PREVIEW OF TODAY’S ACTION
THREE HARD LAPS
* Henrik Lundqvist, the winningest active goaltender in the NHL, earned career victory No. 454 to continue his ascent of the League’s all-time list.
* Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored again, bringing his League-leading November goal total to double digits.
* Several team and player streaks are on the line as 26 clubs are in action tonight.
QUICK CLICKS
* Soldier returns home to surprise son at Madison Square Garden
* Sheldon Keefe replaces Mike Babcock as Maple Leafs head coach
* Garnet Hathaway suspended three games for spitting incident
* Bobby Ryan leaving Senators to enter NHL/NHLPA player assistance program
* Steve Yzerman encouraged by progress, focused on big picture with Red Wings
ISLANDERS AIM TO EXTEND POINT STREAK TO FRANCHISE-RECORD 16 GAMES
The Islanders (14-0-1 since Oct. 12) aim to extend their point streak to a franchise-record 16 games when they host the Penguins at Barclays Center in the second half of a home-and-home set.
* Each of the two previous head-to-head meetings between New York and Pittsburgh this season have featured the winning team overcoming a multi-goal deficit. The Penguins rallied from 3-0 hole in the third period en route to victory on Nov. 7 (4-3 OT W), while the Islanders scored twice in the final five minutes of regulation to erase a 4-2 deficit before tallying the overtime winner Tuesday (5-4 OT W).
DRAISAITL, KANE LOOK TO EXTEND DOUBLE-DIGIT POINT STREAKS
Two of this season’s top-10 scoring leaders can extend double-digit point streaks on Thursday when Oilers forward
Leon Draisaitl and Blackhawks forward
Patrick Kane look to push their individual point streaks to 14 and 11 games, respectively.
* Draisaitl, who leads the NHL with 16-28—44 in 23 games this season, can extend his point streak to 14 contests (10-18—28 in 13 GP) – which would be the longest by any skater this season.
* Draisaitl in 2018-19 (10-13—23 in 14 GP) and teammate
Connor McDavid in 2016-17 (7-18—25 in 14 GP) are the only Oilers skaters in the last 30 years to record a point streak of 14 or more games. Additionally, Draisaitl can join
Wayne Gretzky (14x),
Mark Messier (2x),
Jari Kurri (2x) and
Glenn Anderson (2x) as the only players to record multiple point streaks of 14 or more games with the franchise.
* Kane, who ranks seventh in the League with 11-17—28 in 21 games, can extend his point streak to 11 contests (8-11—19 in 10 GP). Kane has recorded a point streak of at least 10 games six times in his career – only
Sidney Crosby (9x) has more among active skaters.
PASTRNAK CLOSING IN ON 20-GOAL MARK
David Pastrnak (19-15—34 in 21 GP) can become the first player in the NHL to reach the 20-goal mark this season when the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins host the Sabres at TD Garden. Pastrnak can become the fourth
different player in franchise history to reach the 20-goal mark in 22 or fewer games, joining
Herb Cain in 1943-44 (20 GP),
Phil Esposito in 1973-74 (18 GP) and 1974-75 (21 GP) as well as
Cam Neely in 1993-94 (19 GP).
* Only three different players
on any team in the last 10 years (since 2009-10) have scored their 20th goal in a season in 22 or fewer games: Washington’s
Alex Ovechkin in 2009-10 (22 GP) and 2013-14 (22 GP), Tampa Bay’s
Steven Stamkos in 2010-11 (21 GP) and Pittsburgh’s
Sidney Crosby in 2016-17 (22 GP). Ovechkin went on to win the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2013-14, while Crosby captured the honor in 2016-17.
BEMSTROM CAN ESTABLISH BLUE JACKETS RECORD
Emil Bemstrom (3-3—6 in 5 GP) can extend his point streak to six games when the Blue Jackets welcome the Red Wings to Nationwide Arena. Bemstrom, a fourth-round pick (117th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft, can become the first rookie in franchise history to record a point streak of six or more games.
* Three other NHL rookies have recorded a five-game point streak this season: Blackhawks forward
Kirby Dach from Nov. 10-19 (4-3—7), Avalanche defenseman
Cale Makar from Oct. 3-14 (0-6—6) and Rangers defenseman
Adam Fox from Nov. 4-12 (2-4—6). Like Bemstrom, Dach’s point streak is also active.
MATTHEWS SET TO APPEAR IN FOURTH CAREER GAME IN HOME STATE
Auston Matthews, who was raised in Scottsdale, Ariz., is set to appear in his fourth career contest in his home state when the Coyotes host the Maple Leafs at Gila River Arena, with the visitors looking to snap a six-game slide (0-4-2). Matthews, who was born in San Ramon, Calif., but moved to Scottsdale as an infant, collected two points in his previous three road games against the team he grew up cheering for (1-1—2).
* The Maple Leafs franchise owns an all-time record of 13-21-5 in their first game under a new head coach, including a 0-2-0 mark in the last two (
Mike Babcock: 3-1 L vs. MTL on Oct. 7, 2015;
Peter Horachek: 6-2 L vs. WSH on Jan. 7, 2015). The last Maple Leafs head coach to earn a win in his team debut was
Randy Carlyle on March 3, 2012 (3-1 W at MTL).
DID YOU KNOW?
Predators forward
Mathieu Olivier (Biloxi, Miss.) made his NHL debut Tuesday and became the first Mississippi-born player in League history to appear in a game (regular season or playoffs). Overall, 38 different U.S. birth states have now been represented among players to appear in at least one NHL game
as well as Washington, D.C.