NHL MORNING SKATE – JAN. 9, 2016

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

2015-16 SEASON REACHES THE HALFWAY POINT

The 2015-16 season reaches the halfway point (615 GP) following the conclusion of today’s pair of matinee games (WSH-NYR and NYI-PHI).

A look at some of the highlights thus far (compiled with the assistance of the Elias Sports Bureau):

COMPETITIVE BALANCE . . .

Twenty-three teams are within five points of a playoff berth:

* In the Atlantic Division, teams Nos. 2-6 are separated by five points.
* In the Metropolitan Division, teams Nos. 2-6 are separated by eight points.
* In the Central Division, teams Nos. 2-6 are separated by 11 points.
* In the Pacific Division, teams Nos. 2-7 are separated by seven points.

Just 22 points currently separate the 16 teams that occupy postseason spots:

* Last season, only 16 points separated the 16 teams that qualified for the playoffs. That was the narrowest gap in the 16-team postseason era. The last time there was a smaller gap (in any playoff format) was in 1964-65, when four of six total teams qualified for the postseason (13 points).

. . . LEADS TO PLAYOFF TURNOVER

Six teams that did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season currently hold postseason spots (ARI, BOS, DAL, FLA, LAK and NJD):

* Last season, seven teams made the playoffs after not qualifying in 2013-14 (CGY, NSH, NYI, OTT, VAN, WPG and WSH). The seven-team turnover marked the largest year-to-year change in NHL history.
* Overall, there has been a playoff turnover of at least five clubs in eight of the past 10 seasons.

STANLEY CUP WINNERS AT THE HALFWAY POINT

A look at the eventual Stanley Cup champions’ position in the overall NHL standings through the day of games in which the League reached the midway point of the season (since 2008-09):

2014-15: Chicago Blackhawks, 6th
2013-14: Los Angeles Kings, 8th
2012-13: Chicago Blackhawks, 1st
2011-12: Los Angeles Kings, 11th
2010-11: Boston Bruins, 11th
2009-10: Chicago Blackhawks, 3rd
2008-09: Pittsburgh Penguins, 19th

3-ON-3 OVERTIME DECIDES MORE GAMES

Ninety-two of the 143 games that have required overtime this season have been decided in the extra period (64.3%).

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

COACH’S CHALLENGE TRACKER

There have been 114 coach’s challenges through the opening 607 games of the 2015-16 season. Of those challenges, 83 calls have been upheld, while 31 have been overturned.

Seventy-five of the coach’s challenges have been for goaltender interference (60 upheld/15 overturned), while 39 have been for offside (23 upheld/16 overturned).

CAPITALS SURGE TO TOP OF NHL STANDINGS

The League-leading Capitals (30-7-3, 63 points) are having their best start to a season – in terms of wins and points – in the franchise’s 41-year history. That includes an 18-2-2 record in their last 22 games dating to Nov. 21.

The Capitals reached the 30-win mark in their 40th game of the season. Only five other teams in NHL history have recorded 30 or more victories through their opening 40 games of a campaign: the 1929-30 Bruins, 1944-45 Canadiens, 2008-09 Sharks, 2012-13 Blackhawks and 2012-13 Penguins.

Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby leads the NHL with 26 wins in 2015-16, including a 18-0-2 record in his last 20 decisions – the longest point streak by a goaltender since 2010-11 (Roberto Luongo: 16-0-5 w/ VAN).

DYNAMIC SCORING DUO POWERS STARS

At 29-10-4 (62 points), the Stars also are off to their best start to a season – in terms of wins and points – in the franchise’s 49-year history. They are tied for the League lead 17 wins (17-4-0) at American Airlines Center – that equals their home win total from all of last season (17-16-8).

Stars teammates Jamie Benn (24-28—52) and Tyler Seguin (24-27—51) share the League lead with 24 goals apiece (with Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko). They also rank second and third, respectively, in points.

Playing in just his second NHL season, Stars defenseman John Klingberg ranks second among blueliners – and tied for ninth overall – with 6-32—38.

PANTHERS HIT MIDPOINT IN RECORD FORM

The Panthers (25-12-4, 54 points) enter the midway point of the season riding a franchise-record 11-game winning streak. They also have won a franchise-record seven straight games at home and have equaled another club record with five consecutive victories on the road.

Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo has won a career-high and franchise-record nine straight games (1.31 GAA, .954 SV%, 2 SO) – the longest such run by any goaltender this season. He also is three victories shy of tying Tony Esposito (423) for seventh place in NHL history.

JAGR PASSES DIONNE, NARROWS IN ON HULL

With his 732nd career goal on Dec. 20 vs. VAN, 43-year-old Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr moved past Marcel Dionne (731) and into sole possession of fourth place on the NHL’s all-time goals list. Jagr, who now sits at 736 career goals, trails Brett Hull (741) by five for a share of third place.

OVECHKIN NEARS 500 GOALS, SETS MARK FOR RUSSIANS

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin ranks fifth in the League with 22 goals, upping his career total to 497 (in 799 GP). He is seeking to become one of the fastest players in NHL history to reach the 500-goal club (in terms of games played):

Fastest to 500 Goals (In GP), NHL History
1. Wayne Gretzky: 575 GP
2. Mario Lemieux: 605 GP
3. Mike Bossy: 647 GP
4. Brett Hull: 693 GP
5. Phil Esposito: 803 GP

Ovechkin scored his 484th career goal on Nov. 19 vs. DAL (777 GP) to move past Sergei Fedorov (483 G in 1,248 GP) for the most goals by a Russian-born player in NHL history. Earlier this season, Ovechkin (497-433—930) also became the fourth Russian-born player to record 900 NHL points, following Fedorov (483-696—1,179), Alexander Mogilny (473-559—1,032) and Alex Kovalev (430-599—1,029).

POINT STREAK FOR THE AGES

Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane strung together a franchise-record 26-game point streak from Oct. 17 – Dec. 13, totaling 16-24—40 in that span. The streak was the longest such run by any U.S.-born player in NHL history as well as 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 37 of his 43 appearances this season, continues to pace the League in assists (37) and points (60).

