NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 18, 2015

Welcome to the “NHL Morning Skate,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from around the League.

NHL, BRUINS UNVEIL WINTER CLASSIC LEGACY PROJECT

The NHL, Bruins and city of Boston – with assistance from League partners Constellation, Bridgestone, Ecore, Exelon, Franklin Sports and Musco – unveiled a renovated street hockey rink in Charlestown, Mass., as part of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Legacy Initiative powered by Constellation, an ongoing philanthropic endeavor in which the NHL, the local club and League partners support community organizations in the host city of an NHL event.

The renovated Bryan McGonagle Street Hockey Rink – now ADA accessible – includes a new scoreboard, rink boards, team benches and spectator seating; new goaltender nets with 10 sets of new street hockey equipment; new rubber matting surrounding the rink made of recycled Bridgestone tires, removing approximately 120 spent tires from the waste stream and redirecting them into a sustainable, long-term use; and landscaping enhancements such as newly planted trees.

Constellation, the NHL’s official energy services provider, also facilitated the installation of new light poles and LED lighting fixtures that will allow the community to use the rink in the evenings.

Click here for complete details.
Click here to watch a video from the unveiling.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
BUFFALO 3, Anaheim 0
Florida 5, NEW JERSEY 1
PHILADELPHIA 2, Vancouver 0
San Jose 5, TORONTO 4 (OT)
Los Angeles 3, MONTREAL 0
ST. LOUIS 2, Nashville 1
MINNESOTA 5, NY Rangers 2
CHICAGO 4, Edmonton 0
Calgary 3, DALLAS 1
COLORADO 2, NY Islanders 1
Columbus 7, ARIZONA 5

THIRD TIME’S A CHARM

Ten players, including three sets of teammates, registered three points on Thursday to power their clubs to victories:
Teuvo Teravainen (CHI): 2-1—3
Jonathan Toews (CHI): 1-2—3
Marian Hossa (CHI): 0-3—3
Cam Atkinson (CBJ): 1-2—3
Brandon Saad (CBJ): 1-2—3
Alexander Wennberg (CBJ): 1-2—3
Brent Burns (SJS): 1-2—3
Joe Pavelski (SJS): 1-2—3
Mikko Koivu (MIN): 2-1—3
Brandon Pirri (FLA): 1-2—3

SCORCHING FLAMES EXTEND WINNING STREAK TO SEVEN GAMES

The Flames scored three unanswered goals to overcome a 1-0 deficit, defeat the League-leading Stars and extend their winning streak to seven games, their longest such run since Nov. 1-16, 2005 (8-0-0).

* The Flames’ winning streak is three games shy of the franchise record, set Oct. 14 – Nov. 3, 1978, when the team was based in Atlanta (10-0-0).
* The Flames became the fourth team to post a winning streak of seven or more games this season. The others: the Canadiens (9-0-0: Oct. 7-24), Rangers (9-0-0: Oct. 25 – Nov. 15) and Kings (7-0-0: Oct. 16-31).
* Johnny Gaudreau, who collected the primary assist on the Flames’ first goal, has 7-5—12 and a +9 rating during the club’s winning streak. He paces the team and shares seventh in the NHL with 12-21—33 overall this season (31 GP).
* Karri Ramo made 35 saves, including 17 in the third period, to pick up his fifth straight victory. That is one shy of his career high established Nov. 15 – Dec. 4, 2014 (6-0-0).

CRAWFORD LEADS BLACKHAWKS TO ANOTHER SHUTOUT VICTORY . . .

Corey Crawford turned aside all 33 shots he faced, including 15 in the middle frame, to record his third shutout in his past four contests and lead the Blackhawks to a sweep of their three-game season series with the Oilers.

* Via Elias, Crawford became the first Blackhawks goaltender to pick up three or more shutouts in a span of four team games since 1973-74, when Tony Esposito achieved that feat from Feb. 13-20 (3 SO in 4 GP).
* Crawford, who totaled four shutouts over the past two seasons (116 GP), moved into sole possession of first place in the NHL with his fifth blank sheet of 2015-16 (26 GP). He boasts a 16-8-2 record overall (2.14 GAA, .928 SV%, 5 SO).
* Crawford also improved to 9-5-0 in 16 career appearances vs. EDM (2.39 GAA, .916 SV%, 1 SO), including seven consecutive head-to-head victories over the past three seasons (1.69 GAA, .947 SV%, 1 SO).
* The line of Teuvo Teravainen (2-1—3), Jonathan Toews (1-2—3) and Marian Hossa (0-3—3) combined for 3-6—9. Teravainen established career highs with his first career multi-goal and three-point performances.

. . . OTHERS ALSO STOP THEM ALL

Three other goaltenders also earned shutout wins on Thursday:

* Jonathan Quick denied all 45 shots he faced, including 18 in the first period, to pick up his 39th career shutout (second this season) and guide the Kings to an 8-1-2 record in their last 11 games. Quick (Milford, Conn.) moved into sole possession of third place in NHL history for shutouts by a U.S.-born goaltender, one behind John Vanbiesbrouck (Detroit, Mich.) and Frank Brimsek (Eveleth, Minn.).
* Chad Johnson made a career-high 44 saves, including 19 in the final frame, to earn his fourth career shutout (first this season) and lead the Sabres to their first clean sheet since Dec. 9, 2014 vs. LAK (Jhonas Enroth: 34 SV in 1-0 W). Johnson’s 44 saves were the most ever by a Sabres goaltender in a regular-season shutout; Ryan Miller previously held that record with 43 saves on Feb. 29, 2012 at ANA (2-0 W).
* Steve Mason stopped all 36 shots he faced, including 16 in the second period, to post his 28th career shutout (second this season) and lift the Flyers to their third victory in their past four contests. Philadelphia’s five team shutouts share second in the NHL this season (w/ CHI), one off the League lead held by Minnesota (6).

