* All 32 teams hit the ice for the second 16-game day in NHL history (and first with 16 different scheduled start times), which spanned nearly eight hours from the opening faceoff in Washington at 6:07 p.m. ET to the final buzzer in Las Vegas at 1:48 a.m. ET.
* There was never more than a 10-minute window without a goal from 8:45 p.m. to midnight ET, with 75% of Tuesday’s tallies scored over that span (77 of 102). Defensemen opened and closed the scoring on Frozen Frenzy, with Toronto’s Morgan Rielly netting the first tally at 6:30 p.m. ET and Vegas’ Shea Theodore collecting the last at 1:45 a.m. ET.
* There were three instances over the course of the night where at least three goals were scored at the same time: 9:40 p.m. ET (Mike Matheson, Thomas Harley & Nathan MacKinnon), 10:18 p.m. ET (Shayne Gostisbehere, Nils Hoglander & Pavel Buchnevich) and 10:52 p.m. ET (Jared McCann, Brett Leason & Matthew Poitras).
16 NOTES FROM A 16-GAME NIGHT
1. A total of 102 goals were scored, marking the eighth 100-goal day in NHL history (including shootout deciders) and two back of the League’s highest single-day total from April 29, 2022 (104 in 15 GP). The 93 unique goal scorers were the second most on one day in NHL history behind the 94 on April 29, 2022.
2. Visiting teams went 10-6-0 (20 points), with the 10 road wins sitting one shy of the highest single-day total in NHL history from Dec. 29, 2018 (11 in 15 GP), Jan. 25, 2018 (11 in 15 GP) and Jan. 9, 2010 (11 in 13 GP).
3. The Golden Knights (7-0-0, 14 points), Avalanche (6-0-0, 12 points) and Bruins (6-0-0, 12 points) all earned wins to remain undefeated this season. The 2023-24 campaign marked the first in NHL history to feature three teams with a season-opening winning streak of at least six games.
4. Alex Ovechkin became the first player in League history to score 300 power-play goals, while Auston Matthews (1-1—2) recorded the 79th of his career to tie Wendel Clark for fourth place on the Maple Leafs’ all-time list. Matthews (7-1—8 in 6 GP), who ranks tied for second among all players in goals this season behind Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat (9-4—13 in 7 GP), is set to join The Pat McAfee Show today.
5. Mikko Rantanen (1-3—4) factored on four of the Avalanche’s seven goals, Cale Makar (1-2—3) climbed the franchise’s all-time points list among defensemen and Alexandar Georgiev generated 28 saves as Colorado improved to 15-0-0 in its last 15 regular-season road games – marking the longest run in NHL history. Georgiev became the eighth goaltender in League history to win each of his team’s first six games in a season.
6. Pavel Zacha scored the deciding goal as the Bruins matched their franchise record for longest-season opening winning streak, a mark set nearly 86 years ago in 1937-38. Boston also improved to 12-0-0 in its last 12 regular-season road games dating to March 16 to keep pace with Colorado.
7. Ryan Hartman (3-2—5) became the first player to record a five-point performance this season, which included a hat trick as Minnesota erupted for seven goals – five of which came in the third period alone. Tuesday marked the third time in franchise history that the Wild scored five-plus goals in a third period (also 6 on Feb. 22, 2015 & 5 on Oct. 19, 2005).
8. Tyler Toffoli scored the first hat trick of Frozen Frenzy and Jack Hughes (0-4—4) had the primary assist on all three goals en route to recording his second straight four-point game. Hughes (4-10—14 in 5 GP) matched the fewest contests by an active player to reach 10 assists in a season, a mark set by Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov (5 GP in 2017-18).
9. Anze Kopitar (1-1—2) factored on two of the Kings’ six goals to record his 285th career multi-point game and surpass Wayne Gretzky (284) for the third most in franchise history. Tuesday marked Los Angeles’ second six-goal game of the season, trailing only Detroit (3x) for the most such outings in 2023-24.
