NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 31, 2015

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

WINTER CLASSIC FESTIVITIES BEGIN

Festivities for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic kick into full gear with today’s team practices, 2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian and Outdoor Women’s Classic presented by Scotiabank as well as the opening of the 2016 NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza.

Today’s full schedule of events (all times ET):

Media Credential Distribution
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Lot 6

Media Snack
9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Gillette Stadium (Blue Level Press)

Boston Bruins Team Practice/Photo followed by Media Availability
11:00 a.m.
Gillette Stadium
* No field access for media

Media Access to 2016 NHL Winter Classic Spectator Plaza
11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Lot 22

Montreal Canadiens Team Practice/Photo followed by Media Availability
12:30 p.m.
Gillette Stadium
* No field access for media

Media Meal
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Press Box (Red Level Press)

Outdoor Women’s Classic presented by Scotiabank
2:00 p.m.
Boston Pride (NWHL) vs. Les Canadiennes (CWHL)
Gillette Stadium
* Media availability for coaches and select players will take place in the Press Box following the game

2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian
3:30 p.m.
Gillette Stadium
NBCSN, SN, TVAS

2016 NHL WINTER CLASSIC ALUMNI GAME . . .

More than 40 former players and coaches are scheduled to participate in today’s 2016 NHL Winter Classic Alumni Game presented by Molson Canadian (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, SN, TVAS). The game will consist of three 20-minute periods (running time) and two 12-minute intermissions.

Click here for full rosters.

. . . OUTDOOR WOMEN’S CLASSIC

The Boston Pride of the newly formed National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) also will face Les Canadiennes of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) today in the first-ever Outdoor Women’s Classic presented by Scotiabank (2:00 p.m. ET).

Click here for more information.

WINTER CLASSIC QUICK HITS

* There have been 15 regular-season outdoor NHL games to date: Seven Winter Classics, five Stadium Series games and three Heritage Classics.
* Eight outdoor games have been hosted by football venues, seven have been hosted by baseball stadiums.
* The NHL’s 15 regular-season outdoor games have drawn total attendance of 853,288 – an average of 56,886 per game. The seven Winter Classics have been attended by 413,548 fans, an average of 59,078.
* A total of 481 players and head coaches have participated in the NHL’s 15 regular-season outdoor games to date.
* Road teams are 11-3-1 in outdoor games, including a 6-2-0 record since the start of the 2013-14 season.
* A look at the two-day forecast for Foxborough, Mass., courtesy of the Weather Channel:

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

* Bruins goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and Canadiens goaltenders Mike Condon unveiled their masks for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.
* Click here for the complete time-lapse video of the transformation of Gillette Stadium.
* The NHL issued fan reminders for fans attending today and tomorrow’s games.
* Click here for a recap of the third episode of Road to the NHL Winter Classic, which premiered on Wednesday.
* Bruins players, including forward Max Talbot, tested the ice at Gillette Stadium during a skate on Wednesday with family and friends.

BOSTON, MA – DECEMBER 30 : Max Talbot #25 of the Boston Bruins enjoys the Family Skate on December 30, 2015 during 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
Toronto 3, PITTSBURGH 2 (SO)
WASHINGTON 5, Buffalo 2
New Jersey 3, OTTAWA 0
NY Rangers 5, TAMPA BAY 2
SAN JOSE 4, Philadelphia 2

CAPITALS KEEP STREAKING WITH SWEEP OF HOME-AND-HOME

The Capitals scored four unanswered goals in the third period to sweep their home-and-home series with the Sabres and pick up their ninth consecutive win overall as well as their ninth straight victory at Verizon Center.

* At 28-6-2 (58 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 leapfrogged the idle Stars (27-8-3, 57 points) for first place in the NHL standings, aided by a 16-1-1 run since Nov. 21.
* The Capitals have won nine straight games overall for the first time since Feb. 26 – March 15, 2011 (also 9-0-0). They have posted nine consecutive victories at home for the first time since Jan. 5 – March 6, 2010, when they set a franchise record with 13 straight home wins.
* Braden Holtby made 25 saves to earn his League-leading 24th win of the season (30 GP), including eight in a row. He has compiled a 16-0-1 record in 18 games since Nov. 12 (1.76 GAA, .942 SV%, 2 SO); Elias says that is the longest point streak by a goaltender since Roberto Luongo went 16-0-5 over a 21-game span with the Canucks from Dec. 8, 2010 – Feb. 12, 2011.
* Alex Ovechkin scored twice to reach the 20-goal milestone for the 11th time in as many NHL seasons. Ovechkin, who sits five goals shy of 500 in his career (795 GP), has recorded 102 career multi-goal performances.

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

CLUBS CLOSE 2015 ON HIGH NOTES

Four teams closed their calendar year with victories:

* Cory Schneider stopped all 36 shots he faced, including 28 over the final two periods, to earn his 20th career shutout (third this season) and lead the Devils to their third win in their past four games. Schneider, who improved to 16-10-5 this season (2.10 GAA, .927 SV%, 3 SO), also upped his record to 5-1-1 in seven career appearances vs. OTT (1.39 GAA, .951 SV%, 1 SO).
* The Sharks scored three unanswered goals in the third period – including a pair from Joe Pavelski – to pick up points for the fifth time in their last seven contests (4-2-1). Pavelski registered his seventh game-winning goal of the season, tops in the NHL. He also shares fifth in the League with 20 goals overall (w/ Alex Ovechkin).
* The Rangers also recorded three unanswered goals in the third period – including the tiebreaker by former Lightning forward Dominic Moore (1-1—2) – to snap an eight-game road losing streak (0-6-2). Moore compiled 22-29—51 in 133 games with Tampa Bay from 2010-12.
* Jonathan Bernier made a season-high 39 saves and denied another two attempts in the shootout to propel the Maple Leafs to a 6-2-2 record in their last 10 games. Bernier has won four of his past six outings after beginning the season with a 0-8-3 record.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Senators defenseman Fredrik Claesson, a fifth-round selection (126th overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft, made his League debut (12:20 TOI).
* Alain Vigneault (NYR) coached his 1,008th career game to surpass Jacques Demers (1,007) and move into sole possession of 21st place on the NHL’s all-time list among head coaches.