CENTRAL TEAMS CONTINUE TO ROLL

A trio of Central Division teams – the Wild, Avalanche and Blues – picked up wins on Thursday to continue their recent hot streaks:

* Mikko Koivu (2-1—3) posted his second consecutive three-point performance to lead the Wild to their third straight win and a 6-0-3 record in their past nine games, their longest point streak since Jan. 20 – Feb. 14 (8-0-2). Koivu, who registered 1-3—4 on Tuesday vs. VAN, has collected consecutive three-point games for the second time in his career, also Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2008 (3-3—6).
* Francois Beauchemin scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 3:48 remaining in regulation, to power the Avalanche to their fourth consecutive victory and seventh win in their last nine contests (7-2-0). Beauchemin notched his fifth career multi-goal performance and first since March 18, 2013 vs. SJS (2-0—2 w/ ANA).
* The Blues overcame a 1-0 deficit in the third period, including the tiebreaking goal by Vladimir Tarasenko with 5:20 left on the clock, to earn their fifth victory in their past seven outings. Tarasenko scored for the fourth straight game (4-2—6) to move into a share of first place in the NHL (w/ Jamie Benn) with 20 goals this season (32 GP).

AROUND THE RINKS

* Seven different players scored – led by 1-2—3 apiece from Cam Atkinson, Brandon Saad and Alexander Wennberg – to help the Blue Jackets snap a five-game skid (0-3-2). Via Elias, it marked the first time in franchise history that seven different players scored for the Blue Jackets in one game.
* The Maple Leafs recorded four consecutive goals to erase a 2-0 deficit, but the Sharks then scored three straight times – including the winner by Brent Burns (1-2—3) at 2:13 of overtime – to pick up their League-leading 12th road win of the season (12-5-1, 25 points).
* Brandon Pirri established a career high with 1-2—3 to power the Panthers to a 7-2-0 record in their past nine road games following a 2-4-2 start to the season as visitors. Pirri also extended his point streak to a career-high five games (2-5—7).

DID YOU KNOW?

With the Sharks’ victory, 78 of 114 games – including each of the past 10 such contests – have been decided in the 3-on-3 overtime period this season (68.4%).

Last season, under the 4-on-4 format, the percentage of overtime periods with goals was 44.4% (136 of 306).

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr (0-1—1) moved within seven assists of becoming the sixth player in NHL history to collect 1,100 in his career.
* Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla (1,425 GP) moved into sole possession of 27th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list, while Coyotes captain Shane Doan (1,416 GP) climbed into a tie for 30th place (w/ Al MacInnis).
* Stars forward Jason Spezza (800) and Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler (600) both played in milestone games.
* Forward David Clarkson scored his first goal with the Blue Jackets (16 GP).
* Darryl Sutter (LAK) coached his 1,152nd career game to move past Marc Crawford and into sole possession of 15th place on the NHL’s all-time list among head coaches.

LOOSE PUCKS

After seeing his record-setting point streak end at 26 games on Tuesday, Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane collected one assist – the 30th time he has registered at least one point in 33 appearances this season (19-28—47) . . . Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 33 saves to extend his personal winning streak to five games (0.99 GAA, .969 SV%, 1 SO) . . . Wild teammates Zach Parise (3-6—9) and Jason Pominville (1-5—6) and Blues teammates Kevin Shattenkirk (1-7—8) and David Backes (4-3—7) all extended their point streaks to six games . . . Maple Leafs goaltender Jonathan Bernier (vs. Chris Tierney) and Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk (vs. Keith Yandle) both stopped penalty shots. Goaltenders have denied 24 of 31 penalty shot attempts this season (77.4%) . . . Coyotes forward Viktor Tikhonov (1-0—1) scored his first NHL goal since March 21, 2009 vs. VAN . . . Sabres forward Cal O’Reilly (0-1—1) recorded his first NHL point since Feb. 5, 2012 at NJD (w/ PIT) . . . Wild forward Jarret Stoll, who was claimed off waivers from the Rangers on Tuesday, won 11 of 15 face-offs (73.3%) while making his team debut against his former club . . . ICYMI: The Blues honored Predators defenseman Barret Jackman with a tribute video in his return to St. Louis. Jackman, the 17th overall selection in the 1999 NHL Draft, played his first 13 NHL seasons with the Blues (28-153—181 in 803 GP) . . . The NHL fined Senators forward Zack Smith $2,000 as supplementary discipline under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment).

SNEAK PEEK AT FRIDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Boston @ Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m., TVAS, NESN, ROOT
Tampa Bay @ Washington, 7:00 p.m., SUN, CSN-DC
Florida @ Carolina, 7:00 p.m., FS-F, FS-CR
San Jose @ Ottawa, 7:30 p.m., CSN-CA, TSN5, RDS
Vancouver @ Detroit, 7:30 p.m., SN, FS-D+
NY Rangers @ Winnipeg, 8:00 p.m., MSG+, TSN3
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NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 17, 2015

Welcome to the “NHL Morning Skate,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from around the League.

NHL, BRUINS UNVEIL WINTER CLASSIC LEGACY PROJECT

The NHL, Bruins, city of Boston and Constellation will unveil a renovated street hockey rink this afternoon in Charlestown, Mass., as a lasting legacy of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

Gary Bettman will join Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, Bruins CEO Charlie Jacobs, Bruins president Cam Neely and Boston mayor Martin Walsh, among others, for the ceremony, which will take place at 4:30 p.m. ET at Ryan Playground (75 Alford St., Charlestown, MA 02129).

Media planning to attend the event should RSVP to Jasmine Ghafour at jghafour@nhl.com.

TRAINING CAMPS, PRE-TOURNAMENT GAMES FOR WORLD CUP OF HOCKEY

The NHL and NHLPA announced training camp information and a slate of 12 pre-tournament games for the World Cup of Hockey 2016.

