Thursday, November 7, 2024
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NHL Morning Skate – Oct. 24, 2024

NHL Coast to Coast on Prime Video Canada returns at 7 p.m. ET, with special guest Sidney Crosby – the newest member of the NHL’s 1,600-point club – set to join host Andi Petrillo alongside analysts Mike Rupp and Michael Del Zotto during a nine-game night in the NHL.

* All four of the Jets (6-0-0), Rangers (5-0-1), Flames (5-0-1) and Wild (4-0-2) will look to keep their season-opening point streaks alive, while NHL scoring leader Cale Makar also hits the ice as the Avalanche (3-4-0) seek a fourth straight win.

* The Capitals continued their hot start to improve their record to 5-1-0 as they swept back-to-back games against the Flyers, with 19-year-old rookie Matvei Michkov picking up two points for the Flyers but 39-year-old Alex Ovechkin scoring his 855th goal to move 40 back of setting a new NHL record.

MICHKOV TRIES TO RALLY FLYERS, BUT OVECHKIN INCHES CLOSER TO GRETZKY IN WIN

The second half of the home-and-home set between the Flyers and Capitals saw Nic Dowd score for the second straight night as part of a three-goal second period for Washington in which they took a 4-0 lead. The Flyers tried to stage a comeback with three straight goals of their own by Travis KonecnyOwen Tippett (1-1—2) and Matvei Michkov (1-1—2), but empty-net tallies by Pierre-Luc Dubois (1-2—3) and Alex Ovechkin sealed a victory and a 5-1-0 record for the Capitals. The middle frame marked the fourth time in six games this season that Washington has scored three goals in a period.

Ovechkin scored his 855th career goal and now sits 40 back of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. It was the 50th goal Ovechkin has scored against the Flyers as he became the fourth player in the past 44 seasons to tally 50 times against at least four different franchises (joining Gretzky on that list).

* Michkov (3-4—7 in 7 GP) became the first Flyers rookie since James van Riemsdyk (1-6—7 in 2009-10) to record at least seven points through his first seven NHL games. He is the fourth teenage rookieto do so for the Flyers, joining Peter Zezel (2-6—8 in 1984-85), Eric Lindros (4-3—7 in 1992-93) and Rich Sutter (5-2—7 in 1983-84).

QUICK CLICKS

#NHLStats: Live Updates for Oct. 23
2025 NHL Draft: Central Scouting releases preliminary players to watch list
Sean Durzi could be out rest of season for Utah after shoulder surgery
NHL Buzz: Luke HughesBrett Pesce expected back by weekend for Devils
*Robert Thomas out at least 6 weeks for Blues with fractured ankle

STORYLINES APLENTY FOR NHL COAST TO COAST ON PRIME VIDEO CANADA

The Jets (6-0-0, 12 points), Rangers (5-0-1, 11 points), Flames (5-0-1, 11 points) and Wild (4-0-2) will return to the ice after they extended their season-opening streaks during the second edition of Frozen Frenzy. They will do so during the third week of NHL Coast to Coast on Prime Video Canada, which will feature special guest and the newest member of the NHL’s 1,600-point club, Sidney Crosby.

Mark Scheifele (5-3—8 in 6 GP) and Kyle Connor (5-1—6 in 6 GP) have played a pivotal role in Winnipeg’s franchise-record, season-opening win streak. The Jets can become the first Canadian team with a win streak of seven or more contests to start a campaign since the 2015-16 Canadiens (9-0-0). Winnipeg is eyeing the fourth winning streak of seven or more games (at any point) in club history – and third since the start of last season following two franchise-best 8-0-0 runs in 2023-24. The Oilers (16-0-0 & 8-0-0 in 2023-24) are the only other team with multiple winning streaks of at least that length during that span.
 

Artemi Panarin (6-7—13 in 6 GP) has a six-game point streak to start 2024-25 and can become the second player in Rangers history with multiple season-opening point streaks of at least seven games – he would join Rod Gilbert (14 GP in 1972-73 & 9 GP in 1971-72) on that list. In 2023-24, Panarin broke Gilbert’s franchise record with a 15-game point streak from the start of the season. The Rangers, meanwhile, set a new franchise record for longest season-opening point streak in their last outing and have scored at least four goals in each contest so far. New York is the 14th team in NHL history to tally at least four goals in each of its first six games and can become the 10th team to begin with seven straight – a feat last achieved by the Panthers (7 GP in 2021-22), their opponent Thursday.

Rasmus Andersson (3-5—8 in 6 GP) has led the way offensively for the Flames during their six-game point streak to start 2024-25. A fourth multi-point game of the season would allow Andersson to join Phil Housley (3-8—11 in 1994-95), Al MacInnis (4x; most: 1-10—11 in 1984-85 & 2-9—11 in 1991-92) and Gary Suter (0-10—10 in 1991-92) as the fourth defenseman in Flames franchise history with at least 10 points through his first seven games of a campaign.

Filip Gustavsson has led the Wild to a 4-0-2 start as he has allowed two or fewer goals in each start and capped off one win by scoring the first goal by a goalie in franchise history. Minnesota became the second team in NHL history to not face a deficit through their opening six games, and tonight can match the all-time benchmark of seven games set by the 1969-70 Bruins. A regulation finish without trailing would put the Wild at 425:51 so far this season, which would mark the longest stretch without trailing at any point in a season since the Canucks in 2023-24 (488:43 from Jan. 8-24, 2024).

* The nine-game slate will be an ideal setting for week three of NHL Coast to Coast on Prime Video Canada, the weekly Thursday whiparound show hosted by Andi Petrillo with a rotating group of analysts and guests starts at 7 p.m. ET. Crosby will join Petrillo along with two former NHLers with whom he shares a history. Crosby and Mike Rupp were teammates for 131 games, helping the Penguins to 78-44-9 record (including playoffs) and combining on the same goal five times. On the other hand, Michael Del Zotto and Crosby played against each other 29 times, with Crosby tallying 12-22—34 and helping the Penguins to a 14-12-3 record in those contests (Del Zotto: 1-9—10; 15-12-2 record).

MAKAR MAKING AN IMPACT ON THE SCORE SHEET

Cale Makar (2-12—14 in 7 GP) overtook the NHL scoring lead during Frozen Frenzy and did so thanks to a second straight multi-point game and fifth overall in 2024-25. He will now look to find the score sheet for the eighth straight game to start the season when his Avalanche (3-4-0, 6 points) travel to Utah in search of their fourth straight win.

* Makar is one of five players in action Thursday with at least a dozen points and owns a one-point advantage on the next-closest skater (Artemi Panarin: 6-7—13 in 6 GP). Only four defensemen in NHL history have been the League’s first player to 15 points in a single campaign (outright or tied): Bobby Orr (1974-75 & 1969-70), Baldy Northcott (1932-33), George Butcher (1923-24) and Harry Cameron (1917-18).

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