LOOSE PUCKS

ICYMI: Flyers captain Claude Giroux scored off a face-off . . . Penguins captain Sidney Crosby recorded 1-1—2. He has 6-11—17 over his last 17 games after totaling 2-7—9 in his first 18 contests of the season . . . Sharks forward Logan Couture picked up two assists in his first appearance since Dec. 9 . . . Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his point streak to a career-high seven games (2-9—11) . . . Sharks forward Joe Thornton posted 1-1—2 to extend his point streak to seven games (3-7—10) . . . Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk registered one assist to extend his point streak to five games (3-4—7) . . . The Department of Player Safety suspended Bruins forward Brad Marchand for three games for clipping Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki.

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
NY Islanders @ Buffalo, 6:00 p.m., MSG+, MSG-B, BELL TV
Pittsburgh @ Detroit, 6:00 p.m., SN, ROOT, FS-D
Washington @ Carolina, 6:00 p.m., CSN-DC, FS-CR
Minnesota @ St. Louis, 8:00 p.m., FS-N, FS-MW
Chicago @ Colorado, 8:00 p.m., CSN-CH, ALT
Nashville @ Dallas, 8:30 p.m., FS-TN, FS-SW
Los Angeles @ Calgary, 9:00 p.m., NHLN-US, SN360, SN1, FS-W
Anaheim @ Edmonton, 9:00 p.m., KCOP-13, SNW
Winnipeg @ Arizona, 9:00 p.m., TSN3, FS-A+

2015 CALENDAR YEAR LEADERS

The NHL closes 2015 with a nine-game schedule. A look at the top team and individual performances of the calendar year thus far (courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau):

POINTS PERCENTAGE
1. Washington Capitals (55-21-6, 116 points): .707
2. New York Rangers (54-24-7, 115 points): .676
3. St. Louis Blues (52-24-8, 112 points): .667
4. Dallas Stars (51-25-8, 110 points): .655
5. Minnesota Wild (48-24-10, 106 points): .646

GOALS
1. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 56
2. Jamie Benn (84 GP): 47
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 (84 GP): 58
3. Nicklas Backstrom (79 GP): 56
4. Henrik Sedin (83 GP): 55
5. P.K. Subban (84 GP): 55

POINTS
1. Jamie Benn (84 GP): 47-58—105
2. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 56-28—84
3. Daniel Sedin (85 GP): 28-54—82
4. Erik Karlsson (84 GP): 23-59—82
5. John Tavares (79 GP): 37-44—81
6. Tyler Seguin (73 GP): 33-48—81

POINTS PER GAME (Minimum: 60 GP)
1. Jamie Benn (105 PTS in 84 GP): 1.25
2. Patrick Kane (77 PTS in 62 GP): 1.24
3. Tyler Seguin (81 PTS in 73 GP): 1.11
4. Alex Ovechkin (84 PTS in 80 GP): 1.05
5. John Tavares (81 PTS in 79 GP): 1.03

POWER-PLAY GOALS
1. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 25
2. Justin Faulk (82 GP): 17
3. Steven Stamkos (81 GP): 16
4. Jamie Benn (84 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 (77 GP): 4
4. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 4
5. Jamie Benn (84 GP): 4

GAME-WINNING GOALS
1. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 12
2. John Tavares (79 GP): 10
3. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 10
4. Jonathan Toews (82 GP): 10
5. Joe Pavelski (80 GP): 9

SHOTS ON GOAL
1. Alex Ovechkin (80 GP): 394
2. Max Pacioretty (82 GP): 331
3. Brent Burns (80 GP): 296
4. Rick Nash (80 GP): 288
5. Radim Vrbata (82 GP): 285

PLUS/MINUS
1. Tyler Toffoli (74 GP): 31
2. Marc Methot (78 GP): 27
3. T.J. Oshie (79 GP): 27
4. Kevin Klein (58 GP): 26
5. Tobias Enstrom (74 GP): 26

WINS
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 49
2. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): 42
3. Jonathan Quick (71 GP): 41
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 (47 GP): 1.96
4. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): 2.04
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 (68 GP): .928

SHUTOUTS
1. Carey Price (48 GP): 9
2. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): 9
3. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 8
4. Jake Allen (47 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. Mike Smith (61 GP): 1,913
5. Semyon Varlamov (63 GP): 1,885

MINUTES PLAYED
1. Braden Holtby (72 GP): 4,234
2. Jonathan Quick (71 GP): 4,117
3. Devan Dubnyk (68 GP): 3,975
4. Tuukka Rask (66 GP): 3,862
5. Corey Crawford (66 GP): 3,857

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NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 30, 2015

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

GILLETTE STADIUM MAKES FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR WINTER CLASSIC

Lines and logos are on the ice as Gillette Stadium makes its final preparations for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on Friday (1:00 p.m. ET, NBC, SN, TVAS).

FOXBORO, MA – DECEMBER 28 : Workers prepare the field for the 2016 NHL Bridgestone Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium on December 28, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)

TODAY’S SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

All Times Eastern

Media Credential Distribution
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Gillette Stadium – Lot 6
Boston Bruins Media Availability (Select Players)
Approximately 12:30 p.m.
Gillette Stadium
Media Skate Activity (Weather Permitting)
1:30 p.m.
Gillette Stadium

^ 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic credential required
^^ Reservation required to Jeff Day (jday@nhl.com)
^^^ No TV cameras allowed on the ice

Media Reception
3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Patriot Place (Near Gillette Stadium)

* A look at the three-day forecast for Foxborough, Mass., courtesy of the Weather Channel:

EPISODE THREE OF ROAD TO THE NHL WINTER CLASSIC

The third episode of 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, debuts tonight in both the United States and Canada.

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

Viewers in Canada can catch the episode following the conclusion of Sportsnet’s Maple Leafs-Penguins broadcast (7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT). It also will air on RDS tomorrow – Thursday, Dec. 31 – at 7:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 p.m. PT.

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

REMINDER: ALL-STAR GAME VOTING CLOSES ON FRIDAY

Voting for the 2016 Honda NHL All-Star Game closes on Friday 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.

TUESDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
BOSTON 7, Ottawa 3
NY Islanders 6, TORONTO 3
NEW JERSEY 3, Carolina 2
COLUMBUS 6, Dallas 3
FLORIDA 3, Montreal 1
ST. LOUIS 4, Nashville 3 (OT)
WINNIPEG 4, Detroit 1
Anaheim 1, CALGARY 0
Los Angeles 5, EDMONTON 2
Chicago 7, ARIZONA 5

HAYES POWERS BRUINS IN FINAL GAME BEFORE WINTER CLASSIC . . .