LEAGUE LEADERS

A look at some of the top individual performances in 2015-16:

Goals
1. Vladimir Tarasenko (STL): 24
2. Tyler Seguin (DAL): 24
3. Jamie Benn (DAL): 24
4. Patrick Kane (CHI): 23
5. Alex Ovechkin (WSH): 22
Assists
1. Patrick Kane (CHI): 37
2. Erik Karlsson (OTT): 34
3. John Klingberg (DAL): 32
4. Blake Wheeler (WPG): 30
5. Jamie Benn (DAL): 28
Points
1. Patrick Kane (CHI): 23-37—60
2. Jamie Benn (DAL): 24-28—52
3. Tyler Seguin (DAL): 24-27—51
4. Vladimir Tarasenko (STL): 24-19—43
5. Erik Karlsson (OTT): 9-34—43
Wins
1. Braden Holtby (WSH): 26
2. Jonathan Quick (LAK): 23
3. Corey Crawford (CHI): 22
4. Roberto Luongo (FLA): 19
t-5. Jake Allen (STL): 18
t-5. Henrik Lundqvist (NYR): 18
Goals-Against Average (Minimum: 14 GP)
1. John Gibson (ANA): 1.82
2. Connor Hellebuyck (WPG): 1.85
3. Braden Holtby (WSH): 1.90
4. James Reimer (TOR): 1.97
5. Roberto Luongo (FLA): 2.06
6. Ben Bishop (TBL): 2.06
Save Percentage (Minimum: 14 GP)
1. James Reimer (TOR): .937
2. Connor Hellebuyck (WPG): .937
3. Michal Neuvirth (PHI): .934
4. Braden Holtby (WSH): .933
5. Roberto Luongo (FLA): .931

UPCOMING KEY DATES

Dates to note for the second half of the 2015-16 season:

Tuesday, Jan. 12: 2016 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game (Ralston Arena, Omaha, Neb.).
Tuesday, Jan. 19: NHL Central Scouting releases its midseason rankings of top prospects for the 2016 NHL Draft.
Thursday, Jan. 28: 2016 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game (Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver).
Thursday, Jan. 28 – Monday, Feb. 1: All-Star break (no games played).
Saturday, Jan. 30: 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Skills Competition (Bridgestone Arena, Nashville).
Sunday, Jan. 31: 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game (Bridgestone Arena, Nashville).
Monday, Feb. 1: Hockey is for Everyone Month begins (and runs through Monday, Feb. 29).
Tuesday, Feb. 2: The NHL regular season resumes with a 12-game slate.
Saturday, Feb. 6: 2016 Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada (Host: Kamloops, B.C.).
Friday, Feb. 19 – Sunday, Feb. 21: 2016 Hockey Weekend Across America presented by CCM (USA Hockey).
Sunday, Feb. 21: 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, Chicago Blackhawks at Minnesota Wild (TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis).
Saturday, Feb. 27: 2016 Coors Light NHL Stadium Series, Detroit Red Wings at Colorado Avalanche (Coors Field, Denver).
Monday, Feb. 29: NHL Trade Deadline (3:00 p.m. ET).
Tuesday, March 1: Deadline for each national association to announce at least 16 members (including at least two goaltenders) of its 2016 World Cup of Hockey roster.
Monday, March 14 – Wednesday, March 16: NHL General Managers Meeting (Boca Raton, Fla.).
Saturday, April 9: The 2015-16 regular season concludes with all 30 NHL teams in action, wrapping what promises to be a photo finish for playoff berths and seedings.
Wednesday, April 13: 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
Boston 4, NEW JERSEY 1
CAROLINA 4, Columbus 1
CHICAGO 3, Buffalo 1
COLORADO 5, Nashville 3
Tampa Bay 3, EDMONTON 2
ANAHEIM 4, St. Louis 3 (SO)

DANAULT LEADS BLACKHAWKS TO SIXTH STRAIGHT WIN

Phillip Danault scored the game-winning goal at 15:01 of the third period – the first goal of his NHL career – to lift the Blackhawks over Buffalo for their sixth consecutive victory.

* Corey Crawford (28 saves) picked up his fourth consecutive victory and improved to 22-10-2 this season (2.19 GAA, .927 SV%, 6 SO). Crawford also improved to 7-0-0 in seven career appearances vs. BUF.

DUCKS RALLY PAST BLUES

The Ducks rallied from a 3-1 deficit in regulation and Ryan Getzlaf (0-1—1) scored the decisive goal in the shootout to help Anaheim improve to 5-1-1 in their last seven outings.

* Ryan Kesler (2-0—2) posted his first multi-goal performance of the season (40 GP) and John Gibson made 25 saves and turned aside three of four shooters in the shootout to pick up his fifth win in his last six outings.

AROUND THE RINKS

* Forward Ryan Johansen (1-1—2) scored at 2:35 of the first period and added an assist in his Predators debut (17:46 TOI). Per Elias, Johansen became the fourth player in franchise history to register multiple points in his debut with the Predators. The others: Denis Grebeshkov (1-1—2) on March 2, 2010 vs. EDM, Steve Sullivan (3-1—4) on Feb. 18, 2004 vs. SJS and Jukka Hentunen (1-1—2) on March 23, 2002 vs. MTL.
* Down 2-0 through 40 minutes, Victor Hedman (1-2—3) factored on all three of the Lightning’s unanswered goals en route to their first win in Edmonton since March 7, 2007. Per Elias, it was the first time in franchise history that the Lightning have won a road game in regulation after trailing by two goals or more in the third period.
* Knotted at 3-3, Tyson Barrie scored the go-ahead goal at 11:00 of the third period and Jack Skille (1-1—2) added an empty-netter to lead the Avalanche to their third straight win. The Avalanche are 9-2-1 against Central Division teams this season.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* The Bruins earned their 3,000th regular-season win in franchise history, becoming the second team in NHL history to reach the milestone (MTL: 3,283).
* Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla scored the 601st goal of his NHL career and tied Jari Kurri for 18th on the NHL’s all-time goals list.