Training camps and pre-tournament games will be held in locations across North America and Europe. Training camps for all eight teams are expected to begin Sept. 4-5, with specific details for each federation to be announced in the coming weeks. All eight clubs will play a total of three pre-tournament games.

Click here for complete details.

U.S. HOCKEY HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY

The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame will induct four new members – Ron DeGregorio, Chris Drury, Angela Ruggiero and Mathieu Schneider – tonight as part of its class of 2015.

The ceremony, which will be held at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel (7:00 p.m. ET), also will honor Lester Patrick Trophy recipients Bob Crocker and Jeremy Jacobs. Additionally, Emile Francis will be presented the Wayne Gretzky International Award.

Click on the respective links for more information on each honoree.

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
WASHINGTON 2, Ottawa 1
BOSTON 3, Pittsburgh 0

HOLTBY EXTENDS POINT STREAK AS CAPITALS OUTLAST SENATORS

Braden Holtby made 26 saves to backstop the Capitals to their third consecutive victory and a 10-1-1 record in their past 12 contests.

* At 22-6-2 (46 points), the Capitals continued their best start to a season – in terms of wins and points – in the franchise’s 41-year history. They also moved within two points of the idle Stars (23-6-2, 48 points) for first place in the NHL standings.
* The Capitals picked up their sixth consecutive win at home to improve to 12-3-1 (25 points) this season at Verizon Center. Their 12 home victories and 25 home points are tied for second in the NHL, behind only the Rangers (13-4-1, 27 points).
* Holtby, who leads all goaltenders with 20 wins and a 1.83 goals-against average this season (25 GP), extended his career-high point streak to 13 games (12-0-1, 1.67 GAA, .945 SV%, 1 SO), including four straight victories. He has allowed two or fewer goals in 11 of those 13 contests.
* Holtby also extended his winning streak at Verizon Center to nine games, boosting his home record to 12-2-0 in 14 appearances this season (1.78 GAA, .934 SV%, 1 SO). Elias says that he became the third goaltender in Capitals history to win nine or more consecutive home decisions within one season. The others: Olie Kolzig (10 in 1999-00) and Jose Theodore (9 in 2009-10).

RASK, BRUINS STAY HOT WITH SHUTOUT OF PENGUINS

Tuukka Rask stopped all 34 shots he faced, including 18 in the second period, to earn his 30th career shutout (all w/ BOS) and help the Bruins pick up points for the 12th time in their last 13 outings (9-1-3).

* At 17-19-4 (38 points), the Bruins moved within five points of the idle Canadiens (20-9-3, 43 points) – their opponent in the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic – for first place in the Atlantic Division. Boston holds two games in hand.
* Rask moved into a share of the League lead with his fourth shutout of the season (22 GP), joining Jake Allen (STL), Corey Crawford (CHI) and Devan Dubnyk (MIN).
* Rask also extended his point streak to nine games, compiling a 7-0-2 record with a 1.36 goals-against average, .955 save percentage and three shutouts in that span. That comes on the heels of a 5-7-1 start to the season (3.18 GAA, .890 SV%, 1 SO).
* Rask’s 30 shutouts rank fourth in Bruins history, one behind former teammate Tim Thomas:

Most Shutouts, Bruins History
1. Tiny Thompson: 74
2. Frank Brimsek: 35
3. Tim Thomas: 31
4. Tuukka Rask: 30
5. Eddie Johnston: 27

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Penguins forward Conor Sheary, a native of Winchester, Mass., made his NHL debut at TD Garden in Boston (16:41 TOI).
* Forward Max Talbot, who scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal with the Penguins in 2008-09, registered his first goal with the Bruins (29 GP) while facing his former team.

LOOSE PUCKS

Senators captain Erik Karlsson collected his League-leading 28th assist of the season (32 GP). He paces defensemen and shares fourth among all skaters with 7-28—35 overall . . . Capitals forward Michael Latta (1-1—2) registered his second career multi-point performance (89 GP). The other: Dec. 18, 2014 at CBJ (0-2—2) . . . Bruins forward Jimmy Hayes (1-1—2) snapped a 15-game drought with his first goal since Nov. 5 at WSH . . . Senators goaltender Andrew Hammond (23 SV) made his first start since Nov. 12, but suffered his second career regulation loss in the regular season (22-2-4, 1.85 GAA, .939 SV%, 3 SO) . . . Capitals defenseman John Carlson scored the game-winning goal to extend his point streak to four contests (2-3—5). He has 2-9—11 in his past 10 outings . . . Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron (0-1—1) extended his point streak to six games (1-6—7) . . . ICYMI: Click here for a recap of the premiere of Road to the NHL Winter Classic, the four-part series chronicling the Bruins and Canadiens as they prepare for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day . . . The Capitals debuted their third jersey, which is modeled after the team’s original red jersey worn from 1974-75 through 1994-95.

WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 16: John Carlson #74 of the Washington Capitals celebrates his second period goal against the Ottawa Senators at Verizon Center on December 16, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Anaheim @ Buffalo, 7:00 p.m., PRIME, FS-SD, MSG-B, BELL TV
Florida @ New Jersey, 7:00 p.m., FS-F, MSG+
Vancouver @ Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m., SN360, CSN-PH
San Jose @ Toronto, 7:30 p.m., CSN-CA, TSN4
Los Angeles @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m., FS-W, CITYM, RDS
Nashville @ St. Louis, 8:00 p.m., FS-TN, FS-MW
NY Rangers @ Minnesota, 8:00 p.m., MSG, FS-N, FS-WI
Edmonton @ Chicago, 8:30 p.m., SNOL, CSN-CH
Calgary @ Dallas, 8:30 p.m., SNF, FS-SW+
NY Islanders @ Colorado, 9:00 p.m., MSG+ 2, ALT
Columbus @ Arizona, 9:00 p.m., FS-O, FS-A

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NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 16, 2015

Welcome to the “NHL Morning Skate,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from around the League.