Three players registered multi-goal performances – led by Jimmy Hayes’ first career hat trick – to help the Bruins snap a three-game skid, earn a split of their home-and-home series with the Senators and win their final game before the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic.

* Hayes (Boston, Mass.), who scored his third goal with 0.2 seconds remaining in regulation, became the second Massachusetts-born player to record a hat trick for the Bruins this season; Frank Vatrano (East Longmeadow, Mass.) achieved that feat 11 days prior, on Dec. 18 at PIT.
* “It’s a dream come true and a pretty cool feeling,” said Hayes. “It’s always fun to score a hat trick in any league and to do in the NHL for your hometown team is great.”
* Per Elias, this marks the second time – in the franchise’s 91-year history – that two or more Massachusetts-born players have posted hat tricks for the Bruins in the same season. The other such campaign: 1989-90, when Andy Brickley (Melrose, Mass.), Bob Carpenter (Beverly, Mass.) and Bob Sweeney (Concord, Mass.) all did so.
* Matt Beleskey and Patrice Bergeron also scored twice. Elias notes that the last time three Bruins players registered multiple goals in the same game was on Dec. 28, 2001 at FLA, when Bill Guerin, Mike Knuble and Glen Murray had two apiece.
* The Bruins (4-for-7) recorded four power-play goals in one game for the first time since Oct. 3, 2009 vs. CAR (4-for-8). They lead the NHL in power-play goals (30) and efficiency (29.4%) this season.

. . . PANTHERS KNOCK OFF CANADIENS, MATCH FRANCHISE RECORDS

Aleksander Barkov collected 2-1—3 to lead the Panthers past the Canadiens and to their seventh consecutive victory, equaling a franchise record last achieved March 2-16, 2008.

* The Panthers (21-12-4, 46 points), who also matched a club mark with their fifth straight home win (last achieved March 4-17, 2012), leapfrogged the Canadiens (21-15-3, 45 points) to move back into first place in the Atlantic Division.
* The Panthers, who went 11-3-0 (22 points) in December, also established franchise records for wins and points in one calendar month.
* Barkov posted his second consecutive multi-goal game, following 2-0—2 on Sunday vs. CBJ. He has 5-5—10 during the team’s seven-game winning streak, including a pair of three-point performances (also Dec. 15 at NYI: 1-2—3); Barkov had two such efforts in his first 145 career games prior to this run.

CALIFORNIA CLUBS SPOIL ALBERTA HOME STREAKS

The Ducks and Kings both earned wins on Tuesday to snap the home winning streaks of the Flames (11) and Oilers (7), respectively:

* John Gibson stopped all 14 shots he faced and Shawn Horcoff supplied the lone goal to propel the Ducks to their second straight victory and halt the Flames’ home winning streak at a franchise-record 11 games, the longest such run by any team since 2013-14 (PIT: 13-0-0 at CONSOL Energy Center). Gibson posted his fifth career shutout (third this season), while Horcoff notched his 16th career goal vs. CGY, tied for his highest total against any opponent (w/ COL).
* Jonathan Quick made 42 saves to lead the Kings to an 11-3-2 record in their last 16 outings and snap the Oilers’ home winning streak at seven games, one shy of tying the franchise record. Los Angeles has earned at least one point in 29 of its last 31 meetings with Edmonton dating to Nov. 26, 2008 (22-2-7), including a 13-1-3 clip at Rexall Place. Quick improved to 17-1-5 in 23 career appearances vs. EDM (1.66 GAA, .937 SV%, 1 SO), including a 10-0-3 record at Rexall Place.

CENTRAL TEAMS GAIN GROUND ON STARS

The Blues (23-12-4, 50 points) and Blackhawks (21-13-4, 46 points) – the Nos. 2 and 3 teams in the Central Division, respectively – both collected victories on Tuesday to gain ground on the Stars (27-8-3, 57 points), who lost in regulation:

* The Predators erased a two-goal deficit in the final four minutes of regulation, but Alexander Steen scored at 4:01 of overtime to power the Blues to their sixth win in their past eight games, including four straight victories at Scottrade Center. Jake Allen made 30 saves, including 17 in the second period, to improve to 4-0-0 in five career appearances vs. NSH (1.97 GAA, .935 SV%, 1 SO).
* Five different players posted multiple points – led by 1-2—3 from both Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith – to lift the Blackhawks to their eighth win in their last 12 contests. Kane, who recorded his 14th multi-point performance of the season, continues to pace the NHL with 22-31—53. He has notched at least one point in 33 of 38 appearances, including five three-point efforts.

AROUND THE RINKS

* Six different players scored – including 1-1—2 from John Tavares, Frans Nielsen and Anders Lee – to lead the Islanders to a split of their home-and-home series with the Maple Leafs. Tavares (Mississauga, Ont.) has 11-13—24 in 22 career games vs. TOR, including 7-12—19 in 12 visits to Air Canada Centre.
* Four players registered multiple points – Bryan Little (0-3—3), Jacob Trouba (2-0—2), Drew Stafford (0-2—2) and Blake Wheeler (0-2—2) – to power the Jets to their sixth victory in their last seven games at MTS Centre. Little, who has 14-18—32 this season (36 GP), recorded his 12th career three-point game (and third in 2015-16).
* Kyle Palmieri and David Schlemko each scored in the third period to help the Devils overcome a 2-1 deficit and improve to 9-2-1 in their past 12 meetings with the Hurricanes dating to Oct. 17, 2009 (CAR: 3-8-1). Schlemko picked up his second game-winning goal of the season (31 GP); he had zero such tallies in his first 231 career outings.
* Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno both notched three assists to help the Blue Jackets snap a three-game skid. Per Elias, it marked the third in franchise history that a pair of Blue Jackets players collected three assists in the same game, also Jan. 11, 2008 vs. STL (Adam Foote, David Vyborny) and March 26, 2009 vs. CGY (Kristian Huselius, Rick Nash).