LOOSE PUCKS

Bruins forward Jimmy Hayes (1-0—1) has scored four times in his last four outings (4-1—5)… Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm (0-2—2) has recorded three multi-point games in his last five outings (2-4—6)… The National Women’s Hockey League issued a statement on Friday updating the condition of Boston Pride forward Denna Laing, who was injured while playing in the inaugural Outdoor Women’s Classic on Dec. 31… Capitals forward Marcus Johansson has been suspended for two games, without pay, for an illegal check to the head of Islanders defenseman Thomas Hickey… The Rangers traded right wing Emerson Etem to the Canucks for right wing Nicklas Jensen and a sixth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft… Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill signed a five-year contract extension that will keep him with the team through the 2022-23 season.

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Washington @ NY Rangers, 1:00 p.m., SNE, SNO, SNP, CSN-DC, MSG
NY Islanders @ Philadelphia, 1:00 p.m., MSG+, CSN-PH
Pittsburgh @ Montreal, 7:00 p.m., NHLN-US, TVAS, SN, ROOT
Boston @ Ottawa, 7:00 p.m., CITY, TVAS2, NESN
Carolina @ Columbus, 7:00 p.m., FS-CR, FS-O
Toronto @ San Jose, 7:00 p.m., CBC, CSN-CA
Minnesota @ Dallas, 8:00 p.m., FS-N, FS-WI, FS-SW
Nashville @ Arizona, 9:00 p.m., FS-TN, FS-A
Tampa Bay @ Vancouver, 10:00 p.m., CBC, SN, SUN
St. Louis @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m., FS-MW, FS-W

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NHL MORNING SKATE – JAN. 8, 2016

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

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
Washington 4, NY ISLANDERS 1
Florida 3, OTTAWA 2
Philadelphia 4, MINNESOTA 3 (OT)
DALLAS 2, Winnipeg 1 (SO)
Arizona 2, CALGARY 1
LOS ANGELES 2, Toronto 1
Detroit 2, SAN JOSE 1

LUONGO, PANTHERS EXTEND FRANCHISE RECORDS IN 11TH STRAIGHT WIN

Roberto Luongo made 30 saves, including 11 in the third period, to backstop the Panthers to their franchise-record 11th consecutive victory, the longest such run in the NHL since March 2-22, 2014 (BOS: 12-0-0).

* At 25-12-4 (54 points), the Panthers maintained a five-point lead over the Red Wings (21-13-7, 49 points) and Canadiens (23-16-3, 49 points) for first place in the Atlantic Division. They also improved to 8-4-0 against divisional foes this season.
* The Panthers equaled a franchise record with their fifth straight road win, the second time they have achieved that feat this season (also Nov. 14 – Dec. 4). Their 26 road points rank fifth in the League (12-6-2).
* Luongo extended his franchise record and established a career high with his ninth consecutive personal victory (1.31 GAA, .954 SV%, 2 SO), the longest such run in the NHL this season.
* Luongo also earned his 420th career win to move within three of tying Tony Esposito (423) for seventh place in NHL history.
* ICYMI: The Panthers rewarded Luongo by giving him their celebratory ‘#SpaceyInSpace’ shirt:

DID YOU KNOW?

Panthers teammates Reilly Smith (12:01) and Vincent Trocheck (12:09) scored eight seconds apart in the first period – one second shy of equaling the record for the fastest two goals in franchise history, set on Feb. 10, 2004, by Viktor Kozlov (1:43 and 1:50 of the second period vs. MTL).

HOLTBY, OVECHKIN LIFT CAPITALS TO 30TH VICTORY . . .

Braden Holtby made 34 saves and Alex Ovechkin scored what stood as the game-winning goal to lift the Capitals past the Islanders in their first meeting since opening round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a seven-game victory by Washington.

* At 30-7-3 (63 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 improved to 18-2-2 in their last 22 games dating to Nov. 21.
* Via Elias, the Capitals became the first team to win at least 30 of their opening 40 games of a season since 2012-13, when both the Blackhawks (31-5-4) and Penguins (30-10-0) did so. Washington didn’t pick up its 30th victory until its 57th game last season.
* Holtby, who leads the League with 26 wins this season, extended his personal point streak to 20 consecutive decisions dating to Nov. 12 (18-0-2) – the longest such run by any goaltender since 2010-11 (Roberto Luongo: 16-0-5).
* Ovechkin, who ranks fifth in the NHL 22 goals this season, moved within three of reaching 500 for his career (497-433—930 in 799 GP):

FASTEST TO 500 GOALS (IN GP), NHL HISTORY
1. Wayne Gretzky: 575 GP
2. Mario Lemieux: 605 GP
3. Mike Bossy: 647 GP
4. Brett Hull: 693 GP
5. Phil Esposito: 803 GP

. . . STARS SNAP SKID TO KEEP PACE ATOP NHL STANDINGS

Patrick Sharp (0-1—1) provided the decisive goal in the shootout and Kari Lehtonen made 32 saves – plus another two in the tiebreaker – to help the Stars snap a three-game skid overall (0-2-1) and pick up their fifth straight win at home.

* At 29-10-4 (62 points), the Stars continued their best start to a season – in terms of wins and points – in the franchise’s 49-year history. They also improved to 17-4-0 (34 points) this season at American Airlines Center – their 17 home victories and 34 home points both pace the NHL (and equal their home win total from last season: 17-16-8, 42 points).
* Sharp extended his point streak to a career-high 11 games (6-8—14), the second-longest such run in the NHL this season behind Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (16-24—40 in 26 GP). Sharp has 16-20—36 overall in 2015-16, his first campaign with the Stars.
* Lehtonen, the second overall selection (by ATL) in the 2002 NHL Draft, improved to 7-1-1 in nine career appearances vs. WPG/ATL (1.95 GAA, .944 SV%). He also improved to 13-3-0 in 20 outings this season (2.72 GAA, .911 SV%, 1 SO).
* Tyler Seguin scored in regulation and the shootout. His 24 goals are tied for first in the NHL this season with teammate Jamie Benn and Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko.