10. Jason Robertson (1-1—2) recorded his first goal of the season and 105th of his career as the Stars (4-0-1, 9 points) extended their season-opening point streak to five games. Robertson, who won’t celebrate his birthday until July 22, 2024, moved ahead of “Miracle on Ice” veteran Neal Broten (104) for the 10th most by a Stars/North Stars player age 24 or younger.
11. Frank Vatrano (5-1—6 in 6 GP) scored the overtime winner to complete the Ducks’ comeback and became the fifth player in franchise history with five goals through six games in a season, joining Corey Perry in 2014-15 (5-2—7 in 6 GP), Daniel Winnik in 2012-13 (5-2—7 in 6 GP), Paul Kariya in 1997-98 (5-5—10 in 6 GP) and 1995-96 (5-0—5 in 6 GP) as well as Teemu Selanne in 1996-97 (5-6—11 in 6 GP).
12. Rasmus Dahlin and Artemi Panarin each extended their point streaks to six games. Dahlin’s stretch marked the fourth instance in the past 20 years of a Sabres blueliner recording a run of six-plus contests, with Dahlin accounting for three of the four streaks; Panarin’s run trails only Dylan Larkin (4-10—14 in 7 GP) for the longest active season-opening point streak in the NHL after the Red Wings captain added to his stretch with a 1-2—3 performance Tuesday.
13.Teenage rookies Matthew Poitras (3-1—4 in 6 GP) and Adam Fantilli (2-2—4 in 6 GP) scored the third and second goal of their NHL career, respectively. Fantilli (19 years, 12 days) also had an assist and became the fourth-youngest player in Blue Jackets history at the time of his first career multi-point game behind Rick Nash (18 years, 146 days; 2-0—2 on Nov. 9, 2002), Cole Sillinger (18 years, 171 days; 2-1—3 on Nov. 3, 2021) and Nikita Filatov (18 years, 230 days; 3-0—3 on Jan. 10, 2009).
14. Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson (32 saves) and Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman (23 saves) accounted for the two shutouts Tuesday. Johansson recorded his first shutout with Tampa Bay, while Swayman became the third goaltender in franchise history with 10 before age 25, following Frank Brimsek (16) and Tuukka Rask (11).
15. Robert Thomas (No. 20 in 2017), who was selected in the NHL Draft by Doug Armstrong, scored a goal in Armstrong’s 1,000th game as general manager of the Blues. Armstrong became the first general manager in franchise history to reach the milestone and has the longest tenure among active GMs with their current club.
16. Anthony Duclair was given a video tribute in his return to Florida before the Panthers won their ninth straight game against the Sharks dating to Jan. 21, 2019; Jordan Eberle scored his franchise-leading seventh game winner and became the third Kraken player with multiple overtime goals as Seattle ended Detroit’s five-game winning streak; Canucks captain Quinn Hughes (1-5—6 in 6 GP) assisted on the winner to help Vancouver improve to 4-2-0 (8 points) on the season. More notes from the 16-game slate can be found in Tuesday’s edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates.
QUICK CLICKS
* NHL statement on symbolic tape in support of social causes
* NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman upholds four-game suspension assessed to Rasmus Andersson
* Golden Knights share penalty box with ESPN anchor in latest SportsCenter commercial
* Arda Ocal shows off ESPN’s Frozen Frenzy control room
* Craig Anderson calls chance to retire with Senators a ‘perfect moment’
* ‘Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle‘, ‘Saving Sakic‘ coming to Prime Video in Canada
CAPITALS CLASH WITH DEVILS ON TNT, MAX AND TVA SPORTS WEDNESDAY
Tonight’s game features Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals jousting with Jack Hughes and the Devils at Prudential Center in an NHL on TNT contest that is also available on Max and TVA Sports. Hughes (0-4—4 on Oct. 24 & 2-2—4 on Oct. 20) can become the first player with four or more points in three straight games since Red Wings legend Steve Yzerman over 30 years ago (3 GP from March 5-10, 1993).