PREMIERE OF ROAD TO THE NHL WINTER CLASSIC

Road to the NHL Winter Classic, a four-part series chronicling the Bruins and Canadiens as they prepare for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day, makes its debut tonight in both the United States and Canada.

Viewers in the United States can watch the premiere at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT and 9:00 p.m. CT via EPIX, EPIX.com, NHL.com and Bruins.NHL.com.

Viewers in Canada can catch the first episode following Sportsnet’s broadcast of the Senators-Capitals game. It also will air on RDS tomorrow – Thursday, Dec. 17 – at 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT.

Click on the following links for complete broadcast details in the United States and Canada (SN / RDS).

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Ottawa @ Washington, 7:00 p.m., SN, TVAS, CSN-DC+
Pittsburgh @ Boston, 8:00 p.m., NBCSN

BRUINS FACE PENGUINS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY

The Bruins and Penguins open a home-and-home series when they face off at TD Garden on NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivalry.

This marks the first of three meetings this season between these longtime foes; Boston owns a 4-1-1 head-to-head record (PIT: 2-2-2) since sweeping Pittsburgh in the 2013 Eastern Conference Final.

Overall, the Bruins (16-9-4, 36 points) have earned at least one point 11 of their past 12 games (8-1-3) as they chase the Canadiens (20-8-3, 43 points) atop the Atlantic Division.

The Penguins (15-11-3, 33 points), meanwhile, are searching for their first win under head coach Mike Sullivan, who debuted behind the Pittsburgh bench on Monday vs. WSH (4-1 L).

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
New Jersey 2, BUFFALO 0
Florida 5, NY ISLANDERS 1
NY RANGERS 4, Edmonton 2
PHILADELPHIA 4, Carolina 3 (OT)
Tampa Bay 5, TORONTO 4 (OT)
San Jose 3, MONTREAL 1
Calgary 2, NASHVILLE 1 (OT)
MINNESOTA 6, Vancouver 2
St. Louis 4, WINNIPEG 3
Colorado 3, CHICAGO 0
DALLAS 5, Columbus 1

VARLAMOV, AVALANCHE SHUT OUT BLACKHAWKS . . .

Semyon Varlamov stopped all 29 shots he faced, including 20 over the final two periods, to earn his 19th career shutout (first this season) and lead the Avalanche to a sweep of their three-game road trip.

* Varlamov, who started all three games during the road trip, extended his personal winning streak to four contests (0.98 GAA, .969 SV%, 1 SO). He also improved to 11-3-0 in 15 career appearances vs. CHI (1.80 GAA, .949 SV%, 3 SO), including eight consecutive head-to-head victories.
* Matt Duchene scored what proved to be the game-winning goal, his third such tally of the season (also Nov. 12 at BOS and Dec. 3 at NYR). He has 15-11—26 in 22 games since the start of November after totaling 1-1—2 in his first 10 outings of 2015-16.
* The Avalanche improved to 7-2-0 in their last nine meetings with the Blackhawks dating to Jan. 14, 2014 (CHI: 2-6-1), including five straight victories at United Center.

. . . AS KANE’S POINT STREAK ENDS AT 26 GAMES

Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane was held without a point for the first time since Oct. 15 at WSH, ending his point streak at 26 games (16-24—40) – a franchise record, the longest such run by any U.S.-born player in NHL history and the longest point streak by any NHL player since 1992-93 (Mats Sundin: 21-25—46 in 30 GP).

* Kane, who has registered at least one point in 29 of 32 appearances this season (19-27—46), also was held without a point for the first time in 2015-16 at United Center (11-16—27 in 17 GP). Via Elias, his 16-game home point streak to begin the season equaled another franchise record, set by Denis Savard in 1981-82.

* Click here for a breakdown of Kane’s 26-game point streak.

FLAMES, GAUDREAU CONTINUE OVERTIME MASTERY

Kris Russell (1-1—2) scored at 1:23 of overtime – off a pass from Johnny Gaudreau – to power the Flames to their sixth consecutive victory, their longest winning streak since Jan. 21 – Feb. 3, 2011 (6-0-0).

* The Flames improved to 8-1 in games that have been decided in overtime this season (1-1 in SO). Their eight such wins lead the NHL.
* Gaudreau has factored on seven of the team’s eight overtime goals (3-4—7). He paces the Flames and shares seventh in the NHL with 12-20—32 overall.
* Russell recorded his sixth career game-winning goal and third in overtime. He has 1-7—8 in his last nine outings after totaling 1-1—2 in his first 18 appearances of the season.

GOSTISBEHERE (AGAIN) LIFTS FLYERS IN OVERTIME . . .

Shayne Gostisbehere (1-1—2) scored at 1:42 of overtime, his third such goal of the season, to propel the Flyers to a 6-2-1 record in their last nine contests.

* Gostisbehere has collected three overtime goals in his first 17 NHL games, two of which have come vs. CAR (also Nov. 23). Elias notes that he became the fastest player in NHL history to register three overtime goals, shattering the previous record of 64 games set by Ryan Malone in 2003-04 (w/ PIT).
* Elias adds that only two other rookies (besides Gostisbehere and Malone) have picked up three overtime goals in one season: Sidney Crosby in 2005-06 (w/ PIT) and Andrew Cogliano in 2007-08 (w/ EDM).

. . . DESPITE HAT TRICK FROM SKINNER

Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner forced overtime by scoring three times for his second hat trick in the past three games (also Dec. 11 at ANA: 3-0—3) and the fourth of his career.
* Via Elias, Skinner became the first player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to post multiple hat tricks in a span of three or fewer team games. Ray Ferraro held the previous record, collecting two in a four-game span in 1984-85 (March 23 vs. BOS and March 29 vs. EDM).
* Elias adds that Skinner became the first player from any club to register multiple hat tricks in three or fewer team games since 2010-11, when Drew Stafford posted two over a three-game span with the Sabres (Feb. 8 at TBL and Feb. 13 vs. NYI).