AROUND THE RINKS

* Michael Del Zotto scored twice, including the winning tally with 37.0 seconds remaining in overtime, to propel the Flyers to their second straight victory. Del Zotto recorded his second career multi-goal game and first since March 30, 2012 vs. MTL (2-1—3 w/ NYR). Defensemen have accounted for 23 of the 92 overtime goals scored this season (25.0%), including three by Del Zotto’s teammate Shayne Gostisbehere.
* Jonathan Quick turned aside 25 shots, including 10 in the third period, to lead the Kings to their sixth victory in their past seven games. Quick, who ranks second in the NHL with 23 wins this season, earned his sixth consecutive personal victory (1.33 GAA, .955 SV%, 1 SO) – his third such run of the campaign (also Oct. 16-31 and Nov. 28 – Dec. 11, both 6-0-0).
* Petr Mrazek made 35 saves, including an acrobatic stop that led to the winning goal, to lift the Red Wings to their third straight victory on the heels of a three-game skid (0-3-0). Mrazek, who has been in net for all three games during the current streak, improved to 14-8-3 in 27 appearances this season – his .928 save percentage ranks seventh in the NHL.
* Louis Domingue denied 25 shots and Stefan Elliott scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period to help the Coyotes pick up points for the 10th time in their past 12 games (7-2-3). Domingue improved to 5-0-2 in seven starts this season, including a 1.97 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and one shutout in those contests.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr (0-1—1) moved within four assists of becoming the sixth player in NHL history to record 1,100 in his career.
* Coyotes captain Shane Doan played in his 1,425th career game to move past Pat Verbeek (1,424) and into sole possession of 28th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list.
* Senators forward Max McCormick, a sixth-round selection (171st overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft, scored his first career goal (10 GP).

LOOSE PUCKS

Kings forward Jeff Carter notched the winning goal in his return from a five-game absence . . . Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau recorded his 18th goal of the season, including his 16th on home ice – that ranks second in the NHL behind Stars captain Jamie Benn, who has 18 goals at American Airlines Center . . . Sharks defenseman Brent Burns collected one assist to extend his point streak to five games (4-3—7). He places third among defensemen with 16-19—35 overall this season . . . Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer made 39 saves in his first start since Dec. 3 . . . Forward Vincent Lecavalier (0-1—1) and defenseman Luke Schenn (15:59 TOI) both made their Kings debuts . . . The Ducks acquired goaltender Dustin Tokarski from the Canadiens in exchange for forward Max Friberg . . . The NHL fined Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers and Devils forward Bobby Farnham $2,000 as supplementary discipline under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment) . . . ICYMI: University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh attended the Red Wings-Sharks game . . . Actor Will Ferrell met several Kings players, including forward Milan Lucic, following their victory over the Maple Leafs.

SNEAK PEEK AT FRIDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Boston @ New Jersey, 7:00 p.m., NESN, MSG+
Columbus @ Carolina, 7:00 p.m., FS-O, FS-CR
Buffalo @ Chicago, 8:30 p.m., NHLN-US, MSG-B, BELL TV, CSN-CH
Nashville @ Colorado, 9:00 p.m., FS-TN, ALT
Tampa Bay @ Edmonton, 9:00 p.m., SUN, SNW
St. Louis @ Anaheim, 10:00 p.m., SN, FS-MW, PRIME, FS-SD

JOHANSEN, JONES MAKE DEBUTS WITH NEW TEAMS

Predators forward Ryan Johansen and Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones both make their debuts with their new teams following Wednesday’s trade:

* Johansen, who has 6-20—26 in 38 games this season, makes his Nashville debut when he and the Predators (19-14-7, 45 points) visit the division rival Avalanche (20-18-3, 43 points) at Pepsi Center. These clubs are separated by two points in the Western Conference, where Nashville currently occupies the second and final Wild Card spot. The Avalanche won the first of five meetings between these teams in 2015-16, a 3-2 decision on Dec. 12 at NSH. They will face off three more times this season: March 5 at COL, March 28 at NSH and April 5 at NSH.
* Jones, who has 1-10—11 in 40 games this season, makes his Columbus debut when he and the Blue Jackets (15-23-3, 33 points) play the Hurricanes (16-18-7, 39 points) at PNC Arena in the first half of a back-to-back, home-and-home series. Columbus has won two of its past three contests, while Carolina has collected points in five of its last seven (3-2-2). These Metropolitan Division foes will face off two more times in 2015-16 following the conclusion of their home-and-home set: March 24 at CBJ and April 2 at CAR.
* ICYMI: Johansen and Jones crossed paths at the airport following their trade on Wednesday (courtesy of @ryanjohansen19):

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NHL MORNING SKATE – JAN. 7, 2016

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

NHL ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR GAME ROSTERS, HEAD COACHES

The NHL announced the full roster of players as well as the head coaches for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star celebration, which will be held Jan. 30-31 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.

The League unveiled the list of 40 players who will join the four division captains selected by fans in the 2016 NHL All-Star Fan Vote: Jaromir Jagr of the Panthers (Atlantic), Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks (Central), Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals (Metropolitan) and John Scott of the Coyotes (Pacific). Each team is comprised of six forwards, three defensemen and two goaltenders.

The NHL also announced that Gerard Gallant of the Panthers (Atlantic), Lindy Ruff of the Stars (Central), Darryl Sutter of the Kings (Pacific) and Barry Trotz of the Capitals (Metropolitan) have clinched the top point percentages in their respective divisions – through the midway point of the regular season (Saturday, Jan. 9) – and will serve as head coaches.

Click here for complete rosters.

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
MONTREAL 2, New Jersey 1
CHICAGO 3, Pittsburgh 1
COLORADO 4, St. Louis 3 (OT)
VANCOUVER 3, Carolina 2
Toronto 4, ANAHEIM 0

PANARIN (AGAIN) LIFTS BLACKHAWKS OVER PENGUINS

Artemi Panarin (2-0—2) registered his second multi-goal performance in as many nights to power the Blackhawks to a sweep of their home-and-home series with the Penguins as well as their fifth consecutive victory overall.