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Coyotes captain Shane Doan recorded his second career hat trick – and first since Jan. 7, 2012 vs. NYI. In doing so, he tied Dale Hawerchuk for the most goals in Coyotes/Jets history (379). Doan, who registered two of his goals via the power play, also inched closer to matching Hawerchuk for a pair of other franchise records: points (Hawerchuk: 929, Doan: 915) and power-play goals (Hawerchuk: 122 PPG, Doan 119 PPG).
* Panthers forward Jaromir Jagr scored his 733rd goal to move within eight of tying Brett Hull (741) for third place in NHL history. Jagr also extended his NHL record with his 131st career game-winning goal.
* Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo (27 SV) earned his 417th career victory to move within six of tying Tony Esposito (423) for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time wins list among goaltenders.
* Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno recorded his 300th NHL point (121-180—301). Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Gardiner (23-77—100) and Bruins defenseman Torey Krug (29-71—100) posted their 100th NHL points.
* Kings forward Michael Mersch, a fourth-round selection (110th overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft, scored his first career goal (9 GP).
* Ducks defenseman Shea Theodore, the 26th overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, and Coyotes forward Laurent Dauphin, a second-round pick (39th overall) that year, both made their League debuts.
* Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec (800) and Predators forward Colin Wilson (400) both played in milestone games.

LOOSE PUCKS

Stars captain Jamie Benn collected one assist to reach the 50-point milestone (23-27—50 in 38 GP) and extend his assist/point streak to six contests (3-6—9). Via Elias, he became the first Stars/North Stars player to record 50 or more points in the team’s opening 38 games of a season since 1987-88 (Dino Ciccarelli: 38 GP) . . . Senators captain Erik Karlsson posted one assist to extend his point streak to seven games (3-6—9). He leads all players with 32 assists this season and ranks fourth overall with 41 points (37 GP) . . . Blue Jackets forward Brandon Saad (4-5—9) and Stars forward Patrick Sharp (4-5—9) both extended their point streaks to six games . . . Canadiens forward Alex Galchenyuk notched one assist to extend his point streak to five games (2-3—5) . . . Coyotes teammates Oliver Ekman-Larsson (0-3—3) and Tobias Rieder (0-3—3) both established career highs for assists in one game . . . Hurricanes captain Eric Staal (2-0—2) registered his first multi-goal game since Jan. 19 at TOR (2-0—2) . . . Blackhawks forward Andrew Desjardins (2-0—2) posted his third career multi-goal game . . . Goaltender Ben Scrivens made 27 saves in his Canadiens debut.

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Toronto @ Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m., SN, ROOT
Buffalo @ Washington, 7:00 p.m., MSG-B, BELL TV, CSN-DC
New Jersey @ Ottawa, 7:30 p.m., TVAS, MSG+, TSN5
NY Rangers @ Tampa Bay, 8:00 p.m., NBCSN
Philadelphia @ San Jose, 10:30 p.m., NBCSN, CSN-PH

LIGHTNING FACE RANGERS ON NBCSN’S WEDNESDAY NIGHT RIVALRY

The Lightning (18-15-4, 40 points) and Rangers (20-13-4, 44 points), opponents in the 2015 Eastern Conference Final, meet for the second time this season when they face off at Amalie Arena on NBCSN’s Wednesday Night Rivalry.

Tampa Bay, who eliminated New York in seven games to reach the 2015 Stanley Cup Final, has won five consecutive regular-season contests against the Rangers dating to Jan. 14, 2014 (NYR: 0-5-0). That includes a 2-1 victory on Nov. 19 that snapped New York’s nine-game winning streak and 13-game point streak (11-0-2). Ben Bishop, who made 20 saves in the teams’ first matchup of the season, owns a 9-0-0 record in nine career regular-season appearances vs. NYR (1.43 GAA, .947 SV%, 2 SO), including a 6-0-0 clip since joining the Lightning in 2012-13.

These clubs will not meet again until the final week of the season, on April 5 at Madison Square Garden.

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NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 27, 2015

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

REMINDER: HOLIDAY ROSTER FREEZE

The NHL’s holiday roster freeze expires at midnight (local time) tonight. This roster freeze applied to all players on an NHL active roster, injured reserve, or with non-roster and injured non-roster status as of Saturday, Dec. 19, with respect to waivers, trades and loans, subject to the exceptions provided for in CBA Article 16.5 (d).

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
Buffalo 6, BOSTON 3
TAMPA BAY 5, Columbus 2
WASHINGTON 3, Montreal 1
CAROLINA 3, New Jersey 1
ST. LOUIS 3, Dallas 2 (SO)
Detroit 3, NASHVILLE 2
Pittsburgh 3, MINNESOTA 1
Los Angeles 4, ARIZONA 3 (OT)
VANCOUVER 2, Edmonton 1 (OT)

EICHEL POWERS SABRES IN BOSTON HOMECOMING

Down 3-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining in regulation, the Sabres scored five unanswered goals – led by 2-2—4 from Jack Eichel – to improve to 4-1-1 in their last six games.

* Eichel, who grew up approximately 30 miles from TD Garden, established career highs for goals and points in one game in his first NHL visit to Boston.
* Via Elias, Eichel became the first Sabres rookie to post four points in one game since March 10, 2010 vs. DAL (Tyler Myers: 1-3—4). At 19 years old, he also became the second-youngest player in franchise history to record a four-point game; Phil Housley did so at age 18 on Oct. 17, 1982 vs. EDM (1-3—4).
* Eichel, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2015 NHL Draft, ranks fourth among rookies with 11-9—20 this season (35 GP). His 11 goals place second, two behind Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin (13 in 34 GP).
* “I was a little bit nervous jumping on the ice for warm-ups,” said Eichel, who played at Boston University last season and won the Beanpot and Hockey East title at TD Garden. “But just an exciting game throughout. We made some mistakes. But at the end of the day, it’s a huge win and it’s a super-nice way to start this next segment of us. Just exciting to get a win and do it in the fashion that we did in front of so many friends and family.”

ATLANTIC DIVISION SHAKEUP

Both the Red Wings (18-10-7, 43 points) and Lightning (18-15-3, 39 points) won on Saturday to shake up the order in the tightly packed Atlantic Division, where the top six clubs are separated by four points:

* The Predators erased a pair of one-goal deficits, but Luke Glendening potted the tiebreaking marker at 6:45 of the third period to propel the Red Wings to a 6-2-3 record in December. Eleven points out of first place on Dec. 3, Detroit leapfrogged Montreal – who lost in regulation – to climb atop the Atlantic Division standings.
* The Lightning registered four unanswered goals – including a pair of power-play strikes in 32 seconds from Steven Stamkos (2-1—3) – to overcome a 2-1 deficit and improve to 4-2-0 in their past six contests. Per Elias, Stamkos set a franchise record for the fastest two power-play goals by one player, previously held by Pavel Kubina (0:54 on Jan. 27, 2004 at PIT).

