900—1,423 in 1,120 GP) and Ovechkin (788-635—1,423 in 1,288 GP) started their NHL career on the exact same day – Oct. 5, 2005, exactly 6,244 days ago – and enter Wednesday with identical point totals as well as each captain having continued his climb up various NHL all-time lists already this season.
* Crosby became the 20th player in NHL history to record 900 assists Saturday, doing so the sixth-fastest. The Penguins’ captain is on pace for 95 points in 2022-23 and sits just 77 shy of reaching the 1,500-point mark. Crosby owns a 36-23-3 record in games against Ovechkin and has bested his rival in assists (56) and points (84) in those contests.
* Ovechkin enters Wednesday just 12 goals shy of 800 and 14 from passing Gordie Howe (801) for second place on the NHL’s all-time goals list. The Capitals captain climbed a list of his own Saturday, surpassing Howe for the most goals with one franchise when he scored his 787th and moving within one of tying Jaromir Jagr (135) for the most game-opening tallies.
STAAL, STAAL AND STAAL SET TO FACE OFF WEDNESDAY
It will be a family affair in Florida as Eric and Marc Staal are set to face off against their brother, Jordan, when the Panthers (7-5-1, 15 points) welcome the Hurricanes (8-3-1, 17 points) to FLA Live Arena. It will mark the 13th game to feature three Staal brothers, a combination that has included brother Jared through the years, who is now the assistant coach of the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.
* Beyond the ice, the four brothers have joined forces to create The Staal Family Foundation, which was established in 2012 with the goal of helping to improve the quality of life for children with cancer and their families. Community has been at the heart of their foundation with work that has made a direct impact through sports, health as well as child and youth projects, including children’s hospitals, treatment centres, rehabilitation clinics, health care facilities and summer camps.