* At 25-13-4 (54 points), the Blackhawks moved within six points of the idle Stars (28-10-4, 60 points) for first place in the Central Division. These teams, who last faced off on Dec. 22 (4-0 DAL W), will meet four more times this season: Feb. 6 at DAL, Feb. 11 at CHI, March 11 at DAL and March 22 at CHI.
* Panarin, who also scored twice (including the overtime winner) in Tuesday’s 3-2 victory at PIT, moved into first place among rookies in the three major scoring categories: goals (15), assists (23) and points (38). His 38 points are 10 more than the next-closest rookie: Coyotes forward Max Domi (10-18—28).
* Via Elias, Panarin became the first Blackhawks rookie to post consecutive multi-goal games since Oct. 7-9, 2005 (Pavel Vorobiev: 2-1—3 vs. SJS and 2-0—2 vs. CBJ). Panarin also became the second rookie in franchise history to accomplish that feat on consecutive days. The other: current Kings head coach Darryl Sutter, who did so Feb. 7-8, 1981 (2-1—3 at HFD and 2-0—2 vs. WPG).

TOUCH THEM ALL

* Nathan MacKinnon potted the tying goal with 1:29 remaining in regulation and Gabriel Landeskog scored with 16.5 seconds left in overtime to lead the Avalanche an 8-2-2 record in their past 12 contests. Landeskog picked up his third career overtime goal and first since April 1, 2014 at CBJ (2-0—2).
* Jonathan Bernier stopped all 39 shots he faced and Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored twice to power the Maple Leafs to their sixth win in their last eight games as well as a 15-8-5 record since Nov. 2. Bernier, who earned his 11th career shutout (and second this season), improved to 6-2-0 in his last eight outings following a 0-8-3 start to the campaign.
* Bo Horvat scored twice, including the tiebreaking goal with 1:06 remaining in regulation, to lift the Canucks to a 5-2-1 record in their last eight games. Horvat, who posted his first career multi-goal performance (109 GP), also led the team to its eighth consecutive victory over the Hurricanes at Rogers Arena dating to Jan. 12, 2002 (CAR: 0-6-2).
* Mike Condon made 19 saves to backstop the Canadiens to their third victory in their past five outings on the heels of a six-game losing streak. Condon, who improved to 12-9-3 overall (2.36 GAA, .908 SV%), picked up his third straight win after dropping seven consecutive decisions from Dec. 3-26.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Avalanche forward Jarome Iginla (0-1—1) played in his 1,433rd career game to move past Mike Gartner (1,432 GP) and into sole possession of 24th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list.
* Maple Leafs captain Dion Phaneuf (0-1—1) registered his 300th NHL assist.
* Devils captain Andy Greene (0-1—1) played in his 600th NHL game.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The Predators acquired forward Ryan Johansen from the Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Seth Jones . . . The Kings acquired forward Vincent Lecavalier and defenseman Luke Schenn from the Flyers in exchange for forward Jordan Weal and a third-round selection in the 2016 NHL Draft . . . The Capitals signed forward Mike Richards to a one-year contract . . . The Department of Player Safety suspended Capitals forward Zach Sill for two games for boarding Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid . . . Click here for a recap of the finale of Road to the NHL Winter Classic, the four-part series that chronicled the Bruins and Canadiens as they prepared for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

LOOSE PUCKS

Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko (1-1—2) scored his 24th goal of the season to move into a share of the League lead with Stars captain Jamie Benn. Tarasenko also ranks fourth overall with 43 points . . . Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane posted one assist to extend his assist/point streak to five games (2-8—10). Kane, who has registered at least one point in 37 of 42 appearances this season, continues to pace the NHL in assists (37) and points (60) . . . Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk collected one assist to extend his point streak to a career-high seven games (4-5—9) . . . Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty (3-3—6) and Blues forward Paul Stastny (0-5—5) both extended their point streaks to five games . . . Hurricanes defenseman John-Michael Liles scored his first career shorthanded goal (760 GP) . . . Forward Torrey Mitchell notched the Canadiens’ eighth shorthanded goal of the season, tied for first in the NHL with the Senators . . . Hurricanes goaltender Eddie Lack made 18 saves in his return to Vancouver. Lack played his first two NHL seasons with the Canucks, compiling a 34-30-9 record in 82 appearances (2.43 GAA, .917 SV%, 6 SO).

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Washington @ NY Islanders, 7:00 p.m., SN360, TVAS, CSN-DC, MSG+
Florida @ Ottawa, 7:30 p.m., FS-F, TSN5, RDS
Philadelphia @ Minnesota, 8:00 p.m., NBCSN, TCN-PH
Winnipeg @ Dallas, 8:30 p.m., TSN3, FS-SW
Arizona @ Calgary, 9:00 p.m., FS-A, SNW
Toronto @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m., SNO, FS-W
Detroit @ San Jose, 10:30 p.m., FS-D, CSN-CA

CAPITALS FACE ISLANDERS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE PLAYOFFS

The League-leading Capitals (29-7-3, 61 points) play the first of four games this season against the division rival Islanders (22-13-5, 49 points) when the clubs face off at Barclays Center. This marks the first meeting between these teams since the opening round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, a seven-game series that featured four one-goal contests and ultimately was won by Washington. The Capitals, who lead the Islanders by 12 points in the Metropolitan Division, own a 17-2-2 record in their last 21 games dating to Nov. 21. The Islanders, meanwhile, have won four of their past six contests overall as well as seven of their last nine at Barclays Center.

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NHL MORNING SKATE – JAN. 5, 2016

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
Detroit 1, NEW JERSEY 0
Ottawa 3, ST. LOUIS 2 (OT)
COLORADO 4, Los Angeles 1
EDMONTON 1, Carolina 0 (OT)
Arizona 3, VANCOUVER 2

IGINLA SCORES 600TH GOAL IN AVALANCHE’S VICTORY

Jarome Iginla scored his 600th career goal to power the Avalanche to a 7-2-2 record in their last 11 contests and snap the Kings’ winning streak at five games.

* Iginla became the 19th player in NHL history – and second active – to reach the 600-goal milestone. The only other active player to achieve the feat: Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr, who ranks fourth all-time with 735 career goals.