HOLTBY BACKSTOPS CAPITALS TO SEVENTH STRAIGHT WIN

Braden Holtby made 29 saves, including 15 in the second period, to lead the Capitals to their seventh consecutive victory overall as well as their eighth straight win at Verizon Center.

* At 26-6-2 (54 points), the Capitals continued their best start – in terms of wins and points – in the franchise’s 41-year history. They have earned at least one point in 15 of their last 16 games dating to Nov. 21 (14-1-1).
* Holtby picked up his League-leading 22nd win of the season (28 GP), including a 14-0-1 record in his last 16 appearances dating to Nov. 12 (1.85 GAA, .931 SV%, 1 SO). He also paces the NHL with a 1.92 goals-against average.
* Holtby improved to 13-2-0 in 16 outings this season at Verizon Center (1.87 GAA, .931 SV%, 1 SO), including 10 consecutive victories. He is 9-2-1 in 12 contests as a visitor (1.99 GAA, .934 SV%, 0 SO).
* Holtby also improved to 8-0-2 in 10 career appearances vs. MTL (1.36 GAA, .951 SV%, 2 SO).

AROUND THE RINKS

* The Coyotes erased a two-goal deficit in the final four minutes of regulation, but Anze Kopitar (1-1—2) scored 36 seconds into overtime to lift the Kings to a 9-3-2 record in their past 14 outings. Kopitar registered his third overtime goal of the season (also Oct. 16 vs. MIN and Dec. 1 vs. VAN), tied for first in the NHL. Elias notes that he also equaled a franchise record for overtime goals in one season (34 GP), set by Yanic Perreault in 1995-96 (78 GP) and matched by Jozef Stumpel in 1999-00 (57 GP).
* Jannik Hansen scored twice, including his first career overtime goal with 58.6 seconds remaining in the extra frame, to help the Canucks extend their point streak to four contests (3-0-1). Hansen posted his fifth career multi-goal game and first since collecting his first career hat trick on Nov. 23, 2014 vs. CHI (3-0—3).
* Robby Fabbri evened the game with 1:50 remaining in regulation and David Backes potted the winning goal in the ninth round of the shootout to lead the Blues past the Stars in the first half of their back-to-back, home-and-home series. St. Louis (22-11-4, 48 points) climbed within seven points of Dallas (26-7-3, 55 points) for first place in the Central Division and NHL standings.
* Justin Faulk notched 1-1—2, including the tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, to power the Hurricanes to a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 contests. Faulk, who scored his first even-strength goal of the season (12 PPG), ranks second among defensemen with 13 goals overall, one behind Brent Burns (14 w/ SJS).
* Sidney Crosby collected 1-1—2 in his return from a one-game absence to lift the Penguins to their second straight victory. Crosby has 5-10—15 over his past 15 appearances, including 1-4—5 in his last three games, after totaling 2-7—9 in his first 18 outings of the season.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Penguins defenseman Kris Letang posted two assists to eclipse 300 NHL points (67-234—301 in 517 GP). Letang, a third-round selection (62nd overall) in the 2005 NHL Draft, became the second defenseman from his draft class to reach the milestone. The other: Keith Yandle (68-273—341 in 615 GP).
* Kings forward Milan Lucic (600) and Canadiens forward Lars Eller (400) both played in milestone games.
* Red Wings forward Tomas Nosek made his NHL debut (7:26 TOI).

LOOSE PUCKS

MUST-SEE: Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk made a game-saving stop in overtime . . . Sabres forward Ryan O’Reilly (2-1—3) notched his third three-point game of the season (35 GP). He paces the club in goals (14), assists (18) and points (32) . . . Predators forward Filip Forsberg (2-0—2) registered his third career multi-goal game and second of the season (also Dec. 1 vs. ARI: 2-1—3) . . . Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson (2-0—2) posted his sixth career multi-goal game and first since April 4 vs. SJS (2-1—3) . . . Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko (0-1—1) extended his point streak to a career-high eight games (6-6—12). He shares fourth in the NHL with 22-17—39 overall (36 GP) . . . Lightning forward Jonathan Marchessault (0-2—2) extended his point streak to a career-high six games (3-4—7), while teammate Nikita Kucherov (0-2—2) extended his point streak to five games (1-7—8) . . . Coyotes forward Mikkel Boedker (0-3—3) set a career high for assists in one game . . . Stars teammates Jamie Benn (0-1—1) and Tyler Seguin (1-0—1) each collected one point. Their 47 points – 22-25—47 for Benn and 20-27—47 for Seguin (both in 36 GP) – rank second in the NHL, three behind Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane (21-29—50 in 36 GP) . . . ICYMI: Paul Fahrenbach of the U.S. Navy surprised his family with a special homecoming at the Blue Jackets-Lightning game.

TAMPA, FL – DECEMBER 26: Paul Fahrenbach of U.S. Navy surprises his family during the first intermission of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets game at the Amalie Arena on December 26, 2015 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images

SNEAK PEEK AT SUNDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Boston @ Ottawa, 5:00 p.m., NESN, TSN5, RDS2
Columbus @ Florida, 6:00 p.m., FS-O, FS-F
Toronto @ NY Islanders, 6:00 p.m., SN, TVAS, MSG+
St. Louis @ Dallas, 6:00 p.m., FS-MW, FS-SW
Carolina @ Chicago, 7:00 p.m., FS-CR, WGN
Pittsburgh @ Winnipeg, 8:00 p.m., ROOT, TSN3
Arizona @ Colorado, 8:00 p.m., FS-A, ALT2
Philadelphia @ Anaheim, 8:00 p.m., TCN-PH, PRIME, FS-SD
Edmonton @ Calgary, 9:00 p.m., SN

HOMETOWN HOCKEY TOUR STOPS IN OSHAWA

The Islanders (19-11-5, 43 points) face the Maple Leafs (12-14-7, 31 points) at Barclays Center as Rogers Hometown Hockey visits Oshawa, Ont., where Islanders captain John Tavares honed his skills with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals for four seasons (2005-09). 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 Oshawa.

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NHL MORNING SKATE – DEC. 22, 2015

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

ICE TRUCK ARRIVES AT GILLETTE STADIUM . . .

The NHL began its transformation of Gillette Stadium with Monday’s arrival of the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic Ice Plant presented by York. The custom-built 53-foot, 300-ton capacity truck – which houses the world’s largest mobile rink refrigeration unit – departed from the Hockey Hall of Fame last Tuesday, Dec. 15.

ICYMI: Click here to watch a live webcam of the rink build at Gillette Stadium.

