OVECHKIN CLIMBS ALL-TIME LISTS IN OVERTIME VICTORY
Alex Ovechkin notched his second multi-goal game of the season (and 122nd of his career) and Matt Niskanen scored his second career overtime goal to lift the Capitals past the Metropolitan Division rival Rangers. Ovechkin scored both goals on the man advantage to tie former Capitals forward and Hockey Hall of Famer Dino Ciccarelli for ninth place on the NHL’s all-time power-play goals list.

* Ovechkin’s 122 multi-goal outings in the regular-season are 42 more than the next-closest active NHL player (Sidney Crosby: 80) and place him in a tie with Mark Messier for the 13th-most in League history. The seven-time Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner sits five such outings from entering the top-10 all time, trailing Steve Yzerman (12th; 124), Ciccarelli (11th; 125), Jaromir Jagr (t-10th; 127) and Mike Bossy (t-10th; 127). Wayne Gretzky (189) holds the NHL record.

* Wednesday marked Ovechkin’s fifth multi-goal outing against the Rangers, and his 23rd and 24th career regular-season goals against Henrik Lundqvist (39 GP) - his highest total against any netminder. Crosby is the only active player with as many goals against one goaltender (24 vs. Lundqvist).

GAUDREAU TALLIES 100TH CAREER GOAL IN FLAMES VICTORY
Johnny Gaudreau scored the 100th regular-season goal of his career and rookie defenseman Juuso Valimaki netted his first NHL goal just 48 seconds later as the Flames halted the Bruins’ win streak at four games.

* Gaudreau (318 GP), a fourth-round pick (103rd overall) in the 2011 NHL Draft, became the eighth player from his draft class to score 100 career goals. The 2013-14 Hobey Baker Award winner has led the Flames in scoring each of the last three seasons and now sits three points shy of becoming the fourth player from the 2011 Draft to collect 300+ career points.

* Noah Hanifin, acquired by the Flames on June 23, earned an assist on Gaudreau’s goal. Both players enjoyed standout college hockey careers with Boston College (Hanifin: 5-18—23 in 37 GP; Gaudreau: (78-97—175 in 119 GP). Gaudreau has 6-3—9 in eight career games against theBruins, tied for his second-highest goal total against one club (eight vs. EDM and DAL).

DUCKS, CANADIENS CONTINUE IMPRESSIVE STARTS TO THE SEASON
The Ducks and Canadiens were propelled by strong performances from John Gibson and Carey Price, respectively, to collect another victory:

* Gibson made 34 saves, and fell 35 seconds shy of a shutout, to backstop the Ducks to a 5-1-1 record on the season. Anaheim improved to 18-2-3 in 23 regular-season games at Honda Center in the 2018 calendar year.

* Gibson owns a career save percentage of .924 in 184 appearances, tops among goaltenders with a minimum of 100 games played since 1955-56 (when shots on goal were officially tracked).

* Price made 23 saves and Brendan Gallagher scored the go-ahead goal with 11 seconds remaining in the third period to lift the Canadiens to their third straight win and a 4-1-1 record in 2018-19. Gallagher’s tally was the sixth go-ahead goal scored in the final five minutes of regulation this season, and the first in the final minute.

* There were 10 go-ahead goals in the final 15 seconds of regulation over the past two seasons (six in 2017-18, four in 2016-17), including one by the Canadiens: Paul Byron scored with 8.3 seconds in the third period on March 2, 2017 vs. NSH.

* Price earned the 288th win of his NHL career (562 GP) to move within one of tying Patrick Roy (289 in 551 GP) for second place on the franchise’s all-time wins list.

* Sporting Tomas Plekanec’s signature turtleneck, Canadiens owner Geoff Molson and GM Marc Bergevin joined NHL legend Guy Lafleur in honoring Plekanec for recently skating in his 1,000th NHL game. Click the photo below to watch the pre-game ceremony.

SNEAK PEEK AT THURSDAY’S ACTION

STREAKING SCORERS FACE OFF IN NEW JERSEY

Kyle Palmieri (7-0—7 in 4 GP) and the Devils, the NHL’s only undefeated team at 4-0-0, welcome Nathan MacKinnon (7-1—8 in 6 GP) and the Avalanche to Prudential Center. Palmieri and MacKinnon sit tied for second in League goal-scoring through the first two weeks of 2018-19, trailing just Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (10).

* Palmieri began the season with three straight two-goal games and has registered the Devils’ opening goal in each of their four contests of the season - an NHL first. Only one player in NHL history has tallied his team’s opening goal in five straight games at any point in the regular season:Johnny Bucyk (Dec. 2-11, 1965 w/ BOS). After only four contests, Palmieri owns the franchise record for goals in the team’s opening five games of a season, breaking the previous mark of five goals achieved six times (last: Michael Cammalleri in 2014-15).

* After surpassing Mats Sundin (5 GP in 1992-93) for the longest season-opening goal streak in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history, MacKinnon aims to become the 11th player in NHL history - and seventh in the modern era (since 1943-44) - to score a goal in each of his team’s first seven games of a season. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (7 GP in 2017-18) achieved the feat last season, becoming the first to do so since Mario Lemieux set the modern era record with a 12-game run in 1992-93.

ELITE SCORERS TAKE CENTER STAGE IN OILERS HOME OPENER

After a six-city, four-country road trip to start the 2018-19 season, the Oilers return to Rogers Place for their home opener against the Bruins. Connor McDavid (4-5—9) enters the contest fresh off becoming the first player in NHL history to record a point on nine consecutive team goals to begin a season.

* Since being shut out in their season opener, Boston has outscored opponents 24-11 in their last five contests, led by the trio of Patrice Bergeron (6-7—13), Brad Marchand (2-9—11) and David Pastrnak (7-3—10). Of the 24 goals during their four-game run, 18 of them have featured at least one of Bergeron, Marchand or Pastrnak.

MATTHEWS AIMS TO PUSH HISTORIC START TO EIGHT GAMES
Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs set their sights on a sixth consecutive win when they host Sidney Crosby and the Penguins at Scotiabank Arena.

* Matthews paces the League with 10-6—16, notching multiple points in each of Toronto’s seven games to open the 2018-19 campaign. Only two players in NHL history have recorded longer such runs, with Mario Lemieux and Kevin Stevens each accomplishing the feat with the 1992-93 Penguins.