Most Goals, NHL History
15. Joe Sakic: 625
16. Bobby Hull: 610
17. Dino Ciccarelli: 608
18. Jari Kurri: 601
19. Jarome Iginla: 600

DENVER, CO – JANUARY 4: Jarome Iginla #12 of the Colorado Avalanche holds his 600th career goal at the Pepsi Center on January 4, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Kings 4-1. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

* “It does feel good. You try not to think about it. The guys, my teammates, have been great. But we didn’t want it to be a distraction and the guys were real focused [Monday], they played great and it feels good. It’s something where you try not to think about getting close and every chance, every nice pass it’s, ‘Here maybe, maybe.’ You try and stay focused and stuff, but it was nice,” Iginla said. “It was a great bounce on the goal and I feel very blessed to get here. I’ve played with some great passers and now it’s just [about] going forward and winning games.”
* Iginla also played in his 1,432nd career game to move past Scott Mellanby and Luc Robitaille (1,431) and into a share of 24th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list (w/ Mike Gartner).

RED WINGS, SENATORS INCH UP ATLANTIC STANDINGS

The Red Wings (20-13-7, 47 points) and Senators (19-15-6, 44 points) both eked out wins to inch up the Atlantic Division standings, where the top six teams are separated by eight points:

* Petr Mrazek stopped all 22 shots he faced and Dylan Larkin scored a highlight-reel goal to lift the Red Wings to their second consecutive victory. Mrazek earned his seventh career shutout and second of the season; his lone other in 2015-16 also came in a 1-0 win, on Nov. 10 vs. WSH (38 SV). Larkin picked up his 14th overall goal and fourth game-winning goal of the season, both tops among rookies.
* Bobby Ryan posted 2-1—3, including the tying goal early in the third period and winner at 2:33 of overtime, to help the Senators overcome a 2-0 deficit and snap a three-game skid (0-3-0). Ryan, the second overall selection (by ANA) in the 2005 NHL Draft, became the third member of his draft class to reach the 200-goal milestone (201 in 565 GP). The others: Sidney Crosby (313 in 664 GP) and Anze Kopitar (228 in 722 GP).

DOAN STAYS HOT, AGAIN SCORES TWICE FOR COYOTES

Shane Doan (2-0—2) notched his fourth multi-goal performance in his past seven games to help the Coyotes improve to 5-1-2 in their last eight contests.

* Doan, who has 9-1—10 over the seven-game stretch, paces the Coyotes with 15 goals this season (30 GP), already one more than his total from 2014-15 (14 in 79 GP). Prior to this run, Doan had not registered a multi-goal game since Nov. 2, 2014 at WSH (2-1—3).
* Doan played in his 1,424th career game to tie Pat Verbeek for 28th place on the NHL’s all-time games played list.
* The Coyotes improved to 8-1-2 versus the Pacific Division this season. In 2014-15, they went 12-17-0 against divisional opponents.

OILERS EDGE HURRICANES ON SEKERA’S OT GOAL

Andrej Sekera scored at 2:47 of overtime and Cam Talbot turned aside all 29 shots he faced to power the Oilers to their second straight win.

* Sekera, who totaled 13-50—63 over the past two seasons with the Hurricanes (131 GP), picked up his second career goal against the team (20 GP) and first since departing via a midseason trade in 2014-15 (2 GP).
* Sekera registered his third career overtime goal and second of the season (also Dec. 14 at BOS). He has factored on four of the club’s six overtime goals in 2015-16 (2-2—4).
* Talbot earned his ninth career shutout and first since joining the Oilers via an offseason trade (22 GP).

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Canucks forward Daniel Sedin scored his 344th career goal (all w/ VAN) to move within two of tying Markus Naslund (346) for the most in franchise history.
* Coyotes forward Laurent Dauphin, a second-round selection (39th overall) in the 2013 NHL Draft, recorded his first career goal (3 GP).

LOOSE PUCKS

Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie (2-2—4) established a career high for points in one game. He also registered his third career multi-goal performance and first since Feb. 20, 2015 at CHI (2-1—3) . . . Senators forward Mike Hoffman and Kings forward Tyler Toffoli both scored their 19th goals of the season, tied for seventh in the NHL . . . Senators captain Erik Karlsson picked up his 33rd assist of the season, one off the League lead held by Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (34) . . . Kings forward Anze Kopitar collected one assist to extend his assist/point streak to six games (1-9—10) . . . Senators defenseman Chris Wideman (St. Louis, Mo.) recorded an assist in his first NHL appearance in his hometown . . . ICYMI: Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau, Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby and Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane were named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the month of December . . . Ducks goaltender John Gibson was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for December . . . Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick, Coyotes captain Shane Doan and Penguins defenseman Kris Letang were named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Jan. 3.

SNEAK PEEK AT TUESDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Washington @ Boston, 7:00 p.m., TVAS, CSN-DC, NESN
Florida @ Buffalo, 7:00 p.m., FS-F, MSG-B, BELL TV
Dallas @ NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m., FS-SW+, MSG+
Chicago @ Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m., SN1, SNO, SNP, CSN-CH, ROOT
Minnesota @ Columbus, 7:00 p.m., FS-N, FS-O
Montreal @ Philadelphia, 7:30 p.m., NBCSN, SNE, RDS, CSN-PH
Winnipeg @ Nashville, 8:00 p.m., TSN3, FS-TN
Tampa Bay @ Calgary, 9:00 p.m., SUN, SNW

PANTHERS VISIT SABRES LOOKING FOR 10TH STRAIGHT WIN

The Panthers (23-12-4, 50 points), who have won a franchise-record nine consecutive games, look to extend that run when they visit the division rival Sabres (15-20-4, 34 points) at First Niagara Center. Three other clubs have posted nine-game winning streaks this season: the Canadiens (Oct. 7-24), Capitals (Dec. 12-30) and Rangers (Oct. 25 – Nov. 15). No team has won 10 straight since the 2013-14 campaign, when the Bruins reeled off 12 consecutive victories from March 2-22 (and the Ducks won 10 straight from Dec. 6-28).