QUICK GOALS POWER STARS PAST BLUE JACKETS . . .

The Stars scored four unanswered goals – including a pair by Tyler Seguin in 30 seconds – to improve to 6-1-2 in their last nine games overall and pick up their fourth straight win at American Airlines Center.

* At 23-6-2 (48 points), the League-leading Stars continued their best start in the franchise’s 48-year history. Their 12 home wins share second in the NHL (w/ CHI), while their 24 home points are tied for third (w/ MTL and NYI).
* Seguin (17-25—42) pulled ahead of teammate Jamie Benn (20-21—41) for second place in League scoring. His 17 goals share fourth overall (w/ Mike Hoffman).

. . . BLUES, WILD KEEP PACE IN CENTRAL DIVISION

The Blues (18-10-4, 40 points) and Wild (16-7-6, 38 points) also won on Tuesday to keep pace in the crowded Central Division, where teams Nos. 2-5 are separated by four points:

* The Blues scored three unanswered goals – powered by 1-2—3 from both Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexander Steen – to overcome a 3-1 deficit and improve to 9-4-2 (20 points) this season as visitors. Tarasenko collected his 19th goal of the campaign, one off the League lead held by Jamie Benn (20), while Steen – a Winnipeg native – upped his totals to 4-4—8 in seven career visits to his hometown.
* Mikko Koivu and Thomas Vanek each posted 1-3—4 to help the Wild extend their point streak to eight games (5-0-3), their longest such run since Jan. 20 – Feb. 14, 2014 (8-0-2). Per Elias, two Wild players recorded four points in the same game for the third time in franchise history, also March 10, 2002 vs. CBJ (Marian Gaborik: 3-1—4 and Andrew Brunette: 0-4—4) and March 12, 2006 vs. EDM (Brian Rolston: 2-2—4 and Pierre-Marc Bouchard: 1-3—4).

AROUND THE RINKS

* Rick Nash (1-1—2) scored the tiebreaking goal at 19:56 of the second period to help the Rangers snap a three-game skid (0-2-1) and end the Oilers’ winning streak at six contests. Nash collected his 23rd game-winning goal since joining the Rangers in 2012-13, third in the NHL in that span behind Alex Ovechkin (26) and Max Pacioretty (25).
* Aleksander Barkov registered 1-2—3 to power the Panthers to a 6-2-0 record in their last eight road contests and halt the Islanders’ point streak at 10 games (8-0-2). Barkov, the second overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, posted his third career three-point performance and first since Jan. 27 vs. DET (1-2—3).
* Vladislav Namestnikov (1-1—2) scored at 2:01 of overtime to propel the Lightning to their fifth victory in their past seven games. Teammate Nikita Kucherov (1-1—2) added his sixth goal in his last six outings (6-1—7), equaling his total from his first 26 appearances of the season (6-7—13).
* The Sharks raced to a 3-0 lead, powered by 1-1—2 from Joe Pavelski, to snap a six-game skid (0-5-1) and pick up their 11th road win of the season, tied for first in the NHL (w/ COL and DAL). Pavelski registered his fifth game-winning goal of the campaign, tied for first in the League (w/ Taylor Hall and Evgeni Malkin).
* Cory Schneider stopped all 25 shots he faced to earn his 19th career shutout (second this season) and lead the Devils to a 4-1-2 record in their last seven outings. Schneider, who has posted 10 of his 19 shutouts since joining the Devils in 2013-14 (140 GP), improved to 14-8-4 this season.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla played in his 1,424th career game to tie Pat Verbeek for 27th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list.
* Forward Chris Thorburn played in his 594th career game with the Jets/Thrashers to tie Ilya Kovalchuk for the most games played in franchise history.
* Stars captain Jamie Benn (0-1—1), a fifth-round selection (129th overall) in the 2007 NHL Draft, became the second member of his draft class to reach the 400-point milestone (171-229—400). The other: Patrick Kane (224-379—603).
* Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bozak (1-1—2) scored his 100th NHL goal.
* Wild forward Zach Parise (1-2—3) collected his 300th NHL assist.
* Rangers defenseman Dylan McIlrath recorded his first NHL goal (16 GP), while teammate Brady Skjei – the 28th overall selection in the 2012 NHL Draft – made his League debut.
* Lightning forward Yanni Gourde (0-1—1) made his NHL debut while celebrating his 24th birthday.
* Sharks forward Dainius Zubrus (9 GP) and Lightning forward Mike Blunden (7 GP) both scored their first goals with their respective clubs.

TEAM EUROPE ADDS SHAW AS ASSISTANT COACH

The NHL and NHLPA announced that Brad Shaw (STL) will join Team Europe as an assistant coach for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which will be played Sept. 17 – Oct. 1 in Toronto.

Shaw joins head coach Ralph Krueger and assistant coach Paul Maurice (WPG) on the staff of Team Europe, which is directed by team leader/president Franz Reindl and general manager Miroslav Satan.

Click here for more information.

LOOSE PUCKS

Stars goaltender Kari Lehtonen made 34 saves to improve to 11-1-0 in 14 appearances this season (2.50 GAA, .916 SV%) . . . Flames defenseman TJ Brodie (1-0—1) extended his point streak to a career-high seven games (2-6—8) . . . Wild teammates Zach Parise (3-5—8) and Jason Pominville (1-4—5) and Blues teammates Kevin Shattenkirk (1-6—7) and David Backes (3-3—6) all extended their point streaks to five games . . . Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk (0-1—1) also extended his point streak to five games (4-4—8) . . . Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo, the fourth overall selection by the Islanders in the 1997 NHL Draft, made 33 saves to improve to 10-10-4 in 27 career games against his former club, including a 5-0-1 record in his last six such appearances . . . Flyers forward Jakub Voracek (1-2—3) snapped a 13-game drought with his first goal since Nov. 14, also vs. CAR . . . Predators forward Cody Hodgson converted a first-period penalty shot . . . Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau scored his first career shorthanded goal (227 GP) . . . Brothers Cal and Ryan O’Reilly became the first siblings to play together for the Sabres since Bob and J.F. Sauve in 1982-83 . . . The Coyotes acquired forward Christian Thomas from the Canadiens in exchange for forward Lucas Lessio.