. . . NHL ANNOUNCES WINTER CLASSIC PERFORMERS

The NHL announced its lineup of featured performers for the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, including Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Nate Ruess, alternative rock band American Authors, The Voice Season 9 winner Jordan Smith and musicians from the Boston Pops.

Click here for complete details.

SNEAK PEEK AT TUESDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
St. Louis @ Boston, 7:00 p.m., FS-MW, NESN
Anaheim @ NY Rangers, 7:00 p.m., SN1, SNO, PRIME, FS-SD, MSG
New Jersey @ Detroit, 7:30 p.m., MSG+, FS-D+
Vancouver @ Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m., TVAS, SNP, SUN
Ottawa @ Florida, 7:30 p.m., TSN5, RDS2, FS-F
Montreal @ Minnesota, 8:00 p.m., NBCSN, SNE, RDS
Chicago @ Dallas, 8:30 p.m., CSN-CH, FS-SW+
Winnipeg @ Calgary, 9:00 p.m., TSN3, SNW
Toronto @ Arizona, 9:00 p.m., TSN4, FS-A
San Jose @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m., NBCSN, SN

10 GAMES HIGHLIGHT FINAL DAY BEFORE HOLIDAY BREAK

Ten games dot the schedule on the final day before the NHL takes its holiday break: NBCSN hosts a doubleheader, with the Canadiens (20-12-3, 43 points) looking to snap a four-game skid against the Wild (17-9-6, 40 points) and the Kings (20-10-2, 42 points) battling the intrastate rival Sharks (16-15-2, 34 points); the Panthers (18-12-4, 40 points), winners of four straight and 10 of their last 13, try to stay hot when they play the Senators (17-12-5, 39 points); former Chicago teammates Patrick Sharp and Johnny Oduya face their old club for the first time when the Stars (25-7-2, 52 points) meet the Blackhawks (20-11-4, 44 points); and the Ducks (12-15-5, 29 points) complete the second half of back-to-back games in New York when they visit the Rangers (19-12-4, 42 points).

REMINDER: The NHL’s holiday break runs from Wednesday, Dec. 23 – Friday, Dec. 25. There are no scheduled practices during that time. Dressing rooms also are closed.

MONDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
NY ISLANDERS 5, Anaheim 2
PHILADELPHIA 4, St. Louis 3
PITTSBURGH 5, Columbus 2
Washington 2, CAROLINA 1
NASHVILLE 5, Montreal 1
Dallas 6, MINNESOTA 3
Toronto 7, COLORADO 4
EDMONTON 3, Winnipeg 1

CAPITALS, STARS KEEP PACE ATOP NHL STANDINGS

Both the Capitals (25-6-2, 52 points) and Stars (25-7-2, 52 points) – the top two teams in the NHL – earned wins on Monday to continue their franchise-best starts to the season and keep pace atop the League standings:

* Philipp Grubauer made 31 saves, including 12 in both the first and third periods, to backstop the Capitals to their sixth consecutive victory and a 13-1-1 record in their last 15 contests – a stretch that includes a pair of six-game winning streaks (also Nov. 21 – Dec. 3: 6-0-0). Washington last posted multiple winning streaks of six or more games in the same season in 2010-11 (Oct. 30 – Nov. 11: 6-0-0 and Feb. 26 – March 15: 9-0-0).
* The Stars scored four straight goals, including two in the final 90 seconds of the middle frame, to overcome a 2-0 deficit en route to their fifth victory in their past seven outings. Dallas has won each of its first three games against Minnesota this season, including one other in which they overcame a multi-goal deficit – on Nov. 28, the Stars erased a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Wild, 4-3 in overtime (also at MIN).

OILERS OUST JETS, EXTEND HOME WINNING STREAK TO SEVEN

The line of Teddy Purcell (2-1—3), Taylor Hall (0-3—3) and Leon Draisaitl (0-2—2) combined for 2-6—8 to power the Oilers to their seventh consecutive victory at Rexall Place, their longest home winning streak since Feb. 4 – March 2, 2008 (also 7-0-0).

* The Oilers’ seven-game home winning streak is one shy of equaling the franchise record, established Jan. 19 – Feb. 22, 1985 (8-0-0) and matched Feb. 24 – April 2, 1986 (8-0-0).
* Purcell registered his second three-point performance of the season (also Dec. 11 vs. NYR: 1-2—3) and first multi-goal game since March 20, 2014 at OTT (2-0—2 w/ TBL).
* Hall, who ranks fourth in the NHL with 15-24—39 this season (35 GP), recorded his 300th NHL point (121-181—302 in 334 GP). Only one other player from the 2010 NHL Draft has eclipsed 300 career points: Tyler Seguin (149-179—328 in 388 GP), who was drafted second overall (by BOS) behind Hall.
* Draisaitl raised his totals to 9-21—30 in 25 games this season. His average of 1.20 points per game ranks fourth in the League, behind Patrick Kane (1.43), Seguin (1.35) and Jamie Benn (1.32).

DID YOU KNOW?

The Oilers became the fourth team to post a home winning streak of seven or more games this season. Four clubs hold active home winning streaks of at least six games:

Longest Home Winning Streaks, 2015-16 Season
9 – Calgary Flames (Nov. 5 – Dec. 12)^
9 – New York Rangers (Oct. 19 – Nov. 23)
7 – Edmonton Oilers (Nov. 20 – Dec. 21)^
7 – Washington Capitals (Nov. 21 – Dec. 18)^
6 – Chicago Blackhawks (Oct. 10 – Nov. 2)
6 – Los Angeles Kings (Nov. 12 – Dec. 6)^
^ Active

FLYERS OVERCOME 3-0 DEFICIT TO CONTINUE CLIMB

The Blues raced to a 3-0 lead early in the second period, but the Flyers scored four unanswered goals – including the tiebreaker by Evgeny Medvedev with 3:13 remaining in regulation – to improve to 8-2-2 in their last 12 games.
* At 15-12-7 (37 points), the Flyers moved within two points of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference:

* Via Elias, the Flyers posted the ninth three-goal comeback win of the season. They last achieved that feat on Dec. 19, 2013, when Claude Giroux collected 2-2—4 to rally the club from 3-0 and 4-2 deficits en route to a 5-4 victory vs. CBJ.
* Four players – Wayne Simmonds (2-0—2), Chris VandeVelde (1-1—2), Shayne Gostisbehere (0-2—2) and Jakub Voracek (0-2—2) – registered multiple points. Voracek, who had 1-14—15 in his first 29 outings of the season, has 2-6—8 during a five-game point streak.