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NHL MORNING SKATE – JAN. 1, 2016

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

SNEAK PEEK AT FRIDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Montreal @ Boston, 1:00 p.m., NBC, SN, TVAS
Anaheim @ Vancouver, 10:00 p.m., PRIME, FS-SD, SNP

BRUINS FACE CANADIENS IN 2016 BRIDGESTONE NHL WINTER CLASSIC

The Bruins (20-12-4, 44 points) face the Canadiens (21-15-3, 45 points) in the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

This marks the 910th all-time meeting between these Original Six franchises (regular season and playoffs) – the most in NHL history. Their 732 regular-season games, 177 postseason contests and 34 playoff series also lead all opponents in League history, while their nine head-to-head Game 7s top all rivals in North American major professional sports (includes MLB, NBA and NHL).

The Bruins currently trail the Canadiens by one point in the Atlantic Division, where the top six teams are separated by six points – the winner of today’s game will move into first place.

The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic marks the fourth of five meetings between these clubs in 2015-16; Montreal has won 12 of their last 14 regular-season contests dating to March 3, 2013 (BOS: 2-10-2). Boston, however, earned a 3-1 victory in their most recent matchup (Dec. 9 at Bell Centre) to snap a seven-game skid in the head-to-head series.

WINTER CLASSIC QUICK HITS

* The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic marks the first time that one team will serve as a repeat host of the New Year’s Day game. In 2010, the Bruins faced the Flyers at Fenway Park in Boston (a 2-1 OT W).
* While the Bruins will be playing in their second regular-season outdoor NHL game, the Canadiens will be contesting their third such contest. They also faced the Oilers in the 2003 Molson Canadian NHL Heritage Classic at Commonwealth Stadium (a 4-3 W) and the Flames in the 2011 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at McMahon Stadium (a 4-0 L).
* The Bruins and Canadiens have met four times previously on New Year’s Day, in 1936, 1958, 1961 and 1964. All four games were played in Boston.
* A total of 112 skaters, goaltenders and head coaches have competed for both the Bruins and Canadiens. Only one of the 112 – forward Michael Ryder – has appeared in at least 200 games with both franchises.
* Bruins head coach Claude Julien, who began his NHL head-coaching career with the Canadiens (2002-06), is the only active player/head coach who has served with both franchises.
* Four Massachusetts-born players are represented in today’s lineups: Bruins forwards Jimmy Hayes (Boston) and Frank Vatrano (East Longmeadow) and Canadiens goaltender Mike Condon (Holliston) and forward Brian Flynn (Lynnfield).
* A look at today’s hourly forecast for Foxborough, Mass., courtesy of the Weather Channel:

REMINDER: OUTDOOR GAME GUIDE

The NHL Outdoor Game Interactive Information Guide is available for download via the League’s Media site.

The guide features various information about the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, including notes about the historic Bruins-Canadiens rivalry. It also includes a list of records, a complete register and a full history of outdoor games.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

* Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask and Canadiens goaltender Ben Scrivens unveiled their masks for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
* New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick tested the ice at Gillette Stadium.
* Bruins forward Landon Ferraro and Canadiens forward Brian Flynn posted player blogs on NHL.com in advance of today’s game.
* Players from the Bruins and Canadiens practiced on Thursday at Gillette Stadium:

FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 31: (L-R) David Krejci #46, Patrice Bergeron #37, Chris Kelly #23 and Dennis Seidenberg #44 of the Boston Bruins take the ice for a team photo prior to team practice as part of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium on December 31, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will take place on New Year’s Day with the Montreal Canadiens playing the Boston Bruins. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

TODAY’S FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
All Times Eastern
Media Credential Distribution
8:00 a.m. – End of 1st Period
Gillette Stadium – Lot 6
Media Access to 2016 NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Lot 22
Media Meal
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Press Box (Red Level Press)
2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic
1:00 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens at Boston Bruins
Gillette Stadium
NBC, SN, TVAS

BOURQUE LIFTS BRUINS TO ALUMNI GAME VICTORY

Ray Bourque scored in the fourth round of the shootout to power the Bruins to a 5-4 comeback victory in the 2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian.

Click here for a complete recap.

FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 31: Ray Bourque #77 of the Boston Bruins and Guy Carbonneau #21 of the Montreal Canadiens enter the field before playing in the Alumni Game as part of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Classic at Gillette Stadium on December 31, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic will take place on New Year’s Day with the Montreal Canadiens playing the Boston Bruins. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

REMINDER: ALL-STAR GAME VOTING CLOSES TODAY

Voting for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game closes tonight at 11:59 p.m. ET.
As part of the new format for the game, fans can cast votes for one player from each division, without regard to position. The top vote-getter from each division will be named an All-Star and team captain, with the remaining 40 All-Stars selected by the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department.

Fans are permitted to select as few as one player and a maximum of four players per ballot. The maximum number of ballots cast per day for each user is 10.

Click here to vote.

2015 CALENDAR YEAR LEADERS

A look at the top team and individual performances of 2015 (courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau):