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NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 15, 2015

Welcome to the “NHL Morning Skate,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from around the League.

MONDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
Edmonton 3, BOSTON 2 (OT)
Washington 4, PITTSBURGH 1
Tampa Bay 2, COLUMBUS 1
OTTAWA 5, Los Angeles 3
Buffalo 2, DETROIT 1

HOLTBY, CAPITALS SPOIL SULLIVAN’S DEBUT WITH PENGUINS
Braden Holtby made a season-high 44 saves, including 30 over the final two periods, to spoil Mike Sullivan’s debut behind the Pittsburgh bench and lead the Capitals to a 9-1-1 record in their past 11 contests.
* At 21-6-2 (44 points), the Capitals continued their best start to a season in the franchise’s 41-year history. They also leapfrogged the idle Canadiens (20-8-3, 43 points) for first place in the Eastern Conference, where the top four clubs are separated by four points:

* Holtby, who leads all goaltenders with 19 wins and a 1.87 goals-against average this season (24 GP), extended his career-high point streak to 12 games (11-0-1). His 44 saves were two shy of his career high, established on Nov. 17, 2013 vs. STL (46 SV in 4-1 W).
* T.J. Oshie (2-1—3), Nicklas Backstrom (1-2—3) and John Carlson (1-1—2) all registered multi-point performances for the Capitals, who improved to 11-4-1 in their last 16 regular-season visits to Pittsburgh dating to Jan. 21, 2008 (PIT: 5-9-2).

TALBOT, SEKERA LEAD OILERS TO SIXTH CONSECUTIVE WIN . . .

Cam Talbot made a career-high 47 saves and Andrej Sekera scored the winning goal 41 seconds into overtime to lead the Oilers to their sixth consecutive victory, their longest such run since Oct. 22 – Nov. 3, 2011 (6-0-0).

* Talbot, who made his first start since Nov. 27 at DET, eclipsed his previous career high of 38 saves, last achieved on March 15 vs. FLA (2-1 W w/ NYR).
* Sekera recorded his fourth career game-winning goal and second in overtime. The other also came against the Bruins, on March 30, 2008 vs. BOS (w/ BUF).
* The Oilers have won their last three games against the Bruins – all after regulation – on the heels of a 13-game skid in the head-to-head series dating to Nov. 6, 2001 (0-10-3). They also snapped a 10-game drought with their first win in Boston since Nov. 7, 1996 (0-8-2).

. . . DID YOU KNOW?

Despite suffering the overtime loss, the Bruins extended their point streak against the Oilers to 16 games dating to Nov. 6, 2001 (13-0-3). Via Elias, that is the second-longest active point streak by an NHL team against one opponent:

Longest Active Point Streaks vs. One Opponent
19 – Coyotes vs. EDM (16-0-3; March 17, 2011 – Nov. 12, 2015)
16 – Bruins vs. EDM (13-0-3; Nov. 6, 2001 – Dec. 14, 2015)
11 – Lightning vs. ANA (7-0-4; Jan. 9, 2009 – Dec. 2, 2015)
11 – Penguins vs. EDM (8-0-3; Dec. 5, 2007 – Nov. 28, 2015)
11 – Blackhawks vs. CGY (7-0-4; Feb. 2, 2013 – Nov. 20, 2015)

STREAK STOPPERS

Both the Sabres and Senators overcame deficits to earn regulation wins on Monday and snap the point streaks of the Red Wings (8-0-5) and Kings (7-0-2), respectively.

* Ryan O’Reilly and Johan Larsson scored 61 seconds apart to help the Sabres overcome a 1-0 deficit with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Buffalo snapped an eight-game drought with its first win in Detroit since Oct. 13, 2006 (0-6-2).
* Per Elias, the Sabres won in regulation when trailing in the final five minutes of the third period for the first time since April 2, 2003, when Daniel Briere and Tim Connolly scored 65 seconds apart to rally from a 3-2 deficit for a 4-3 victory vs. ATL.
* O’Reilly extended his point streak to eight games (4-7—11), equaling a career high established March 14-30 (5-8—13 w/ COL). He leads the Sabres in goals, assists and points this season (11-17—28 in 31 GP).
* The Senators scored four consecutive goals in the second period – powered by three-point performances from both Mike Hoffman (2-1—3) and Mika Zibanejad (1-2—3) – to overcome an early 1-0 deficit.
* Hoffman, who led all rookies with 27 goals in 2014-15 (79 GP), registered his 16th and 17th goals of the season (27 GP) to move into sole possession of fourth place in the NHL. He also picked up his seventh career game-winning goal and third of the season.
* Zibanejad posted his third career three-point game and second of the season (also Oct. 14 at CBJ: 1-2—3). Erik Karlsson added 1-1—2; his 27 assists are tied for first in the NHL this season (w/ Patrick Kane), while his 34 points lead all defenseman and share fourth overall (w/ Taylor Hall).

BOYLE’S SHORTHANDED GOAL POWERS LIGHTNING

Brian Boyle scored a shorthanded goal early in the third period to snap a 1-1 tie and power the Lightning to their fourth victory in their past six outings.
* Boyle collected his fifth career shorthanded goal (501 GP), four of which have come since joining the Lightning last season (110 GP).
* Ben Bishop turned aside 25 of 26 shots to improve to 8-2-1 in his past 11 decisions. He began the season with a 5-7-1 record in his first 13 appearances.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, a third-round selection (62nd overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft, made 27 saves in his League debut.
* Red Wings defenseman Mike Green played in his 600th NHL game.
* Senators forward Mark Stone (0-1—1) collected his 100th NHL point (37-63—100 in 132 GP).
* Darryl Sutter (LAK) coached his 1,151st career game to tie Marc Crawford for 15th place on the NHL’s all-time list among head coaches.