OFFENSIVE SURGES

Four other clubs joined the Stars with five or more goals in Monday wins:

* Jake Gardiner (0-4—4), Tyler Bozak (3-0—3), Leo Komarov (2-1—3) and James van Riemsdyk (1-2—3) combined for 6-7—13 to help the Maple Leafs extend their point streak to six games (4-0-2) and halt the Avalanche’s winning streak at five contests. Gardiner, who established career highs for assists and points in one game, became the first Maple Leafs defenseman to record four or more points in one contest since Jan. 7, 2011 at ATL (Tomas Kaberle: 0-4—4). Bozak posted his second career hat trick (also March 28 vs. OTT: 3-1—4), while Komarov registered his second consecutive three-point performance (also Saturday vs. LAK: 2-1—3).
* Four players – Shea Weber (1-2—3), Colin Wilson (1-2—3), Calle Jarnkrok (1-1—2) and Roman Josi (1-1—2) – picked up multiple points to lead the Predators to their second straight win overall as well as a 5-0-3 record in their past eight meetings with the Canadiens dating to Nov. 14, 2009 (MTL: 3-4-1). Weber, who ranks seventh among defensemen with 10-15—25 this season (34 GP), paces all skaters with 4-11—15 since the start of December (11 GP).
* Phil Kessel and Evgeni Malkin each scored twice and Nick Bonino and David Perron both collected two assists to help the Penguins snap a five-game skid (0-4-1). Pittsburgh posted its second five-goal game of the season (33 GP; also Dec. 1 at SJS: 5-1 W); the club had 12 such performances in 2014-15 (12-0-0 in those contests).
* The Islanders scored three straight goals in the first period – including two in the final minute of the frame – to overcome an early 1-0 deficit and snap a three-game skid (0-3-0). New York picked up its 11th victory of the season against Western Conference opponents (11-4-1); no other Eastern Conference team has a double-digit win total in that category.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Mike Sullivan earned his first win as head coach of the Penguins (5 GP).
* Penguins goaltender Matthew Murray, who made his League debut on Saturday vs. CAR, stopped 22 shots for his first NHL win (2 GP).
* Defenseman David Warsofsky scored his first goal with the Penguins (10 GP).
* Jets defenseman Mark Stuart (600) and Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson (400) both played in milestone games.

LOOSE PUCKS

ICYMI: Hurricanes forward Kris Versteeg scored a highlight-reel, between-the-legs goal . . . Stars forward Tyler Seguin (1-1—2) registered his League-leading 14th multi-point game of the season (34 GP). He ranks second in the NHL with 19-27—46 overall, four points behind Patrick Kane (21-29—50 in 35 GP) . . . Capitals defenseman John Carlson collected one assist to extend his point streak to a career-high seven games (2-6—8). He shares fourth among defensemen with 6-21—27 overall (33 GP) . . . Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko saw his goal streak end at five games, but posted one assist to extend his point streak to six contests (5-5—10). He shares fifth in the NHL with 21-16—37 overall (34 GP) . . . Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne made 35 saves to improve to 5-1-1 in seven career appearances vs. MTL (1.28 GAA, .952 SV%, 2 SO) . . . Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon recorded his fifth goal of the season hours after agreeing to a four-year contract extension . . . The Department of Player Safety suspended Bruins forward Max Talbot for two games for interference against Devils forward Jiri Tlusty . . . Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov, Capitals forward T.J. Oshie and Wild captain Mikko Koivu were named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending Dec. 20 . . . Minnesota native and former North Stars forward Neal Broten unveiled the jerseys the combined Wild and North Stars team will wear for the 2016 NHL Stadium Series Alumni Game that will be played at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, Feb. 20.

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NHL MORNING SKATE – DECEMBER 19, 2015

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

REMINDER: HOLIDAY ROSTER FREEZE

For all players on an NHL active roster, injured reserve, or with non-roster and injured non-roster status as of midnight (local time) tonight, a roster freeze shall apply through midnight (local time) Dec. 27, with respect to waivers, trades and loans, subject to the exceptions provided for in CBA Article 16.5 (d).

DID YOU KNOW?

Saturday marks the 98th anniversary of the first games in National Hockey League history. On Dec. 19, 1917, the Montreal Wanderers defeated the Toronto Arenas 10-9 at Montreal Arena and the Montreal Canadiens skated to a 7-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators at Dey’s Arena in Ottawa. Wanderers defenseman Dave Ritchie scored the first goal in League history, one minute into the first contest.

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

Home Team in Caps
Boston 6, PITTSBURGH 2
WASHINGTON 5, Tampa Bay 3
Florida 2, CAROLINA 0
OTTAWA 4, San Jose 2
Vancouver 4, DETROIT 3 (SO)
WINNIPEG 5, NY Rangers 2

CAPITALS RALLY TO TIE IDLE STARS AT TOP OF LEAGUE STANDINGS

The Capitals scored five unanswered goals to overcome a 3-0 deficit and improve to 11-1-1 in their past 13 contests, including four consecutive wins.

* At 23-6-2 (48 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 into a tie with the idle Stars (23-7-2, 48 points) for first place in the NHL standings. Washington holds a game in hand.
* Per Elias, the Capitals overcame a three-goal deficit to win in regulation for the first time since Oct. 16, 2008 at PIT (4-3 W).
* The Capitals earned their seventh consecutive win at home to improve to 13-3-1 (27 points) this season at Verizon Center. Their 13 home victories and 27 home points are tied for first in the NHL with the Rangers (13-4-1, 27 points) and the Blackhawks (13-4-1, 27 points).
* T.J. Oshie (2-2—4) matched a career high with four points last achieved Jan. 3 at SJS (3-1—4 w/ STL). He has posted at least three points in two of his last three outings (4-3—7).
* Alex Ovechkin (2-2—4) also notched four points, including two power-play goals, and has 40-41—81 in 60 career regular-season games vs. TBL, including 11 power-play goals.

VATRANO HAT TRICK PUSHES BRUINS CLOSER TO DIVISION LEAD

Rookie forward Frank Vatrano (3-0—3) recorded the first hat trick of his NHL career (17 GP) to help the Bruins sweep their home-and-home series with the Penguins and pick up points for the 13th time in their last 14 outings (10-1-3).