POINTS PERCENTAGE
1. Washington Capitals (55-22-6, 116 points): .699
2. New York Rangers (54-24-7, 115 points): .676
t-3. Dallas Stars (52-25-8, 112 points): .659
t-3. St. Louis Blues (52-25-8, 112 points): .659
5. Minnesota Wild (49-24-10, 108 points): .651
GOALS
1. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 57
2. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 48
3. Steven Stamkos (81 GP): 39
4. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 38
5. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 38
ASSISTS
1. Erik Karlsson (84 GP): 59
2. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 59
3. Nicklas Backstrom (80 GP): 56
4. Henrik Sedin (83 GP): 55
5. P.K. Subban (84 GP): 55
POINTS
1. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 48-59—107
2. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 57-28—85
3. Tyler Seguin (74 GP): 35-48—83
4. John Tavares (80 GP): 37-45—82
5. Daniel Sedin (85 GP): 28-54—82
6. Erik Karlsson (84 GP): 23-59—82
POINTS PER GAME (Minimum: 60 GP)
1. Patrick Kane (80 PTS in 63 GP): 1.27
2. Jamie Benn (107 PTS in 85 GP): 1.26
3. Tyler Seguin (83 PTS in 74 GP): 1.12
4. Alex Ovechkin (85 PTS in 81 GP): 1.05
5. John Tavares (82 PTS in 80 GP): 1.03
POWER-PLAY GOALS
1. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 25
2. Justin Faulk (83 GP): 17
3. Steven Stamkos (81 GP): 16
4. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 16
5. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 15
SHORTHANDED GOALS
1. Jean-Gabriel Pageau (82 GP): 6
2. Brad Marchand (76 GP): 5
3. Blake Wheeler (78 GP): 4
4. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 4
5. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 4
GAME-WINNING GOALS
1. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 12
2. Jonathan Toews (83 GP): 11
3. John Tavares (80 GP): 10
4. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 10
5. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 9
SHOTS ON GOAL
1. Alex Ovechkin (81 GP): 400
2. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 331
3. Brent Burns (80 GP): 296
4. Tyler Seguin (74 GP): 289
5. Rick Nash (80 GP): 288
PLUS/MINUS
1. Tyler Toffoli (75 GP): 31
2. Kevin Klein (58 GP): 26
3. Tobias Enstrom (75 GP): 27
4. Marc Methot (78 GP): 27
5. Jamie Benn (85 GP): 27
WINS
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 49
2. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): 43
3. Jonathan Quick (72 GP): 42
4. Ben Bishop (65 GP): 37
5. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 37
GOALS-AGAINST AVERAGE (Minimum: 25 GP)
1. Carey Price (48 GP): 1.85
2. Andrew Hammond (31 GP): 1.93
3. Jake Allen (48 GP): 1.97
4. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): 2.02
5. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 2.04
SAVE PERCENTAGE (Minimum: 25 GP)
1. Carey Price (48 GP): .937
2. Andrew Hammond (31 GP): .936
3. Cory Schneider (65 GP): .930
4. Braden Holtby (72 GP): .929
5. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): .928
6. Jake Allen (48 GP): .928
SHUTOUTS
1. Carey Price (48 GP): 9
2. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): 9
3. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 8
4. Jake Allen (48 GP): 7
t-5. Five Goaltenders: 6
SHOTS AGAINST
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 2,038
2. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 1,992
3. Tuukka Rask (66 GP): 1,933
4. Semyon Varlamov (64 GP): 1,928
5. Mike Smith (61 GP): 1,913
MINUTES PLAYED
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 4,234
2. Jonathan Quick (72 GP): 4,177
3. Devan Dubnyk (69 GP): 4,035
4. Tuukka Rask (66 GP): 3,862
5. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 3,857

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
NY Islanders 2, BUFFALO 1
Pittsburgh 5, DETROIT 2
CAROLINA 4, Washington 2
Minnesota 3, ST. LOUIS 1
Chicago 4, COLORADO 3 (OT)
DALLAS 5, Nashville 1
Los Angeles 4, CALGARY 1
Anaheim 1, EDMONTON 0
ARIZONA 4, Winnipeg 2

AROUND THE RINKS

* Shane Doan scored twice to power the Coyotes to a 4-1-1 record in their last six games. In doing so, Doan (381) – who has spent his entire NHL career with the Coyotes/Jets – surpassed Dale Hawerchuk (379) for the most goals in franchise history.
* Jonathan Toews scored at 3:29 of overtime to lift the Blackhawks to their ninth win in their last 13 games. Toews, who posted his League-leading fourth overtime goal of the season (39 GP), also set a single-season franchise record in that category.
* Jeff Skinner registered the tiebreaking goal early in the third period to lead the Hurricanes to an 8-4-1 record in their last 13 games and snap the Capitals’ winning streak at nine contests. Skinner paces the club with 15 goals this season (38 GP).
* The Stars scored five unanswered goals – including a pair from Tyler Seguin – to improve to 5-1-1 in their last seven games. Seguin shares second with 23 goals and ranks third with 50 points this season (39 GP).
* The Penguins also posted five unanswered goals – highlighted by three-point performances from Kris Letang (2-1—3), Patric Hornqvist (1-2—3) and Evgeni Malkin (1-2—3) – to improve to 3-1-1 in their past five outings.
* John Gibson stopped all 21 shots he faced to lead the Ducks to their second straight 1-0 win and third consecutive victory overall. Gibson, who also earned the shutout on Tuesday at CGY (14 SV), recorded his fourth blank sheet of the season (14 GP).
* Jonathan Quick made 23 saves to backstop the Kings to a sweep of their four-game road trip. Quick earned his 21st win of the season (31 GP) – second in the NHL – including an 11-3-1 record as a visitor (2.01 GAA, .934 SV%, 2 SO).
* The Wild scored three unanswered goals – led by two points apiece from Erik Haula (1-1—2) and Nino Niederreiter (1-1—2) – to pick up their third victory in their past four contests overall and improve to 3-1-2 in their last six road games.
* Thomas Greiss made 42 saves to lift the Islanders to their third win in their last four games. Greiss, who ranks second in the NHL with a .936 save percentage, also set a career high with his 11th victory of the season (18 GP).

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Predators captain Shea Weber played in his 723rd NHL game (all w/ NSH) to tie Martin Erat for second place on the franchise’s all-time games played list, behind David Legwand (956).
* Blackhawks forward Artem Anisimov scored his 100th NHL goal.

LOOSE PUCKS

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 21st goal of the season to move into sole possession of fifth place in the NHL (36 GP). He sits four goals shy of 500 in his career (796 GP) . . . Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane posted 1-2—3, his 15th multi-point performance of the season. He continues to pace the NHL with 23-33—56 overall (39 GP) . . . Jets forward Adam Lowry (2-0—2) recorded his second career multi-goal game and first since Dec. 9, 2014 at DAL (2-0—2) . . . Stars teammates Jamie Benn (4-7—11) and Patrick Sharp (4-6—10) both extended their point streaks to seven games . . . Kings forward Tyler Toffoli collected one assist to extend his point streak to five games (6-2—8) . . . ICYMI: The NHL fined Canucks forward Jannik Hansen $2,000 as supplementary discipline under NHL Rule 64 (Diving/Embellishment) . . . The Panthers signed general manager Dale Tallon to a multi-year contract extension . . . Kraft Heinz – along with the NHL, NHLPA, NBC Sports Group and USA Hockey – announced the details of Kraft Hockeyville USA 2016.

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