LOOSE PUCKS

Despite suffering the overtime loss, the Bruins have earned at least one point in 11 of their past 12 games (8-1-3) . . . Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scored his 14th goal of the season (29 GP), 12 of which have come on home ice (15 GP). He also raised his totals to 10-34—44 in 31 career regular-season games vs. WSH . . . Sabres goaltender Chad Johnson denied 32 shots, including a game-saving stop of Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist in the final seconds of regulation . . . Oilers forward Jordan Eberle (1-2—3) registered his first three-point game since March 16 vs. TOR (1-2—3) . . . Kings forward Tyler Toffoli notched his team-leading 12th goal of the season . . . Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron collected one assist to extend his point streak to five games (1-5—6) . . . The Penguins acquired defenseman Trevor Daley from the Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Rob Scuderi . . . ICYMI: The Department of Player Safety suspended Ducks forward Nate Thompson for three games for an illegal check to the head of Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk . . . Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford, Oilers forward Taylor Hall and Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk were named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Dec. 13 . . . The Penguins honored forward Pascal Dupuis with a video tribute at CONSOL Energy Center.

SNEAK PEEK AT TUESDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
New Jersey @ Buffalo, 7:00 p.m., MSG+ 2, MSG-B, BELL TV
Florida @ NY Islanders, 7:00 p.m., FS-F, MSG+
Edmonton @ NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m., SNW, MSG
Carolina @ Philadelphia, 7:00 p.m., FS-CR, CSN-PH
Tampa Bay @ Toronto, 7:30 p.m., TVAS, SUN, SNO
San Jose @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m., CSN-CA, SNE, RDS
Calgary @ Nashville, 8:00 p.m., SNF, FS-TN
Vancouver @ Minnesota, 8:00 p.m., SNP, FS-N+
St. Louis @ Winnipeg, 8:00 p.m., FS-MW, TSN3
Colorado @ Chicago, 8:30 p.m., NBCSN, CSN-CH
Columbus @ Dallas, 8:30 p.m., FS-O, FS-SW

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NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 13, 2015

Welcome to the “NHL Morning Skate,” a daily collection of the latest news and notes from around the League.

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
BOSTON 3, Florida 1
BUFFALO 2, Los Angeles 1 (OT)
MONTREAL 3, Ottawa 1
Washington 2, TAMPA BAY 1
NY Islanders 3, COLUMBUS 2 (OT)
ST. LOUIS 3, Dallas 0
Colorado 3, NASHVILLE 2
Carolina 5, ARIZONA 4 (OT)
CALGARY 5, NY Rangers 4 (OT)
Minnesota 2, SAN JOSE 0

FLAMES WITHSTAND RANGERS’ RALLY, COMPLETE PERFECT HOMESTAND . . .

The Rangers erased a 4-1 deficit in the third period (including the tying goal with 1:12 remaining in regulation), but TJ Brodie scored at 2:09 of overtime to power the Flames to their ninth consecutive win on home ice, one shy of the franchise record established Nov. 7 – Dec. 12, 2006 (10-0-0).

* The Flames also completed a perfect 5-0-0 homestand, with three of those victories coming after regulation (also Dec. 1 vs. DAL: 4-3 SO W and Dec. 4 vs. BOS: 5-4 OT W). Via Elias, they became the second team to sweep a five-game homestand this season; their provincial rivals, the Oilers, also achieved that feat on Friday with a win vs. NYR (5-0-0).
* The Flames improved to 7-1 in games that have been decided in overtime this season (1-1 in SO). Their seven such wins pace the NHL.
* Brodie registered his third career overtime goal to extend his point streak to six games (1-6—7), equaling a career high established Oct. 9-19, 2014 (3-4—7). He had 2-4—6 in his first 14 outings of the season prior to this run.
* Johnny Gaudreau posted 2-1—3, including an assist on the winning goal, to complete the five-game homestand with 7-3—10 and three multi-point performances. He has 10-14—24 on home ice this season (15 GP), tied for second in the NHL behind Patrick Kane (11-15—26 in 15 GP).

. . . MORE OVERTIME HEROICS

Three other clubs picked up overtime wins on Saturday:

* The Coyotes overcame a 4-1 deficit in the third period (including the tying goal with 15.7 seconds remaining in regulation), but Victor Rask (1-1—2) scored at 0:53 of overtime to lift the Hurricanes to a 4-1-0 record in their past five outings. Via Elias, the Hurricanes have recorded five or more goals in four consecutive games for the first time since March 1-7, 1987 (4 GP as HFD).
* Kyle Okposo registered 2-1—3, including the winning goal at 2:16 of overtime, to help the Islanders extend their point streak to nine games (7-0-2), their longest such run since April 1-23, 2013 (8-0-3). Okposo has collected two game-winning goals (also Nov. 25 vs. PHI), two game-deciding goals (Dec. 2 vs. NYR and Dec. 8 at PHI) and one game-clinching goal (Dec. 4 vs. STL) during the current nine-game streak.
* Ryan O’Reilly (1-1—2) scored his 100th NHL goal – while falling at 3:19 of overtime – to power the Sabres to their third straight victory at First Niagara Center and snap the Kings’ winning streak at six games. O’Reilly, who has 3-7—10 during a seven-game point streak, paces the team with 10-17—27 this season.

BUFFALO, NY – DECEMBER 12: Ryan O’Reilly #90 of the Buffalo Sabres scores the game winning overtime goal while falling to the ice against Jhonas Enroth #1 of the Los Angeles Kings during an NHL game on December 12, 2015 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. Buffalo won, 2-1. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

DID YOU KNOW?

Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk (1-1—2) scored his 12th goal of the season, all of which have come via the power play. He leads all defensemen in goals and also paces all skaters in power-play goals, two ahead of Patrick Kane (10). Elias adds that Faulk’s 12 power-play goals (in 30 GP) equal a Hurricanes/Whalers franchise record for a defenseman in one season, set by Risto Siltanen in 1983-84 (75 GP).

TOP EASTERN CONFERENCE CLUBS KEEP PACE WITH WINS

The top two clubs in the Eastern Conference – the Canadiens (20-8-3, 43 points) and Capitals (20-6-2, 42 points) – kept pace with wins on Saturday:

* Dustin Tokarski made 25 saves to pick up his first NHL win since March 17 (at FLA) and help the Canadiens snap a four-game skid (0-4-0). Montreal outshot Ottawa 42-26, including a 27-8 margin in the first period. The 27 shots on goal equaled a franchise record for any period, established Jan. 20, 1973 vs. PHI (1st period) and matched Feb. 5, 1977 at LAK (2nd period).
* Braden Holtby turned aside 35 shots to lead the Capitals to an 8-1-1 record in their last 10 games as well as a 5-1-1 clip in their past seven as visitors. Holtby extended his personal point streak to a career-high 11 games (10-0-1) – Elias notes that it is the longest such run by a Capitals goaltender since Jan. 13 – March 24, 2010 (Jose Theodore: 17-0-2).

SUPER SAVERS

Both the Blues (17-9-4, 38 points) and Wild (15-7-6, 36 points) earned shutout victories on Saturday to keep pace in the Central Division, where teams Nos. 2-5 are separated by just three points:

* Jake Allen made 26 saves, including 21 over the final two periods, to pick up his fourth shutout of the season and help the Blues snap the Stars’ overall point streak at seven games (5-0-2) and road point streak at nine games (7-0-2). Allen’s four shutouts share first in the NHL with Devan Dubnyk.
* Darcy Kuemper stopped all 25 shots he faced, including 19 over the final two periods, to earn his first shutout of the season and help the Wild extend their point streak to seven games (4-0-3), their longest such run since Jan. 20 – Feb. 14, 2014 (8-0-2).

MORE FROM SATURDAY . . .

* Tuukka Rask made 26 saves, including 13 in the third period, to help the Bruins improve to 8-1-2 in their last 11 games. Rask also extended his personal point streak to eight games (6-0-2) and improved to 14-2-1 in 17 career appearances vs. FLA (1.28 GAA, .955 SV%, 3 SO).
* Andreas Martinsen scored the tiebreaking goal with 10:24 remaining in regulation to power the Avalanche to a 4-2-0 record in their last six outings. Martinsen, who made his NHL debut on Nov. 10 at PHI, picked up his first career game-winning goal (14 GP).

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS
* Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson (600) and Lightning forward Brian Boyle (500) both played in milestone games.
* Goaltender Semyon Varlamov (34 SV) appeared in his 226th career game with the Avalanche to move past Dan Bouchard (225 GP) and into sole possession of third place on the franchise’s all-time games played list among goaltenders.
* Rangers defenseman Keith Yandle became the 21st player in NHL history – and second defenseman – to play in 500 consecutive games. The only other defenseman to achieve that feat: Jay Bouwmeester (737).
* Linesman Steve Miller worked his 1,000th NHL game (LAK-BUF).

LOOSE PUCKS

Despite suffering overtime losses, the Kings extended their point streak to nine games (7-0-2) and the Coyotes extended their home point streak to six games (5-0-1) . . . The Islanders played their fifth consecutive overtime game, a franchise record . . . Coyotes forward Anthony Duclair (2-1—3) posted his second career multi-goal and three-point performances (also Oct. 14 at ANA: 3-0—3). He is tied for second among rookies with 10 goals and ranks fourth with 18 points . . . Bruins forward Ryan Spooner (2-0—2) registered his third career multi-goal game and first of the season . . . Hurricanes forward Elias Lindholm (0-3—3) established a career high for assists in one game . . . Islanders goaltender Jaroslav Halak (28 SV) has earned at least one point in each of his past seven decisions (5-0-2) . . . Senators forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau (1-0—1) has scored eight of his 26 career goals (regular season and playoffs) vs. MTL (30.8%) . . . Flames forward Sean Monahan (3-5—8) and Hurricanes forward Andrej Nestrasil (1-5—6) both extended their point streaks to five games . . . Kings goaltender Jhonas Enroth, a second-round selection (46th overall) by the Sabres in the 2006 NHL Draft, made 28 saves in his return to Buffalo . . . Panthers forward Reilly Smith, who spent the last two seasons with the Bruins (33-58—91 in 163 GP), scored in his return to Boston . . . ICYMI: The Penguins named Mike Sullivan their head coach following the dismissal of Mike Johnston . . . The Department of Player Safety announced that it will have a hearing with Ducks forward Nate Thompson on Monday for an illegal check to the head of Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk . . . The Blues hosted Captains Night, with 11 of their 20 all-time captains in attendance at Scottrade Center.

SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
New Jersey @ NY Islanders, 5:00 p.m., MSG, MSG+
Colorado @ St. Louis, 6:00 p.m., ALT, FS-MW
Vancouver @ Chicago, 7:00 p.m., NHLN-US, SN, TVAS, WGN

HOMETOWN HOCKEY TOUR STOPS IN SUMMERSIDE

Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane looks to extend his 25-game point streak (16-23—39) as Rogers Hometown Hockey visits Summerside, P.E.I. – the home province of Red Wings forward Brad Richards; Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf; and former NHL head coach, general manager and executive Doug MacLean. Throughout 2015-16, Sunday games will be broadcast from a different community rink in various towns across Canada. Included in each telecast will be local NHL player profiles, grassroots stories and local entertainment features.

Click here for more details about the festivities in Summerside.

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