* At 18-9-4 (40 points), the Bruins moved within three points of the idle Canadiens (20-10-3, 43 points) – their opponent in the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic – for first place in the Atlantic Division. Boston holds two games in hand.
* Per Elias, Vatrano (East Longmeadow, Mass.) became the first Bruins rookie to record a hat trick since Blake Wheeler on Nov. 6, 2008 vs. TOR and the first Massachusetts-born Bruins rookie to do so since Steve Heinze on Jan. 14, 1993 vs. PIT. In fact, Elias says that before Friday’s game, no Massachusetts native had notched a hat trick for Boston since Marty McInnis on March 6, 2003 vs. NYI.
* Ryan Spooner (0-4—4) registered career highs for assists and points in one game and has recorded multiple points in three of his last four contests (3-5—8).
* Tuukka Rask (30 saves) picked up his fifth straight win to extend his personal point streak to 10 games (8-0-2).

LUONGO IN ELITE COMPANY

Roberto Luongo made 24 saves to earn his 70th career shutout (second this season) and backstop the Panthers to a 2-0 win over the Hurricanes.

* Per Elias, only four goaltenders have more shutouts in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) than Luongo: Martin Brodeur (125), Dominik Hasek (81), Ed Belfour (76) and Tony Esposito (76).

* Elias adds that Luongo moved within one shutout of tying Harry Lumley and Lorne Chabot (71) for 11th on the NHL’s all-time list.

AROUND THE RINKS

* The Senators scored four straight goals en route to a 4-2 win over the Sharks, their fourth consecutive victory on home ice. Per Elias, Bobby Ryan (1-1—2), who did not register a point in the Senators’ first three home games this season, has now tallied at least one point in each of the team’s last 14 games at Canadian Tire Centre (7-11—18).
* Blake Wheeler (0-4—4) assisted on four of Winnipeg’s five goals to lead the Jets to their fourth win in their last five games at MTS Centre. Wheeler matched his career high for assists and points in a game last achieved on March 16, 2014 vs. DAL (0-4—4).
* After the Canucks saw 2-0 and 3-2 leads erased, Linden Vey scored the decisive marker in the seventh round of the shootout to defeat the Red Wings and snap a three-game losing streak. Ryan Miller (25 saves) turned aside six of seven shootout attempts to pick up the victory. His 54 career shootout wins rank first in NHL history.

MILESTONES & BENCHMARKS

* Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom (0-1—1) recorded his 600th career point (155-445—600, 605 GP) to pass Michal Pivonka (181-418—599, 825 GP) for sole possession of fourth on the franchise’s all-time list. Backstrom, the fourth overall pick in the 2006 NHL Draft, became the first player from his draft class to register 600 career points.
* Penguins forward Conor Sheary (1-1—2), a native of Winchester, Mass. and a University of Massachusetts alumnus, scored the first goal of his NHL career (2 GP). The marker came against his home-state Bruins.
* Defenseman Trevor Daley (1-0—1) scored his first goal in a Penguins uniform (2 GP).
* Forward Chris Thorburn played in his 595th career game with the Jets/Thrashers to pass Ilya Kovalchuk (594 GP) for the most in franchise history.
* Capitals forward Jason Chimera (0-1—1) skated in his 900th career NHL game.

LOOSE PUCKS

The Bruins improved to 5-0-1 in their last six games vs. PIT dating to Nov. 25, 2013 (PIT: 1-3-2)… Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron (2-0—2) scored twice – including his first shorthanded goal of the season – to stretch his point streak to seven games (3-6—9)… Penguins forward Sidney Crosby (0-2—2) has 11-29—40 in 29 career regular-season games vs. BOS… The Capitals swept their three-game season series with the Lightning and improved to 11-0-2 in their last 13 regular-season home games vs. TBL dating to Nov. 11, 2010 (TBL: 2-7-4)… Capitals defenseman John Carlson (0-1—1) stretched his point streak to five games (2-4—6)… Panthers forward Reilly Smith (1-0—1) has scored in a career-high four consecutive games (4-1—5)… Sharks defenseman Brent Burns (1-1—2) has posted back-to-back multi-point games (2-3—5)… Senators goaltender Craig Anderson made 31 saves to improve to 15-9-3 (2.81 GAA, .916 SV%, 2 SO)… Jets forwards Bryan Little (2-1—3) and Andrew Ladd (1-1—2) posted multiple points.

SNEAK PEEK AT SATURDAY’S ACTION

All Times Eastern
Chicago @ Buffalo, 1:00 p.m., SN, WGN, MSG-B
Calgary @ St. Louis, 3:00 p.m., SNW, FS-MW
Los Angeles @ Toronto, 7:00 p.m., CBC, FS-W
Anaheim @ New Jersey, 7:00 p.m., KCOP-13, MSG+
Carolina @ Pittsburgh, 7:00 p.m., FS-CR, ROOT
Philadelphia @ Columbus, 7:00 p.m., CSN-PH, FS-O
Montreal @ Dallas, 7:00 p.m., NHLN-US, TVAS, CITY, FS-SW+
Minnesota @ Nashville, 8:00 p.m., FS-N, FS-WI, FS-TN
NY Islanders @ Arizona, 9:00 p.m., MSG+ 2, FS-A
Edmonton @ Colorado, 10:00 p.m., CBC,

FLAMES LOOK TO EXTEND STREAK IN ST. LOUIS

The Calgary Flames (15-14-2, 32 points) look to extend their winning streak to eight consecutive games when they visit the St. Louis Blues (19-10-4, 42 points) on Saturday. The Flames’ current winning streak (7-0-0) is their longest such run since Nov. 1-16, 2005 (8-0-0) and three games shy of the franchise record set Oct. 14 – Nov. 3, 1978, when the team was based in Atlanta (10-0-0).

THREE GAMES HIGHLIGHT HOCKEY NIGHT IN CANADA SCHEDULE

Two of the top teams in the NHL face-off when the League-leading (tied) Dallas Stars (23-7-2, 48 points) face the Atlantic Division leading Montreal Canadiens (20-10-3, 43 points) on CITY. In another early contest, the Pacific Division leading Los Angeles Kings (20-9-2, 42 points) – who hold a 7-1-2 record in their last 10 games – visit the Maple Leafs on CBC. Two of the hottest teams in the Western Conference meet in Saturday’s finale when the Edmonton Oilers – 7-3-0 in their last 10 games – visit the Colorado Avalanche, who also own a 7-3-0 record in their last 10 contests, including four straight wins.

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